What would you recommend dosing, if anything?

[TCoach]

So, I stopped dosing Kalk with my ATO due to not liking the swings I would get due to inconsistent evaporation rates and have only been using RODI in it for the last couple of weeks. My other thought in doing this would be it would help show me the usage of the tank. So, given the results below, what if any additives would you recommend dosing.

Tank: 92 corner w/ sump. ~100G total volume
Corals: Frogspawn (~10 heads total), 3 Zoa's, Xenia, GPS, 3 Leathers, 1 acan (all of the corals except the Frog are frags)

Parameters:

07/12/2021	7.74	7.4	510	1360	1.7	24.4
07/07/2021	7.85	8.1	509	n/t	2.5	12.6*
06/25/2021	7.97	8.1	414	1260	1.9	40
Date	pH	Alk	Ca	Mg	PO4	NO3

Notes:
N/T - Not Tested
* - Switched to Hanna from NYOS, not 100% sure of result. May not have fully developed before reading.

Concerns:
1. pH seems low even though skimmer is pulling outside air
2. With no Ca additions, it seems high (and not being used)
3. Alk seems to be falling.

Nitrate/Phosphate are hopefully falling due to bio pellet reactor maturing. It has been running since 6/1/2021.

Thanks for any ideas. Looking to try and get my levels stabilized so my corals can grow and I can be more comfortable adding more LPS to the tank.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

What are the units of the phosphate?

As to dosing, just keep watching alk and if it drops below about 7 dKH, I'd boost it with baking soda.

 

[homer1475]

Any water changes between those tests? Unless your adding CAL by dosing, or WC's, I would say your CAL test is in error.

 

[Reef.]

Could you not reduce the rate of kalk to say 50% in the top off water, that way the swings will be reduced somewhat, then manually dose if a topup is needed.

 

[TCoach]

What are the units of the phosphate?

As to dosing, just keep watching alk and if it drops below about 7 dKH, I'd boost it with baking soda.

I’m doing a 10x dilution using the Hanna URL tester. So ppm I believe. (1ml dt water, 9ml RODI)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I’m doing a 10x dilution using the Hanna URL tester. So ppm I believe. (1ml do water, 9ml RODI)

Which tester model exactly?

2 ppm phosphate is extraordinarily high, and maybe not likely.

 

[TCoach]

Any water changes between those tests? Unless your adding CAL by dosing, or WC's, I would say your CAL test is in error.

I may have done 1. I use IO, so even if I did, it would raise the Ca like that.

 

[homer1475]

1 WC with regular old purple IO, more then likely no. As that mixes up around 440.

What test kit for CAL?

 

[TCoach]

Which tester model exactly?

2 ppm phosphate is extraordinarily high, and maybe not likely.

Tester is HI774

I also have the Seachem test kit. It showed 2-2.5 ppm. (Horrible test and hard to get more exact)

 

[TCoach]

1 WC with regular old purple IO, more then likely no. As that mixes up around 440.

What test kit for CAL?

Hanna.

 

[homer1475]

Testing error.

EDIT:
Hanna is known for not being very repeatable. At least the CAL test. I would first get a better test such as the red sea or salifert.

Either way I would do as Randy suggested.

 

[BiggestE222]

I would add a co2 scrubber and dose the kalk.

 

[Screwgunner]

I have a 120 gallon system I put a half teaspoon of reef builder in my top off . I use Gallon jugs because that is my evaporation per day. Keeps me around 8.5 dkh and I use reef complete for my calcium . Trace 2 times the first week 1 time the second week.reef plus twice a week .

 

[elorablue]

Any water changes between those tests? Unless your adding CAL by dosing, or WC's, I would say your CAL test is in error.

Why would you say the Cal test is in error? Because it's over 500?

 

[homer1475]

It's going up with no additions.

 

[elorablue]

It's going up with no additions.

Ok. My Cal has always been near 500 and didn't change at all when I started dosing B Ionic 2 part.

 

[Spieg]

Seems like regular water change would be enough to keep up with the uptake. You could get a doser and resume kalk dosing without doing it in ATO. Agree something is odd with calcium test results. Aqua Forrest is my go to for calcium test kit.

 

[Screwgunner]

My coraline has started with a vengeance. But it isn't affecting my calcium that much.

 

[elorablue]

Seems like regular water change would be enough to keep up with the uptake. You could get a doser and resume kalk dosing without doing it in ATO. Agree something is odd with calcium test results. Aqua Forrest is my go to for calcium test kit.

I think I'll try the Aquaforest kit once this annoying Salifert kit runs out.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Tester is HI774

I also have the Seachem test kit. It showed 2-2.5 ppm. (Horrible test and hard to get more exact)

If the phosphate is really 2+ ppm, I'd focus on getting that down.