jaws789832
Active Member
What would cause my Alk to drop and my Cal to raise?
My tank is a 120, mixed reef mostly lps and Sps. Phospates are at 0 and nitrates are at 4. For the past year I have been dosing BRS 2 part and things have remained pretty steady at
Alk 8.5
cal: 480
and mag: 1350
I was dosing 30 ml a day of both parts and that seemed to keep the peace. About a month ago I noticed my alk dropping so I upped the dose to 45 ml. My alk kept dropping and my cal then starting raising. So about 2 weeks ago I stopped dosing Cal and now dose 60 ml of alk. Now my alk keep dropping rapidly and my calcium remains steady but extremely high. current readings
Alk:6.5
cal:520
mag:1350
Over about 4 hours I am able to get the alk up to 7 by adding alk (above and beyond the 60ml that doses during the day), but when the lights come on I cant dose like that anymore because the PH gets too high 8.45 at its peak using a calibrated apex probe). By the next morning my alk is back down to 6.5 and cal remains at 520. When I do a water change alk will get up to 7.5 cal drops down to 480 and mag remains the same, but the next day the numbers are back to what is posted above (6.5 520 and 1350). Before you say its testing error, I use 3 different test kits for each (hanna, salifert and red sea). I don't make any adjustments until I confirm that the numbers are really what they seem. All 3 kits come in about the same give or take a few.
I sent a triton kit in and still waiting on the results (which should be in soon). I am trying to switch to the triton method but I wanted my numbers to be close before I make the switch.
I am shooting for
alk 8-8.5
cal 420
mag: 1280
Right now I use reef crystals but am going to try Tropic marin (ordered a bucket a few days ago). I just cant figure out why the alkalinity drops so fast yet the calcium remains the same or raiseswhen I am dosing a lot of alk and no calcium?
My tank is a 120, mixed reef mostly lps and Sps. Phospates are at 0 and nitrates are at 4. For the past year I have been dosing BRS 2 part and things have remained pretty steady at
Alk 8.5
cal: 480
and mag: 1350
I was dosing 30 ml a day of both parts and that seemed to keep the peace. About a month ago I noticed my alk dropping so I upped the dose to 45 ml. My alk kept dropping and my cal then starting raising. So about 2 weeks ago I stopped dosing Cal and now dose 60 ml of alk. Now my alk keep dropping rapidly and my calcium remains steady but extremely high. current readings
Alk:6.5
cal:520
mag:1350
Over about 4 hours I am able to get the alk up to 7 by adding alk (above and beyond the 60ml that doses during the day), but when the lights come on I cant dose like that anymore because the PH gets too high 8.45 at its peak using a calibrated apex probe). By the next morning my alk is back down to 6.5 and cal remains at 520. When I do a water change alk will get up to 7.5 cal drops down to 480 and mag remains the same, but the next day the numbers are back to what is posted above (6.5 520 and 1350). Before you say its testing error, I use 3 different test kits for each (hanna, salifert and red sea). I don't make any adjustments until I confirm that the numbers are really what they seem. All 3 kits come in about the same give or take a few.
I sent a triton kit in and still waiting on the results (which should be in soon). I am trying to switch to the triton method but I wanted my numbers to be close before I make the switch.
I am shooting for
alk 8-8.5
cal 420
mag: 1280
Right now I use reef crystals but am going to try Tropic marin (ordered a bucket a few days ago). I just cant figure out why the alkalinity drops so fast yet the calcium remains the same or raiseswhen I am dosing a lot of alk and no calcium?
