# what exactly should



## Trillion (May 10, 2004)

Just wondering if my.....

( NO 3) should be at or between 5.0 or 20

shouldn't my pH be around like 8.5 or lower?

should my NO 2 be around 0.25 and 1.0?

and should my NH 3 an NH 4 be around 0.25 an 1.0

I think my pH s around like or between 8.2 and 8.4

Thanks.


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## illnino (Mar 6, 2004)

salinity-1.020-1.027
ammonia- 0
nitrite- 0
nitrate- fish only, under 30, reef, under 1
ph- 8.1-8.3
temp- 79-82


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## benJii (Feb 17, 2005)

Yep those listed above should be good. For yours I would say keep sg at 1.020.


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## Trillion (May 10, 2004)

That's good actually great and ill do just that.

I hope and plan to do my first water change today, so hope fully my tank will start balancing out.

Thanks.


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## Trillion (May 10, 2004)

man water changes are so hard, specially when u gotta restart your over flow box,Damn.

how do I save illnino's post about the params?


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## JustJoshinYa (Mar 25, 2006)

nitrate for reef, should be 1 or under????? 1ppm???? i can never have a reef!!!! straight from the tap i get 20-30ppm nitrates


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## Trillion (May 10, 2004)

I don't think I will ever have a reef either just little simple stuff here and there, like gargonias, pulsing xenias, polyps, and maybe a spagetii leathers.

nothing extravegant.


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## jiggy (Jun 27, 2004)

1.020 sg?!? recommended is 1.023, for reef it should be more around 1.024-1.026

ammonia: 0
nitrites: 0
nitrates: 0
phosphates: 0
calcium: 380-480
magnesium: 4-5x the amount of calcium.. 
theres alot of arguements about temp.. some say 78, some say 84.. there r charts of yearly highs and lows of temps of the ocean around the equator, lows are usually around 76, and highs have been up to 90..

id say 79-82


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## Trillion (May 10, 2004)

jiggy said:


> 1.020 sg?!? recommended is 1.023, for reef it should be more around 1.024-1.026
> 
> ammonia: 0
> nitrites: 0
> ...










terific info as always jiggy!

man your avatars kick ass wish I knew how to make them like that.

thanks again for the param info that helps a lot especially the calcium and magnesium #s thanks.


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## illnino (Mar 6, 2004)

jiggy, he asked what his params should be. many times in fish stores they will keep salinity 1.017-1.019 to keep disease down. at the time he had no coral so that was where my reasoning came from


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## jiggy (Jun 27, 2004)

really?.. i never knew petstores kept them that low. learn something new everyday.


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## Trillion (May 10, 2004)

I'd be terrified to kkep my salinity that low.

so do either one of you guys have any tricks up your sleeves on how to lower ammonia levels?


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## illnino (Mar 6, 2004)

water changes and good live rock. inverts need high salinity. in the 1.023-1.027 range


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## Trillion (May 10, 2004)

I try to keep my salinity level around that, but in my forty I think the ammonia is just high because its cycling steal!


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## illnino (Mar 6, 2004)

no problem with that.


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## Trillion (May 10, 2004)

illnino said:


> no problem with that.


no prob with what, my ammonia being high?

yea its cool I keep it under control with water changes and changing my filter medias every couple weeks

I just found out that you never have to replace the bio-wheel, that's so cool.

just the media.

I was just wondering if any one knew what that blue filter media pad is called?

all I've been able to fin is that brown ammonia removing one, and tht white one for nitrates.

What does the blue pad remove?

I'm refering to th media that yo put on top of you sump, that's the first ting your water hits when its delivered.


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