Why is my alk so low and calc

[Yates273]

So I have been cycling my tank and lit recently cycled based on my testing. No ammonia no nitrites and 10+ nitrates. I am using Reef Crystals. Then tank currently have 2 clowns in nothing else. There is macro algae in the fuge and my alk is 5.7. What gives could this be an indication my tank is not fully cycled. I started to dose approx 250 ml of alk daily to get it up. Any ideas.

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[Timfish]

If you have no ammonia your tank is scycled. Something is using it, just stay on top of it and I'd start adding corals to help establish the right microbiomes.

 

[dedragon]

I would check with the calibration solution to see if the results are correct, also check newly mixed saltwater values, maybe you got a batch of reef crystals with super low alk somehow

 

[Yates273]

Well after calibrating this is now my reading. Still low Alk and high Calcium. I will double check with my other test kit to see when I get a chance

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[Garf]

Well after calibrating this is now my reading. Still low Alk and high Calcium. I will double check with my other test kit to see when I get a chance

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And high Mag. You got your salinity sorted, calibrated? If salinity is high, that just makes your Alk problem a bit worse, unless your Alk test is still off.

 

[Yates273]

Yes I see that too but I usually not too worried about Magnesium.
Did the calibration using their calibration fluid and it was spot on with their #’s

Salinity 1.026.
I msy do one large dose of alk like 250 ml to see what I get since this is the number I got using an alkalinity calculator. I have no coral in tank right now and my dos is only dosing 3 ml every 10 minutes so I am going to turn that off for now and do one large dose

 

[Yates273]

Well the 250 ml of alk solution all at once did the trick. Need to work on calcium. Now I just have to monitor all to see what I’m consuming. Also boosted my ph up to 8.28

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[Shirak]

Your boosting your pH on purpose? What are you using? What are you using to measure salinity? And has that been calibrated?

 

[Yates273]

Your boosting your pH on purpose? What are you using? What are you using to measure salinity? And has that been calibrated?

No ph was at 8-8.1 before dosing the alkalinity since dosing the 250ml it shot my ph up to 8.28. I am using Randy’s 2 part recipe. I measure salinity with the Hanna salinity pen and yes it was calibrated using their solution. Here’s my # 13 hours later

 

[Shirak]

Ah gotcha I am not familiar with the 2 part recipe. It has a Ca and Mg component? Your tank is fairly new. I wonder if its rock and sand binding calcium carbonate? Is your sand bed loose or are there areas that are kind of turned to a block with the sand sticking to each other? a pH boost when trying to raise the Alk that much might cause calcium carbonate to precipitate.

 

[Yates273]

Tank is new. Only been up and running for about a month. Sand is loose and as far as his recipe I am using Preston’s driveway heat for calcium and baked baking soda for alk. I don’t dose Magnesium yet and have yet to really dose it in my other tank

 

[Shirak]

Tank is new. Only been up and running for about a month. Sand is loose and as far as his recipe I am using Preston’s driveway heat for calcium and baked baking soda for alk. I don’t dose Magnesium yet and have yet to really dose it in my other tank

Are you dosing the calcium chloride then? Your levels on Ca are way way high even for reef crystals which is known to be on the higher end but not that high! You could be causing Ca to combine with the carbonate and precipitate out and pull down your alk.

2 clown fish don't care about much in water parameters. You should only need to do water changes and nothing else.

 

[Yates273]

Not dosing calcium since it’s so high. Alk now hovering at 8.5 after 24 hours of the 250ml dose. Just need to let calcium come down. Ph also went up to 8.3 since dosing the alk.

 

[Shirak]

Not dosing calcium since it’s so high. Alk now hovering at 8.5 after 24 hours of the 250ml dose. Just need to let calcium come down. Ph also went up to 8.3 since dosing the alk.

There isn't anything in your tank to use the calcium so it's not going to drop. Mix up a big batch of new salt water and test it. Then do a big water change. Reef crystals should be around 12ish alk and 500ish Ca. If the numbers are way off from that then there is something wrong with your batch of salt or your test kits or your salinity tester. Is there a LFS you can get the salinity Alk and Ca checked at?

 

[Yates273]

Negative on LFS, I trust my kits. I have Hanna test kits and the trident. Maybe I’ll throw in a plating Monti to suck up some calcium.

 

[Shirak]

Negative on LFS, I trust my kits. I have Hanna test kits and the trident. Maybe I’ll throw in a plating Monti to suck up some calcium.

You seem to be missing the point...641ppm calcium is very abnormal and not very likely from reef crystals in a tank you have not dosed calcium. It's not about tossing in a coral to bring the Ca down. You can do that with a big water change a lot faster. It's about figuring out if the number is correct and if it is why. There are not many possibilities if it is correct. The primary culprit is sky high salinity. The Trident and Hanna checkers are good but they are not infallible. GL

 

[Yates273]

Gotcha maybe I will find out another way to double check salinity and make sure it is what my Hannah says it is. I do have a refractometer I can check it with to see.