Need help fixing levels

[Lt Nos]

New to the hobby and I must admit I don't test my levels enough. For 1 year things have stayed relativly stable so I stopped testing often. My coral growth has got the point however that I think I need to start supplemental mag, alk, and cal. Here is my current levels.

Nitrate = 0-5 ppm
Ph is 7.8 at 1030am, lights on at 10am
Cal is 380
Kh is 130
Mag is 800

I have a favite that is not looking happy, everything else looks "ok"

So I have Kent liquid Calcium, Seachem advantage mag, and Kent Superbuffer-dkh.

In what order should I add these supplements to correct my levels?:ooh:

 

[gparr]

Your Mg is too low. That's where you start. Have to get that to at least 1,350. If your Mg isn't at least 1,350 you won't be able to get your Ca above 400.
Gary

 

[Lt Nos]

Cool thanks, seachem directions dictact 1 teaspoon per 20 gal 2x a week till proper levels are reached, I've begun that this morning. I'm also going to buy a backup mag test kit, as the one I have is older.

 

[btkrausen]

From what I've read, its generally not recommended to raise your Mag by 100ppm per day. As with everything else in this hobby, take it slow, day by day. Check out the reef calculator to help with your dosing. If your level is at 800, tell it 900 and see what your recommended dosage is. Just remember that, as an example, that if you have a 75gal tank, doesn't mean you have 75gal of water. Rock and equipment displacement come into play. I have about 100gal worth of area in my three tanks plumbed together, but I dose for 70-75 gal.

I also would keep a log of what your measurements are and what you put in. This will help you get to a "daily dosage" idea to keep it steady. I use an excel sheet, and have logs from the last three months in mine :) Good luck.

 

[Lt Nos]

Will the mag dosing reducing my alk level which is currently at 130? Should I be testing alk tomorrow?

 

[btkrausen]

Alk is at 130? Thats a little odd unless there is another way to measure I'm not aware of. Most tanks kH are measured between 6-10 range in dKH, which equates to less than 5 in Alk using meq/L. dKH is generally the value you'll see most people speaking of on the boards.

 

[FishScale]

+1 MAG first then alk then calcium.

 

[subielover]

Alk is at 130? Thats a little odd unless there is another way to measure I'm not aware of. Most tanks kH are measured between 6-10 range in dKH, which equates to less than 5 in Alk using meq/L. dKH is generally the value you'll see most people speaking of on the boards.

130 ppm equates to 7.28 dkh. Saltyzoo has a alk converter that I always use. The Hanna alk checkers read in ppm.

 

[btkrausen]

Thanks, I recall seeing that before, but couldn't remember if it was Alk that had a higher number like that :)