Tips on how to ask questions!

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Example: How much oxygen does it take to raise pH?....I have had this discussion before on the forum. I enjoy having this debate. Yes, oxygen raises PH. Try injecting oxygen into your skimmer and see for yourself.

That question isn't appropriate for this thread either, but as a quickie answer (since I do not want incorrect chemistry info left hanging), adding O2 has zero pH effect.

If the addition of any gas (helium, argon, nitrogen, oxygen, any gas, except CO2 itself) sweeps out CO2 with it as CO2 enters the bubbles and is carried away to the atmosphere, the pH will rise.

We can discuss further if you want to start a new thread.

 

[tonyvan]

Here are some tips on how to ask questions at Reef2Reef most effectively.

1. Put the question, or at least the detailed topic in the thread title. Most people do this already, but it's the top way to attract the right kind of people to answer your question.

Bad examples:

Quick Question?​

Advice Needed​

Is this OK?​

Problem with tank.​

Better examples:

Why dose alkalinity?​

What's the best temperature?​

Where can I buy a healthy H. magnifica anemone?​

2. Put the question or discussion topic right at the start of the first post (especially if it is not clear in the title). Do not bury it 7 paragraphs down in a detailed tank description and history. No one wants to read all that without knowing why they are reading it or and without knowing what is pertinent and what is not.

Triton test shows 54 ug/L copper? Say that up front and ask why you have it and what can be done. Then when reading your tome (if you decide to add it), people know what to possibly look for (broken heater in paragraph 3, corroded light fixture with green stains on it in paragraph 6) and what to ignore (new blenny bought in paragraph 2).​

​

3. Try to ask what you really want to know, and not what you think the answer is. A lot of time can be wasted answering a question that isn't really your situation. Sometimes it can't be avoided since if you are asking questions you presumably have some uncertainty about whats going on, but try to focus on the root question rather than a proposed answer.

Examples:

Don't ask "Do corals take up magnesium?" when the real question is "I saw magnesium drop from 1300 to 1100 ppm over a few days. Why did that happen?"​

​

Don't ask "Is manganese bad" when the real question could be any of:​

"I saw manganese on the list of ingredients in my salt mix? Is that bad?"​

"Triton showed a level of 310 ug/l manganese. Is that bad?​

"I saw some folks add permanganate to reduce infections. Is that a good idea?"​

" I want to dose iron and Kent's product has manganese in it. Is that bad?"​

4. It's OK to put relatively little info in the first post. The people trying to answer will guide you as to what other info they may need. Writing your tank's life history in the first post may simply turn off some folks who don't have 10 minutes to read it all, unless it has a very interesting premise that makes folks want to do so (like a title that says "my green chromis turned a red color).

5. Don't be offended if people trying to answer suggest that some parts of your question cannot be true, when you presumed they were just the facts behind the question. This happens all the time when reefers assume test results are completely accurate and they want to know how to explain the result. But it also happens in a lot of other contexts where there are assumptions made in the question that make going back and addressing those assumptions (whether they are stated or just implied) more important than the answer to the originally stated question.

Example: How much oxygen does it take to raise pH?​

6. If you are telling us how much you dosed, please tell us the product, or better yet, what that product is actually adding so we do not have to calculate it ourselves.

Bad example: "I add 25 mL of alkalinity supplement every day. Is that too much?"​

Better: "I add 25 mL of the alkalinity part of normal B-ionic every day. Is that too much?"​

Best: I add the equivalent of 1.1 dKH of the alkalinity part of normal B-ionic every day. Is that too much?"​

Hope this helps!

Happy Reefing.

what does "please enter at least two poll responses" mean

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

what does "please enter at least two poll responses" mean

Are you asking a rhetorical question?
Did I say that?

 

[GoVols]

Are you asking a rhetorical question?
Did I say that?

Randy,

When I'm in your articles thread, that is locked.

