OK, I've been doing my water testing on a regular basis now to try and figure things out and get them stabilised so I can grow corals. I've noticed a few things and probably need some help.
My calc seems to stay steady. I can get it to drop some on occasion but when I add in more calc, it seems to stay at the upper level for some time before it will start to drop.
My Alk seems to constantly be dropping. I'm dosing on a regular basis and always need to add alk but not calc.
my PH is staying steady.
I recently checked my Mag and it's a bit on the low side.
The specifics:
IO salt mixed using RO water to 35 PPT.
Seachem Reef advantage calicum addative.
Seachem Reef builder addative.
Mostly LPS corals. I can't seem to keep SPS at this time.
PH runs from 8.2-8.4 depending on the time of day I check it.
My Calc ranges from 420 to 480 PPM. When it drops to around 400, I'll add a dose of calicum and it jumps up to around 440 or more. I'm using 1/2 Tbls of the calc in dry powder form. It takes almost a week to drop the Calc 20 PPM.
My alk is around 10 Dkh. I dose 1/2 Tbls of Alk dry powder twice a week. The Alk will drop 1 Dkh every 2 days.
I checked my Mag this weekend and it's at 1380 PPM.
In the past when I had my 72G tank full of SPS corals, I was dosing twice as much Calc as I was Alk. And I was adding 2 Tbls Alk and 4 Tbs calc a week. Now for some reason, it seems to be the oppisite in my 400G tank. The containers I have say that the Alk treats twice as much volume as the same size container as the calc. i.e two times more calc addition as Alk.
I run a smaller skimmer but it's pulling out some good stuff. I also measured my Nitrates and they are hovering around 10 PPM. I started using a Dr. Tims pearls in a reactor a few week ago to help with the nitrates and phosophates but I've had this alk/calc issue for some time now. I have used the Waste Away and it slowed down the alge growth on the glass, hence my move to the reactor and pearls.
I have a 10 year old 3" hawaian beach sand bed. I also have a 5 year old 4" sand bed in my sump. Could my sand bed be releasing calicum back into the water when it gets stirred up by the fish or me?
Any ideas? Should I raise my Mag? I have some epsom salt if I need to raise it. I don't normally add it as the Reef advantage Calicum has both Mag and Stronium in with the Calicum. But I'm not adding much of it at this time.
I have had a few times when I tested that my Alk dropped 1 Dkh and my Calc dropped 20 PPM which is about normal but it hasn't been consistant. Also I'm not seeing any of the growth from any of my corals like I have in the past.
My calc seems to stay steady. I can get it to drop some on occasion but when I add in more calc, it seems to stay at the upper level for some time before it will start to drop.
My Alk seems to constantly be dropping. I'm dosing on a regular basis and always need to add alk but not calc.
my PH is staying steady.
I recently checked my Mag and it's a bit on the low side.
The specifics:
IO salt mixed using RO water to 35 PPT.
Seachem Reef advantage calicum addative.
Seachem Reef builder addative.
Mostly LPS corals. I can't seem to keep SPS at this time.
PH runs from 8.2-8.4 depending on the time of day I check it.
My Calc ranges from 420 to 480 PPM. When it drops to around 400, I'll add a dose of calicum and it jumps up to around 440 or more. I'm using 1/2 Tbls of the calc in dry powder form. It takes almost a week to drop the Calc 20 PPM.
My alk is around 10 Dkh. I dose 1/2 Tbls of Alk dry powder twice a week. The Alk will drop 1 Dkh every 2 days.
I checked my Mag this weekend and it's at 1380 PPM.
In the past when I had my 72G tank full of SPS corals, I was dosing twice as much Calc as I was Alk. And I was adding 2 Tbls Alk and 4 Tbs calc a week. Now for some reason, it seems to be the oppisite in my 400G tank. The containers I have say that the Alk treats twice as much volume as the same size container as the calc. i.e two times more calc addition as Alk.
I run a smaller skimmer but it's pulling out some good stuff. I also measured my Nitrates and they are hovering around 10 PPM. I started using a Dr. Tims pearls in a reactor a few week ago to help with the nitrates and phosophates but I've had this alk/calc issue for some time now. I have used the Waste Away and it slowed down the alge growth on the glass, hence my move to the reactor and pearls.
I have a 10 year old 3" hawaian beach sand bed. I also have a 5 year old 4" sand bed in my sump. Could my sand bed be releasing calicum back into the water when it gets stirred up by the fish or me?
Any ideas? Should I raise my Mag? I have some epsom salt if I need to raise it. I don't normally add it as the Reef advantage Calicum has both Mag and Stronium in with the Calicum. But I'm not adding much of it at this time.
I have had a few times when I tested that my Alk dropped 1 Dkh and my Calc dropped 20 PPM which is about normal but it hasn't been consistant. Also I'm not seeing any of the growth from any of my corals like I have in the past.
