Snorkeler's Cube

Since I got an LFS to do some cleanup and water testing (previous blog post) I've been working to get the water parameters back into normality.

I'll post about it, telling my journey, for I hope others with the same skill level as mine (low...) and also the same time to dedicate to the tank as I have (not much...) can learn from my experience.

In fact, that is half of why I post this blog... it is so easy to read about what the high fliers in this hobby get done (spending considerably more money and time than I want to spend), problem is I'm not one of them and sometimes I long to read the stories of average Joes like me (or being more honest, less than average Joes like me, much less, LOL)... so this blog is my story for the other less than average Joes out there ;-) .

You've read about how this tank got dominated and then saved from aiptasia, green valonia then red valonia. Lots of patience to get where I'm at. Now let's see if I can get the water parameters, specially Mg, back into normality.

Here is the water parameters story so far:

4Apr:
Alk 6.4 dKH
Ca 320 ppm
Mg <850 ppm

Added Alk buffer, 50ml of Red Sea Success Buffer

6Apr:
Alk: 8dKH
Ca: 350 ppm
Mg: 850 ppm

Added 50ml of Seachem Aquavitro Ca

7Apr:
40L (16%) Partial Water Change

Added 50ml of Seachem Aquavitro Ca

8Apr:
Alk 9dKH
Ca 450 ppm
Mg 825 ppm

Added 60ml of Eco Magnesium

9Apr:
Added 50ml of Eco Magnesium

13Apr:
Measured in the morning:
Alk 8 dKH
Ca 500 ppm
Mg 1000 ppm

Added 55ml of Eco Magnesium

At 18:00 did a 10L (4%) PWC.


That's it for now... all parameters seems to be getting into the right values.

One thing I'd add is that this time for my water changes I'm not letting the salt water sit in the container for long periods of time. In the past (1 year ago or more) I'd let the salt water sit in the container for days, sometimes weeks before I used it. I think that was making the Ca and Mg precipitate on the walls, because gradually a thin later or yellowish brittle stuff formed on the walls. In a very old blog post I have a picture of that. My guess is that when I used the salt water it was already low on Ca and Mg. This time I'm not letting it sit for more than 24hs. Maybe that is why this time my Mg is going up quicker than before...

Snorkeler