The below link in the picture is about aluminum / but the upper link on nitrates is correct

When I click that "Nitrate and the Reef Aquarium" / your talking about aluminum

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The magazine redid all the url for my articles. A few go to the wrong place and most are dead ends. If you copy the text (not the link) and google search it, you’ll get the right page.

 

[Tony Tanks]

Here are some tips on how to ask questions at Reef2Reef most effectively.

1. Put the question, or at least the detailed topic in the thread title. Most people do this already, but it's the top way to attract the right kind of people to answer your question.

Bad examples:

Quick Question?​

Advice Needed​

Is this OK?​

Problem with tank.​

Better examples:

Why dose alkalinity?​

What's the best temperature?​

Where can I buy a healthy H. magnifica anemone?​

2. Put the question or discussion topic right at the start of the first post (especially if it is not clear in the title). Do not bury it 7 paragraphs down in a detailed tank description and history. No one wants to read all that without knowing why they are reading it or and without knowing what is pertinent and what is not.

Triton test shows 54 ug/L copper? Say that up front and ask why you have it and what can be done. Then when reading your tome (if you decide to add it), people know what to possibly look for (broken heater in paragraph 3, corroded light fixture with green stains on it in paragraph 6) and what to ignore (new blenny bought in paragraph 2).​

​

3. Try to ask what you really want to know, and not what you think the answer is. A lot of time can be wasted answering a question that isn't really your situation. Sometimes it can't be avoided since if you are asking questions you presumably have some uncertainty about whats going on, but try to focus on the root question rather than a proposed answer.

Examples:

Don't ask "Do corals take up magnesium?" when the real question is "I saw magnesium drop from 1300 to 1100 ppm over a few days. Why did that happen?"​

​

Don't ask "Is manganese bad" when the real question could be any of:​

"I saw manganese on the list of ingredients in my salt mix? Is that bad?"​

"Triton showed a level of 310 ug/l manganese. Is that bad?​

"I saw some folks add permanganate to reduce infections. Is that a good idea?"​

" I want to dose iron and Kent's product has manganese in it. Is that bad?"​

4. It's OK to put relatively little info in the first post. The people trying to answer will guide you as to what other info they may need. Writing your tank's life history in the first post may simply turn off some folks who don't have 10 minutes to read it all, unless it has a very interesting premise that makes folks want to do so (like a title that says "my green chromis turned a red color).

5. Don't be offended if people trying to answer suggest that some parts of your question cannot be true, when you presumed they were just the facts behind the question. This happens all the time when reefers assume test results are completely accurate and they want to know how to explain the result. But it also happens in a lot of other contexts where there are assumptions made in the question that make going back and addressing those assumptions (whether they are stated or just implied) more important than the answer to the originally stated question.

Example: How much oxygen does it take to raise pH?​

6. If you are telling us how much you dosed, please tell us the product, or better yet, what that product is actually adding so we do not have to calculate it ourselves.

Bad example: "I add 25 mL of alkalinity supplement every day. Is that too much?"​

Better: "I add 25 mL of the alkalinity part of normal B-ionic every day. Is that too much?"​

Best: I add the equivalent of 1.1 dKH of the alkalinity part of normal B-ionic every day. Is that too much?"​

Hope this helps!

Happy Reefing.

i have a 425 gallon with a 100 gallon sump . i added about 20 to 25 corals. this is the first time i checked my iron level's . it is at 0.00 . should i dose iron and how much

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

i have a 425 gallon with a 100 gallon sump . i added about 20 to 25 corals. this is the first time i checked my iron level's . it is at 0.00 . should i dose iron and how much

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Since you are new, I'll answer here, but in general it is best to start a new thread than add to one not related to the topic.

Iron should read zero, no matter what Red Sea says (if that's where you got the idea to measure). Iron levels in the ocean are way too low to detect.

it might still be useful to add some (I did), but testing cannot tell you that you need it.

