Alkalinity and Calcium Not Rising

[GoVols]

Jinx. It's been a long day. Didn't read, admittedly - I got that link on quickdraw though.

It's all good and you nailed it!

 

[aashley]

I just started over last night and I guess since I will be going away for around 5 days, I will just set my dosing pumps what BRS recommended in the video. Atleast it will be a consistently daily dose and have my tank sitter just let me know what the dKh is daily. As long as it doesn't crash from anything major while I am gone, I will be happy. I did watch the videos but plan to have time to re-watch while I am on vacation. Also ordered some sodium bicarbonate in case I need to dose those larger amounts as BRS suggested. I plan on posting daily when I get back in case anyone is still watching the thread and could give me advice as I need it.

 

[revhtree]

Well I was using a Tropic Marin test kit and bought a new one to make sure the results were accurate. They were pretty much the same. Then this week I bought a Red Sea ALK test kit and yesterday it was showing my ALK at 9.6dkh and today 10.3dkh. I tested at the same time with the Tropic Marin and it showed 7dkh.

I have been dosing 400ml each night of two part ALK and CAL. Since I had the bump up I set them down to 375ml for tonight and will check again tomorrow.

Now the question is which test kit should I trust? I'm following the directions perfectly.

Note: My Calcium has been only around 360-390 and my Mag is showing over 1600!

Ph stays around 7.6 to 7.9.

 

[Frozn]

Well I was using a Tropic Marin test kit and bought a new one to make sure the results were accurate. They were pretty much the same. Then this week I bought a Red Sea ALK test kit and yesterday it was showing my ALK at 9.6dkh and today 10.3dkh. I tested at the same time with the Tropic Marin and it showed 7dkh.

I have been dosing 400ml each night of two part ALK and CAL. Since I had the bump up I set them down to 375ml for tonight and will check again tomorrow.

Now the question is which test kit should I trust? I'm following the directions perfectly.

Note: My Calcium has been only around 360-390 and my Mag is showing over 1600!

Ph stays around 7.6 to 7.9.

I have always used salifert test and would only recommend them as I've experienced inconsistencies with other brands and/or hard to see color change.

Your levels seem in all sorts of ways out of whack and a ph of 7.6 is certainly a concern.

Also, I know that I can increase alk by 0.5dkh with 100ml solution ~300gallon system. I'm not seeing how your maintenance dose can be as high as you have listed unless you have full blown colonies.

Is there livestock at all in the tank?

 

[Frozn]

Also, have you checked your sand lately? Is it still loose or has it turned into a rock through precipitation?

 

[re76]

Well I was using a Tropic Marin test kit and bought a new one to make sure the results were accurate. They were pretty much the same. Then this week I bought a Red Sea ALK test kit and yesterday it was showing my ALK at 9.6dkh and today 10.3dkh. I tested at the same time with the Tropic Marin and it showed 7dkh.

I have been dosing 400ml each night of two part ALK and CAL. Since I had the bump up I set them down to 375ml for tonight and will check again tomorrow.

Now the question is which test kit should I trust? I'm following the directions perfectly.

Note: My Calcium has been only around 360-390 and my Mag is showing over 1600!

Ph stays around 7.6 to 7.9.

I would try to borrow a Hannah checker or some other test kit from a friend. Maybe take a sample to a LFS? Definitely need to trust your measurements.

 

[revhtree]

My PH has been like this since day one and I did calibrate the probe. I'm going to use a test kit today to compare the PH. Also the sand is not hard. I loosened it all up when it started getting hard and changed how I dosed and that's been working.

The corals, including sps frags, have been doing amazing. My tank gets no fresh air whatsoever being that it's located in a basement. Not sure if that's making a difference. I will be installing an exhaust fan pretty soon.

 

[Frozn]

My PH has been like this since day one and I did calibrate the probe. I'm going to use a test kit today to compare the PH. Also the sand is not hard. I loosened it all up when it started getting hard and changed how I dosed and that's been working.

The corals, including sps frags, have been doing amazing. My tank gets no fresh air whatsoever being that it's located in a basement. Not sure if that's making a difference. I will be installing an exhaust fan pretty soon.

