Water hardness

[bensoo00]

Is 300ppm water hardness the reason why my montipora could be bleaching? Here are my parameters:

Nitrate 25 ppm
Nitrite 0 ppm
Chlorine 0 ppm
Hardness 300 ppm
Alkalinity 300ppm
Carbonate 40-80 range ppm
Ph > 8.4
Phosphate - between 0.25 and 0.5

I’m guessing it could be the phosphate, alkalinity, or hardness.
It is a mainly lps dominated tank but I do have a birds nest that is also peeling.

 

[bensoo00]

Here’s the picture of the montipora.

 

[Jamie814]

Water hardness in saltwater should be about 6,300ppm it's not really something that is tested in our aquariums.
Alk should be 140-200 in ppm terms.
Are you using a test kit for saltwater?

 

[bensoo00]

Water hardness in is saltwater should be about 6,300ppm it's not really something that is tested in our aquariums.

Are you using a test kit for saltwater?

I have a test strip that is meant for saltwater, it measures by ppm but I guess it’s not too accurate or maybe the scale is different?

 

[Jamie814]

If that test is accurate (which I don't think it is) 300ppm alk is 16dkh - way to high, it should be 8-12 max
I would get a better test kit, stay away from the strip ones.

Are you dosing anything?

 

[bensoo00]

If that test is accurate (which I don't think it is) 300ppm alk is 16dkh - way to high, it should be 8-12 max
I would get a better test kit, stay away from the strip ones.

Are you dosing anything?

I use seachem reef plus and reef complete, it’s 40 gallons so I do 2 capfuls of each twice a week.

 

[Jamie814]

seachem reef plus and reef complete

Neither of those supplements provide alk so I don't see how it is possible that your alk is that high.
Your only dosing one part of a 2 part system.

Seachem Reef complete is calcium
Seachem Reef builder would be alk

But you first need to get a better test kit and only dose what you test deficient in.

What brand test strip is that in your image?

 

[bensoo00]

Neither of those supplements provide alk so I don't see how it is possible that your alk is that high.
Your only dosing one part of a 2 part system.

Seachem Reef complete is calcium
Seachem Reef builder would be alk

But you first need to get a better test kit and only dose what you test deficient in.

What brand test strip is that in your image?

The brand is called SaySummer from Amazon and it is the 10 in 1 strip and yeah I’m quite confused too, I thought my alk could only get low from overdosing but it’s weird that the strip measured it so high.

 

[bensoo00]

Ok so I have a salifert kit and also I realized my reef master kit had KH test (I'm dumb) so here's the actual readings. I feel like this is most likely the issue.

reef master test:
ppm KH 214.8
dKh 12

salifert test:
KH 15.7