What's wrong with my system...

[Garf]

But my numbers need to go up by 20-30% don’t they?

Without following my advice to check your salinity measurement, we will never know if your salinity is ok, 10% low, 20% low, etc,etc. I'm assuming you've checked Alk, cal, and magnesium on new fresh saltwater and it came back low also, hence your plan to change salts?

 

[Marco_99]

ammonia was taken with a basic API test kit, its likely much lower. Tank is 2 1/2 years old.

I’ll increase salinity

How can I raise ca and mg?

@Randy Holmes-Farley has some good posts around the site for a lot of this i got sucked in last night reading threads for hours lol

 

[Uncle99]

All is about 7.7dkh and phosphate 0.03ppm

0.03ppm is too low IMM. With margin of error, it may also be zero.
I’d bump that to .1ppm which covers for that possibility.
Consistent phosphate is a must, or everyone starves.

You can run Alk at 7.7dkh, but, again, no room for error in the lower end. I run 8.5dkh. In the event it rises or falls, still remains in the window.

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

Instant ocean Reef crystals have elevated mag and calcium. as stated above, you need to get salinity, magnesium, and calcium improved. Most "reef" salts have elevated dKH also

 

[I never finish anythi]

What do you use to measure salinity? That's where I'd start.