If your ph is being read by a probe, could be possible interference causing a slight reading difference. I've noticed it before on a controller when it was near its low/high end before turning on/off.

Are you doing frequent or large water changes? If the new water is not near your levels you could be constantly trying to counter act the effects of the new water.

Still blows my mind at your dosage level. I don't want to sound biased - but I would buy salifert test kits and see what they read. Red Sea has good looking products, but I tossed their alk test kit after 4 uses. Perhaps I just received a bad kit.

 

[aashley]

I have been reading this thread for a while and starting tomorrow(after vacation), I will be posting daily hopefully to get help with my dosing. I do have a question about the hardened sand. That happened to me before I realized what had happened and I have about 1/2 of it loosened back up. Should I continue to break it up and if so, what effect does it have on any/all of my tests(i.e. dKh, calcium, phosphates, pH)? My sand bed is not as deep as I would like it and I do plan on adding about another inch at some point. Is it wiser to just cover up the hardened sand?

 

[GoVols]

I have been reading this thread for a while and starting tomorrow(after vacation), I will be posting daily hopefully to get help with my dosing. I do have a question about the hardened sand. That happened to me before I realized what had happened and I have about 1/2 of it loosened back up. Should I continue to break it up and if so, what effect does it have on any/all of my tests(i.e. dKh, calcium, phosphates, pH)? My sand bed is not as deep as I would like it and I do plan on adding about another inch at some point. Is it wiser to just cover up the hardened sand?

How long has it been harder?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The hardened sand isn't hurting anything. It's just like a calcium carbonate rock.

 

[GoVols]

The hardened sand isn't hurting anything. It's just like a calcium carbonate rock.

Randy,
If it were hard for a long time could it absorb phosphates or would it be too solid to absorb anything over time?

Regards, GoVols

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Randy,
If it were hard for a long time could it absorb phosphates or would it be too solid to absorb anything over time?

Regards, GoVols

It can and will, if phosphate is present, whether hardened or not.

 

[aashley]

How long has it been harder?

It was hardened for I'm guessing 2 months but I don't siphon my sand so not completely sure. It has been looser for maybe 3 months now and when I do break up areas, I have done so slowly(it was indeed like a rock).
Ok, so this is my first day. Let me tell you about my tank first. 200 gallon 8ft shallow reef. NYOS Quantum skimmer, 2 My Reef Creations media reactors(one with BRS GFO and the other with BRS Premium ROX 0.8 Carbon.), 2 MP40's, 5 Radions overhead my open tank. ATO system and 3 BRS dosing pumps. Apex Jr. controller, and Water blaster 7000. Very little coral because I kept losing them. A couple of acros hanging on, a few struggling acans, struggling jedi mind trick, frogspawn and a thriving purple sea fan. I just changed my salt mix over to Red Sea Coral Pro.

Today: dKh: 118 or 6.6 with Hannah Checker
Ca: not sure what happened because results are in the 1000+ range. I used the control solution and it measured about the same so I am going to throw that kit away and purchase a new one, hopefully tomorrow. (SeaChem Reef Status) This has NEVER happened before, so not sure what the deal is.
Mg: .96 or 1200ppm (SeaChem Reef Status)
Sp. Gr: 1.025 (ATC hydrometer)
Phosphates: 0.00 (Hanna Checker- HI 713 Low Range)
pH: 8.3

I just purchased Sodium Bicarbonate as BRS recommended for larger doses, it is mixed up and settling now. According to it's directions, I am to add 360ml of this suspension to get up to a dKh of 8. (calculating based on estimated 180 gallons of actual water in my tank).
I will not be adding any Calcium until I know what I am dealing with, unless you suggest otherwise.
I will be adding a total of 2200mL of Magnesium Mix(chloride & sulfate) over a 2 day period to reach my goal of 1350ppm Mg.

Up until today, I was adding 100ml daily of BRS 2 part system(soda ash solution and calcium chloride solution through my dosing pumps). I am now stopping this to see what my daily consumption is.

