PH, Alk, and Calcium???

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Calcium cannot really be unstable in a system like this. Changes without big alk declines or dosing are test error or salinity changes.

 

[rtparty]

The Hanna Calcium is super unrelialbe especially if you aren't EXACT in your methods. I wouldn't trust any jumping around with it

 

[Reign1]

I agree with most posters. Your #s are not likely bouncing around that much in a new tank. Try alternate test (LFS or ICP ) you really want to I would really just let is stabilize. I would suspect your PH may be changing a little depending on time of day you test it. Also CO2 in your home is a real thing as we had a get together and my alarm was going off for low PH but really it was all the people in the house and as soon as they left my PH went back to normal.

 

[PapaFishRocks]

what monito is this? and I was looking to start a zoa garden first

Neptune Apex.

Check out the forum’s Marketplace. Always good deals on used Apex.

 

[Dburr1014]

Looking for insight on a few things that my brain is not quite grasping.

I am having Calcium and Alkalinity swings in my tank. I do not have any corals. Two Damsels, 6 hermits, 6 Astrea, 4 Nassariurs. Live sand 4" bed, and 80# rock in a 65 gal system.

Sump has Cheato, pods, I am using Red Sea Coral Pro Salt Blue label, I switched from Tropic Marin.

I have read about this and I am still confused.

I am chasing numbers to prepare for corals. Perhaps the system is not established long enough yet. The system is in the 6 month slow acclimation stage. I am having diatom blooms which I am assuming is affecting the swing through its biological process.

Prior to swtichng salt mixes my PH was consistently low and my alk was below 7. With the coral pro mix I am still flirting with the low range. And calcium is also fluctuating.

I normally test late afternoon, today's results were an hour after the lights came on.

Test kits have a range of error.
Personally, I wouldn't be checking everyday. Look for trends not hard numbers.

PH is great at 8 or above.
Calcium over 400 is a goal. I've tested at 380 in the past, I just bump it up.
Alkalinity 7+ dkh is good. I like around 8dkh personally, it gives me room +or- if it moves. You don't want alk moving more than 1 dkh daily but if you don't have coral, it shouldn't be anyway.

Not sure what your question is.
Also, 4” bed is pretty darn deep. Kinda old school and there is a reason why we steered away from deep beds. I would take the sand out slowly and keep it under 2” or it will be a ticking bomb down the road.

If properly cared for it's not "a ticking time bomb".
OP goals may be quite different than yours and lots of folks have DSB tanks that are thriving.
Different strokes for different folks.