This has more:

Chemistry And The Aquarium: Iron In A Reef Tank

Randy discusses iron and its usage in our aquariums.

reefs.com

and

Chemistry And The Aquarium: Iron: A Look At Organisms Other Than Macroalgae

I do believe, however, that the benefits outweigh the risks when one is growing macroalgae. To date there have been no claims of a demonstrated problem in a reef tank from reasonable iron additions.

reefs.com

 

[kkelly007]

As a new reefer and new to R2R, this is great advice. Thank you!

 

[Samandar]

Here are some tips on how to ask questions at Reef2Reef most effectively.

1. Put the question, or at least the detailed topic in the thread title. Most people do this already, but it's the top way to attract the right kind of people to answer your question.

Bad examples:

Quick Question?​

Advice Needed​

Is this OK?​

Problem with tank.​

Better examples:

Why dose alkalinity?​

What's the best temperature?​

Where can I buy a healthy H. magnifica anemone?​

2. Put the question or discussion topic right at the start of the first post (especially if it is not clear in the title). Do not bury it 7 paragraphs down in a detailed tank description and history. No one wants to read all that without knowing why they are reading it or and without knowing what is pertinent and what is not.

Triton test shows 54 ug/L copper? Say that up front and ask why you have it and what can be done. Then when reading your tome (if you decide to add it), people know what to possibly look for (broken heater in paragraph 3, corroded light fixture with green stains on it in paragraph 6) and what to ignore (new blenny bought in paragraph 2).​

​

3. Try to ask what you really want to know, and not what you think the answer is. A lot of time can be wasted answering a question that isn't really your situation. Sometimes it can't be avoided since if you are asking questions you presumably have some uncertainty about whats going on, but try to focus on the root question rather than a proposed answer.

Examples:

Don't ask "Do corals take up magnesium?" when the real question is "I saw magnesium drop from 1300 to 1100 ppm over a few days. Why did that happen?"​

​

Don't ask "Is manganese bad" when the real question could be any of:​

"I saw manganese on the list of ingredients in my salt mix? Is that bad?"​

"Triton showed a level of 310 ug/l manganese. Is that bad?​

"I saw some folks add permanganate to reduce infections. Is that a good idea?"​

" I want to dose iron and Kent's product has manganese in it. Is that bad?"​

4. It's OK to put relatively little info in the first post. The people trying to answer will guide you as to what other info they may need. Writing your tank's life history in the first post may simply turn off some folks who don't have 10 minutes to read it all, unless it has a very interesting premise that makes folks want to do so (like a title that says "my green chromis turned a red color).

5. Don't be offended if people trying to answer suggest that some parts of your question cannot be true, when you presumed they were just the facts behind the question. This happens all the time when reefers assume test results are completely accurate and they want to know how to explain the result. But it also happens in a lot of other contexts where there are assumptions made in the question that make going back and addressing those assumptions (whether they are stated or just implied) more important than the answer to the originally stated question.

Example: How much oxygen does it take to raise pH?​

6. If you are telling us how much you dosed, please tell us the product, or better yet, what that product is actually adding so we do not have to calculate it ourselves.

Bad example: "I add 25 mL of alkalinity supplement every day. Is that too much?"​

Better: "I add 25 mL of the alkalinity part of normal B-ionic every day. Is that too much?"​

Best: I add the equivalent of 1.1 dKH of the alkalinity part of normal B-ionic every day. Is that too much?"​

Hope this helps!

Happy Reefing.

Hi Mr Holmes
I have followed you since 2010.
Newly I have calculated the necessity of cacl2 and Na2CO3 for my new tank. I wrote the following formula
CaCl2(aq) +Na2CO3 (aq) <---> CaCO3(s) +2NaCl(aq)
So as you see, for each mol of cacl2 we need only one mol Na2CO3. On the other hand for 147 gr cacl2 we need only 66 gr Na2CO3. Is it right? Or I have missed something.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hi Mr Holmes
I have followed you since 2010.
Newly I have calculated the necessity of cacl2 and Na2CO3 for my new tank. I wrote the following formula
CaCl2(aq) +Na2CO3 (aq) <---> CaCO3(s) +2NaCl(aq)
So as you see, for each mol of cacl2 we need only one mol Na2CO3. On the other hand for 147 gr cacl2 we need only 66 gr Na2CO3. Is it right? Or I have missed something.