Please point out anything you see wrong with what I plan to do, any suggestions you may have, if I should change my test kit over to Salifert? Any and all suggestions will be appreciated.

 

[GoVols]

It was hardened for I'm guessing 2 months but I don't siphon my sand so not completely sure. It has been looser for maybe 3 months now and when I do break up areas, I have done so slowly(it was indeed like a rock).
Ok, so this is my first day. Let me tell you about my tank first. 200 gallon 8ft shallow reef. NYOS Quantum skimmer, 2 My Reef Creations media reactors(one with BRS GFO and the other with BRS Premium ROX 0.8 Carbon.), 2 MP40's, 5 Radions overhead my open tank. ATO system and 3 BRS dosing pumps. Apex Jr. controller, and Water blaster 7000. Very little coral because I kept losing them. A couple of acros hanging on, a few struggling acans, struggling jedi mind trick, frogspawn and a thriving purple sea fan. I just changed my salt mix over to Red Sea Coral Pro.

Today: dKh: 118 or 6.6 with Hannah Checker
Ca: not sure what happened because results are in the 1000+ range. I used the control solution and it measured about the same so I am going to throw that kit away and purchase a new one, hopefully tomorrow. (SeaChem Reef Status) This has NEVER happened before, so not sure what the deal is.
Mg: .96 or 1200ppm (SeaChem Reef Status)
Sp. Gr: 1.025 (ATC hydrometer)
Phosphates: 0.00 (Hanna Checker- HI 713 Low Range)
pH: 8.3

I just purchased Sodium Bicarbonate as BRS recommended for larger doses, it is mixed up and settling now. According to it's directions, I am to add 360ml of this suspension to get up to a dKh of 8. (calculating based on estimated 180 gallons of actual water in my tank).
I will not be adding any Calcium until I know what I am dealing with, unless you suggest otherwise.
I will be adding a total of 2200mL of Magnesium Mix(chloride & sulfate) over a 2 day period to reach my goal of 1350ppm Mg.

Up until today, I was adding 100ml daily of BRS 2 part system(soda ash solution and calcium chloride solution through my dosing pumps). I am now stopping this to see what my daily consumption is.

Please point out anything you see wrong with what I plan to do, any suggestions you may have, if I should change my test kit over to Salifert? Any and all suggestions will be appreciated.

Are you truly using a hydrometer with a floating arm or a refractometer?

 

[GoVols]

I have never used any of the Seachem test but that does not mean that their not accurate.
These are the kits I've found faith in but I keep other brands to crosscheck (when) I get a bad kit.
Cal - Red Sea Pro (Got a bad kit) So using Salifert right now.
Alk - Red Sea Pro (but you have to know how to see the endpoint) Always heard the hanna checker is good for alk.
Mag - Salifert
Phos, Hanna ulr phos. checker
Nitrates - Salifert

 

[aashley]

Are you truly using a hydrometer with a floating arm or a refractometer?

Meant refractometer, lol.

 

[GoVols]

This is the best I can do for you on water parameters.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/

I'd get Randy's advise for bringing your big-3 back inline.

I'd take care over those before I'd tackle your low phos. and I did not see your nitrates.

On post #133. Randy is saying substrate can intake goodies weather is lose or hardened ,
That is what I've seen on lose sand, even though I was vacuuming it every week.
So, I would slowly replace it with new sand once every year. Then one year I pulled it out and (lol) somehow I became bare bottom and it's worked out for me but it's a personal choice.

I would like to tag a long to see what Randy's advise is for you and your reef.

 

[revhtree]

Tested my ALK using a seachem test today and it's showing real close to the same results as the Red Sea.

Also checked PH via test kit and it's showing between 7.8 and 7.9. I have never seen my PH at 8 or higher on this new tank.

 

[GoVols]

Tested my ALK using a seachem test today and it's showing real close to the same results as the Red Sea.

Also checked PH via test kit and it's showing between 7.8 and 7.9. I have never seen my PH at 8 or higher on this new tank.

Where's your alk holding at?

I think you figured out your PH by getting the Co2 out of your basement.