Where did my nitrites go? (and other questions)

[carpguy]

The WetFeller's site uses a java menu for navigation. Very clean but also a little on the high tech side. Try and find out if there is anyway to enable java for WebTV (don't know too much about it but it seems unlikely). A friend? A library?

I'll try and email you a few excerpts from the sections on cycling and water chemistry. Its one of the truly great sites. I knew, for instance that KH was calcium but I learned the German angle (kalk) at the Skeptical One's. Details on top of details.

Edit: A thread on KH and crushed coral.

 

[superstein61]

Driftwood and KH Yea, I have that same problem too. My KH was very low - and I do have a lot of driftwood in my tank. But I have to confess - I use a whole lot more than 5 tbsp of crushed coral - LOL

I started out with a big handful (see how precise my measurements are) - and added another big handful after a few days - LOL. OK, I am an inpatient person
- but after doing this about 4 weeks ago, I was able to get my KH to stabilize around 80ppm

If I had to guess, I probably have an 8 to 10 ounce cup full of crushed coral sitting in the sump for my 72 gallon

 

[canucks]

WOW! Thanks so much for mailing me the info from Skeptical Aquarist, carpguy! That's so great! Now I don't feel so left out of "the loop".
Results from the last few days:
26/03
NH3= 0
NO2= 0.3
NO3= >50
pH = 6.8
GH = 80
KH =<10

27/03 (out of town in am., tested @ ~2:30pm, didn't dose, added some more crushed coral)
NH3= 0
NO2= 0.3
NO3= >50
pH = 6.2
GH = 80
KH =<10

28/03
NH3= 0
NO2= 0
NO3= 10
pH = 6.9
GH = 100
KH =<10

 

[canucks]

getting discouraged...

Hi. I haven't taken NH3, NO2, NO3 tests yet today, but here are the results from the last couple days:

29/03
NH3=0
NO2=0.3
NO3=50
pH =6.4
GH =120
KH =<10

30/03
NH3=0
NO2=0.1
NO3=>50
pH =6.4
GH =120
KH =<10

I just did pH, GH, and KH tests. The numbers, respectively, were 6.4, 140, and <10. I guess my pH has come up since 27/03, but I was expecting to see a change in KH by now. Am I just being impatient? There is ALOT of coral in there, and a peice of mangrove root that had been in my turtle tank for about 5 years. Would it still be affecting pH?, (it's about a foot long in a 20g tank). I had bought a new peice of mopani wood and have removed it, but I'd really like to leave this one in, because I want to get a pleco, and it looks nice. Do you guys think I should use a little baking soda? I just don't see what the point is if it's only a temporary fix. Does it just help the coral catch up? Help...

 

[JSchmidt]

You still don't have fish in there, right? If so, I'd add a tablespoon or two of baking soda, wait a few hours and then test KH. I'm extremely surprised you coral isn't buffering the water any better. At a pH below 7, it should be dissolving rather quickly and you should see pH stabilizing, not dropping, and you should see KH rising more than it has. I almost have to question the KH test and its accuracy. Have you had a comparison test done at your LFS to confirm it?

It won't hurt to add some baking soda. I think you're right to be hesitant to use it regularly, but I think you need to see what's going on with this tank. Adding some baking soda would give us an idea.

I'd test right before you add it, then again several hours later.

Jim

 

[canucks]

Ya, still no fish. I just dosed the tank, so maybe I should wait til tomorrow to add some baking soda? And I'll take a sample of "undosed" water to my LFS tomorrow as well. I noticed that KH goes up after adding ammonia. Would asking why this is be too much info for my own good?

 

[canucks]

AHA! I think I've GOT it!

Last night I decided to give one of my "coral pouches" a squish or two, and LO! you should've seen all the stuff that came out of it! It would seem that there was just not enough circulation through the pouches; they were dissolving, but not being dispersed. So I took the one out of my filter, (thereby increasing the circulation), and gave THAT pouch a squish or two. YAY. I left the two hung on the back of the tank directly in front of the filter out flow, and here's what I found this morn:
NH3=0
NO2=0.2
NO3=110
pH =7.2!
GH =160
KH =20
I took one bag out this morning, because it really did seem like too much and the bin I bought the coral from had a caution sign saying that it would raise pH to 8.2.
So...hopefully things will stabilize (and nitrites drop) by Sat, and I can get some fish on Sun, because I will be out of town from the 6th to the 10th. I hope I hope I hope. I bought this tank on Feb 8th. Is that a long time or what?

 

[carpguy]

It took me months to get the first tank set up. Too many plans.

Glad to hear the chemistry is stabilizing. I keep my coral in a small mesh filter bag in my filter so that there is always steady water flow over the coral.

Enjoy your fish

 

[wetmanNY]

You've been getting great advice here from JSchmidt and that carp guy.

My ears were burning there a while. The Java applet is too fancy, and my tech partner is recasting the whole site to make it more universally browser-friendly. Rebuilding from the ground up, because it's bursting at the seams...

But gulp I've recently been told that the German K in KH is not for kalk-- lime-- but for Karbonathaerte- carbonate hardness. low mumble I was misremembering an old translation of a German text.

brightening but I never claim to be more than a mere reporter... good thing we have some chemists!