Can someone please shed some light???

[gborrillo]

I have a 90 gallon reef, 100 lbs LR, various sps, lps. Tank has been set up for about 6 months now, was previously a 40 gallon which I transferred to this 90 gallon.

Started using RODI water about a month ago. All is well. Nitrates are about .10-.25 Alk is 9 in the am, and 8 in the pm. Calcium is ALWAYS at 500. Havent even dosed in 3 days and it still stays there. I use the B-ionic stuff.

Questions - what is up with the High Alk and high CA?

More importantly, the past week or so I have noticed a bunch of bubbles in the sand, and live rock. Even the walls and the snails on the walls.... At certain points, it is a lot more than others. Usualy, it is when the MH are on. Like I would get home from work and there would be a ton on the sand bed, and a ton on the rocks. In the AM, they are usually gone for the most part.

I do not think it is the protein skimmer because I do not see any bubbles coming out of the return.

Someone please shed some light on this newby....

Thanks

 

[gborrillo]

OH, I forgot to mention - I have approx a 2inch sand bed, which based on my readings in this forum, may have to do with this bubble outrage. Correct?

If that is the case, then are DSB's then bad in this sense? If I happen to be someone that does not plan on sifting the sand or cleaning it, etc very often, then should I consider removing the dsb?

 

[billyzbear]

The high reading could be from test kit or you could have added to much. Do you a referrence with your test kit. I had this happen once, it's the only reason I'm saying anything about it.
DSB's are like 4"+. Do you have a clean up crew?
Could the return from the skimmer let bubbles out? Sometimes, if something gets into a power head it will let out a bunch of bubbles. Getting some bubbles from the sand is normal but sounds like you have more than that so I'm not sure what to say.

 

[gborrillo]

Thanks buddy. Didnt realize that DSB is 4+ inches. Mine is not that thick at all. I use the Salifert test kit, and am pretty confident in the results because I have done so about 10 times in the past week.

I do think this is an abundance of bubbles. Like right now, the lights are off already and there are no bubbles whatsoever. It is always when the lights are on.

As for the occupants of my tank, I have 3 yellow tangs, 1 purple tang, 1 coral beauty, and 3 clowns. It is a 90 gallon reef with about 100 lbs of LR. Plus, I have a bunch of corals, etc.

My sump is the Cyclone 194. You have an input chamber from the overflow, then it feeds into the built-in skimmer, then on to a drip plate that feeds down towards where the bio-balls should be (took them out) and flows into the return chamber. Thing is - I do not see any bubbles coming out of the return pipe. I do not think it is a skimmer problem because it only happens during the day.

 

[Anonymous]

What salt are you using? Have you tested that?

I have been having problems raising my Alk.
My tank params are Alk-7.7 Dkh, CA-440, Mag-1600

I tested my Oceanic salt - Alk 7.7dkh, CA-550, Mag-1650

I had the reverse condition happen when I used IO, I couldn't raise the CA.

My tank params then were Alk-9.2 Dkh, CA-320, Mag-850

I tested my IO salt - Alk 9 dkh, CA-260, Mag-800

I just picked up some Tropic Marin salt to try now.
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[Anonymous]

I presume nitrates are 10-20ppm not .10-.25ppm. bublbles in the sand and on live rock are probably algae giving off oxygen bubbles.

If you calcium is up to those levels, I would continue the no dosing and see where they wind up.