Parameters changing drastically in a matter of days - Phosphates, dKH, Calcium

[DHouse]

I have been a saltwater fish hobbyist for sometime and have never tried doing a reef tank. Well, I had a friend talk me into it and now it is like a fever that I cannot get rid of but.... I test my water regularly and when I first started in March my parameters were:

pH - 8.2
dKH - 6.2
PO3 - .41
Mg - 1100
Salinity 1.025
Nitrate - 30 ppm
Nitrite - 0.0
Ammonia 0.0
Calcium 417

I tested periodically through the month of April with no significant changes. I did add Frits RPM Liquid Magnesium one time and it raised my Mg levels to where they are supposed to be.

Then on the 17th of May I tested and it showed the following:

pH - 7.7
dKH - 11.4
PO3 - .24
Mg - 1400
Salinity - 1.025
Nitrate - 20 ppm
Nitrite - 0
Ammonia - 0
Calcium - 450

When I first started my dKh was only 6.2 and my pH was 8.2. In April I tested and my pH dropped to 7.5 but basically everything else was the same. I started dosing the product Eight.Four by Aquavitro daily to raise my pH and my dKH and I have been trying to reduce my phosphates for a couple of weeks now. Then on Monday the 22nd, I set up a GFO Reactor (I used the correct calculated amount of GFO which I have now removed) along with a Carbon Reactor (separate) and two days later I saw some of my corals not liking something in the water. I tested my parameters again on the 25th and they are:

pH - 7.7
dKH - 12.6
PO3 - 0.0
Mg - 1400
Salinity 1.025
Nitrate - 20 ppm
Nitrite - 0.0
Ammonia - 0.0
Calcium 491

My pH stayed the same, my dKH went from 11.4 to 12.6 in about a week, my Calcium went up to 491 from 450 and my Phosphates are now zero. The only other element that I have added is Iodide which I do 12 drops daily at the same time I dose the Eight.Four. Has anyone else had their Phosphates drop that fast in a matter of a couple of days with GFO? My dKH went up over the recommended values but my pH is not increasing and I am not doing anything to increase my Calcium levels. I used a Hanna test checker to test everything and all tests that were out of value I did that test twice to make sure I didn't screw something up and both sets of results were the same. Any help on what I am doing wrong would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Saltyreef]

Cle

I have been a saltwater fish hobbyist for sometime and have never tried doing a reef tank. Well, I had a friend talk me into it and now it is like a fever that I cannot get rid of but.... I test my water regularly and when I first started in March my parameters were:

pH - 8.2
dKH - 6.2
PO3 - .41
Mg - 1100
Salinity 1.025
Nitrate - 30 ppm
Nitrite - 0.0
Ammonia 0.0
Calcium 417

I tested periodically through the month of April with no significant changes. I did add Frits RPM Liquid Magnesium one time and it raised my Mg levels to where they are supposed to be.

Then on the 17th of May I tested and it showed the following:

pH - 7.7
dKH - 11.4
PO3 - .24
Mg - 1400
Salinity - 1.025
Nitrate - 20 ppm
Nitrite - 0
Ammonia - 0
Calcium - 450

When I first started my dKh was only 6.2 and my pH was 8.2. In April I tested and my pH dropped to 7.5 but basically everything else was the same. I started dosing the product Eight.Four by Aquavitro daily to raise my pH and my dKH and I have been trying to reduce my phosphates for a couple of weeks now. Then on Monday the 22nd, I set up a GFO Reactor (I used the correct calculated amount of GFO which I have now removed) along with a Carbon Reactor (separate) and two days later I saw some of my corals not liking something in the water. I tested my parameters again on the 25th and they are:

pH - 7.7
dKH - 12.6
PO3 - 0.0
Mg - 1400
Salinity 1.025
Nitrate - 20 ppm
Nitrite - 0.0
Ammonia - 0.0
Calcium 491

My pH stayed the same, my dKH went from 11.4 to 12.6 in about a week, my Calcium went up to 491 from 450 and my Phosphates are now zero. The only other element that I have added is Iodide which I do 12 drops daily at the same time I dose the Eight.Four. Has anyone else had their Phosphates drop that fast in a matter of a couple of days with GFO? My dKH went up over the recommended values but my pH is not increasing and I am not doing anything to increase my Calcium levels. I used a Hanna test checker to test everything and all tests that were out of value I did that test twice to make sure I didn't screw something up and both sets of results were the same. Any help on what I am doing wrong would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Cease the aqua vitro additive.
Perform some larger water changes and retest.
If low ph is the only thing you are trying to tackle with the AV additive you can use kalkwasser in the ATO or increase fresh air gas exchange.

That will help balance your alk and calcium and boost PH but you need to get your macro numbers to where they need to be individually first.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

What brand of tests kits are you using?

 

[DHouse]

Cle


Cease the aqua vitro additive.
Perform some larger water changes and retest.
If low ph is the only thing you are trying to tackle with the AV additive you can use kalkwasser in the ATO or increase fresh air gas exchange.

That will help balance your alk and calcium and boost PH but you need to get your macro numbers to where they need to be individually first.

Thanks for the info! I have never used the Kalkwasser! I have a 10 gal tank that I use for my ATO. How much Kalk do I need to add?

 

[Saltyreef]

Thanks for the info! I have never used the Kalkwasser! I have a 10 gal tank that I use for my ATO. How much Kalk do I need to add?

Fully saturated kalk is about 2 teaspoons per gallon of water.

Mix it up good then transfer the liquid into your ATO without dumping the settled bit at the bottom.

I would start adding 2 gallons of fully saturated kalkwasser to your 10g ATO for the first week and then test to see where you are before doubling dosage and so on.

You may not even need the kalk if its a high c02 enviornment the tank is in.

Simply opening a window could fix your issue.

 

[DHouse]

What brand of tests kits are you using?

The Hanna Marine Master Multiparameter Photometer HI97115

 

[DHouse]

Fully saturated kalk is about 2 teaspoons per gallon of water.

Mix it up good then transfer the liquid into your ATO without dumping the settled bit at the bottom.

I would start adding 2 gallons of fully saturated kalkwasser to your 10g ATO for the first week and then test to see where you are before doubling dosage and so on.

You may not even need the kalk if its a high c02 enviornment the tank is in.

Simply opening a window could fix your issue.

Could adding a CO2 scrubber raise the pH instead of using the Kalk?

 

[dadnjesse]

Stop chasing PH. Get everything else stable.

 

[Saltyreef]

Could adding a CO2 scrubber raise the pH instead of using the Kalk?

Yes. Or alternatively routing your skimmer intake line outside if you have an area to do so.

 

[fish farmer]

Regarding GFO, it can strip phosphate quickly.

 

[DHouse]

Stop chasing PH. Get everything else stable.

I don’t think I ever said I was chasing pH! The question that I asked basically was has anyone using GFO to bring done phosphates brought them down to zero in just under two days and at the same time their dKH and calcium shot up! I stated that I was using a product called Eight.Four to raise my pH because it was low and someone told me to stop using it and then there was a discussion talking about CO2. I’m not really worried about pH! I’m worried about my phosphates being zero and my calcium and dKH going high!