Answering this in the other thread.

 

[sreid]

Here are some tips on how to ask questions at Reef2Reef most effectively.

1. Put the question, or at least the detailed topic in the thread title. Most people do this already, but it's the top way to attract the right kind of people to answer your question.

Bad examples:

Quick Question?​

Advice Needed​

Is this OK?​

Problem with tank.​

Better examples:

Why dose alkalinity?​

What's the best temperature?​

Where can I buy a healthy H. magnifica anemone?​

2. Put the question or discussion topic right at the start of the first post (especially if it is not clear in the title). Do not bury it 7 paragraphs down in a detailed tank description and history. No one wants to read all that without knowing why they are reading it or and without knowing what is pertinent and what is not.

Triton test shows 54 ug/L copper? Say that up front and ask why you have it and what can be done. Then when reading your tome (if you decide to add it), people know what to possibly look for (broken heater in paragraph 3, corroded light fixture with green stains on it in paragraph 6) and what to ignore (new blenny bought in paragraph 2).​

​

3. Try to ask what you really want to know, and not what you think the answer is. A lot of time can be wasted answering a question that isn't really your situation. Sometimes it can't be avoided since if you are asking questions you presumably have some uncertainty about whats going on, but try to focus on the root question rather than a proposed answer.

Examples:

Don't ask "Do corals take up magnesium?" when the real question is "I saw magnesium drop from 1300 to 1100 ppm over a few days. Why did that happen?"​

​

Don't ask "Is manganese bad" when the real question could be any of:​

"I saw manganese on the list of ingredients in my salt mix? Is that bad?"​

"Triton showed a level of 310 ug/l manganese. Is that bad?​

"I saw some folks add permanganate to reduce infections. Is that a good idea?"​

" I want to dose iron and Kent's product has manganese in it. Is that bad?"​

4. It's OK to put relatively little info in the first post. The people trying to answer will guide you as to what other info they may need. Writing your tank's life history in the first post may simply turn off some folks who don't have 10 minutes to read it all, unless it has a very interesting premise that makes folks want to do so (like a title that says "my green chromis turned a red color).

5. Don't be offended if people trying to answer suggest that some parts of your question cannot be true, when you presumed they were just the facts behind the question. This happens all the time when reefers assume test results are completely accurate and they want to know how to explain the result. But it also happens in a lot of other contexts where there are assumptions made in the question that make going back and addressing those assumptions (whether they are stated or just implied) more important than the answer to the originally stated question.

Example: How much oxygen does it take to raise pH?​

6. If you are telling us how much you dosed, please tell us the product, or better yet, what that product is actually adding so we do not have to calculate it ourselves.

Bad example: "I add 25 mL of alkalinity supplement every day. Is that too much?"​

Better: "I add 25 mL of the alkalinity part of normal B-ionic every day. Is that too much?"​

Best: I add the equivalent of 1.1 dKH of the alkalinity part of normal B-ionic every day. Is that too much?"​

Hope this helps!

Happy Reefing.

New to reef2reef yesterday thanks for the advice this helps a lot

 

[WVReefJunkie]

Randy, I have been having rising Potassium levels to 475 ppm per icp. The only additives used Mrs.Wages pickling lime through a Kalk reactor, and Calcium Chloride for Calcium. I know the Calcium Chloride has Potassium as so does ESV Part 2, but the amounts are not mentioned in what quanities.Do you think if I switch to ESV Part 2 with water changes could keep Poatssiun within range?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Randy, I have been having rising Potassium levels to 475 ppm per icp. The only additives used Mrs.Wages pickling lime through a Kalk reactor, and Calcium Chloride for Calcium. I know the Calcium Chloride has Potassium as so does ESV Part 2, but the amounts are not mentioned in what quanities.Do you think if I switch to ESV Part 2 with water changes could keep Poatssiun within range?

I suggest starting a thread on this question. This thread is about how to ask questions.