Calcium 600+ with Neptune Trident dosing Core7...help

nbd13 · Jan 26, 2020

Hi,
I’ve been using the Triton method since day one. About 2 months ago I setup a Neptune Trident and afternoon 2 weeks of using it started to have it dose the Core7 to keep Alk, Ca and Mg steady.

was aiming for:

Alk: 8
Ca: 440-450
Mg: 1375

was going great. Growth started to increase and my Ca consumption went up big time. I was dosing 15-16 ml of Cor 3a and b and almost 25 ml of Core2.

Then all of a sudden Ca skyrocketed to like 520 then has progressed up to 610 this morning over the course of about 5 days. During this time I turned Core 2 all the way to only 1 ml and Ca was still rising!

What gives? Is something wrong? Did Ca build up? Is the possible the Trident is out of whack?

Thanks

Jamie7907 · Jan 26, 2020

My money is on the trident. I’d retest after calibration and cross check against another testing method. Can’t remember which but either calcium or magnesium isn’t really tested for just calculated from the result of the other so I would imagine you might be seeing something with magnesium levels too?

K7BMG · Jan 26, 2020

I would also wonder if there is was a air leak in the dosing line.
Maybe you were not dosing the full amount initially.
I have found several times I had air in the line.
So at this point I no longer have any splices.

nbd13 · Jan 26, 2020

I just did a water change of 20% and it’s still reading high at 610. My water change is Red Sea blue bucket so it’s closer to 430-450 calcium.

The trident didn’t even adjust after the water change!

I have no splices in the tubing from the Dos so not sure it’s that plus it would be lower if there was an air leak right? Not higher? Plus I have it set for 1 ml now so it should come down not up

NowGlazeIT · Jan 26, 2020

nbd13 said:
I just did a water change of 20% and it’s still reading high at 610. My water change is Red Sea blue bucket so it’s closer to 430-450

This leads me to believe a testing error may be the culprit

K7BMG · Jan 26, 2020

My trident has matched my Hanna checkers within. .5 across all three so in my case I trust the Trident.
I have also done a water change and saw no change in levels after.

Currently have my Dos units on manual not controlled by the Trident.
Hybrid lighting T5 and MH.
I have steady coral growth, not fast but have doubled in size over the last 8 months in the temp tank.
I am stable using Triton but high for all accounts.
Alk @ 8.99 - 9.02. Dosing 34ml
CA @ 540 - 560. Dosing 17ml
Mag @ 1530 - 1550 Dosing 34ml
Using Tropic marin pro salt.
The tank is 110G with 100lb of rock bare bottom.
No sump, no skimmer, and a Marineland canister filter for particulates.
Water and filter media change once a month.
This is my temp tank so please no need to criticize the tank.
It has little bioload, 5 corals and 2 fish. My original tank leaked.

I just filled my new reef system and going to start the cycle today.