Getting Mg, Alk and Ca fluctuations under control

[danh]

93g cube with mixed corals. A few SPS frags, LPS and zoas. Nutrients have been really low. Nitrates .25 to zero and Phosphates .02. I have an ATS. No GFO.

My ATO stuck on and dumped 3-4g of kalkwasser water in to the tank in the middle of the night. I use 3.5 tsp in 5g of water. I added non kalk water to the ato in case it leveled back to top off in the next ~20 hours or so as the salinity went back up to normal. Salinity wasn't that low though. I figured Ca and Alk where too high at that point though. That's why I didn't add any kalkwasser to that ATO.

That was like midnight... at 8pm later that day I tested and alk was 9.38 and CA was LOW at 380. Now to 8.5 and CA still at 380. Mg is a little low also in the mid 1200... Which isn't helping my CA.


I've got Red Sea C supplement on hand. What are your suggestions on how to use that, or not, to get my Mg up... Then I should be able to handle CA a little easier.

Thanks.

 

[danh]

Oh... and I've also seen a slight increase in my nitrates and phosphates over the last week - about the same time frame as my ATO mishap. 1 nitrate and .04 phosphate. My ATS lost some algae when the sump filled. One side of the mat was rinsed away somehow. In that same period of time I've also seen a coraline explosion. All of the corals seem happy still too.

Working on how I too correctly handle my ATO with my Apex.. and no b/o box atm.

 

[enderg60]

Check your salinity but those test numbers are fine. Low but fine. Just dose over a few days to get back to normal.

 

[danh]

It took me 48 hours to get it back where I needed it but it didn't fluctuation much. 3-4g of fw in 100g of sw doesn't do a whole lot.

I guess my question is about dosing Mg and specifically the Red Sea C that I have. I just want to make sure I'm doing it right. 1ml =25g +1ppm. 100g of water then needs 4ml for +1ppm. 40ml +10ppm. It said not to do more than +10ppm per day. So I'll do that for several days to get it back up to mid to upper 13xx.

What kind of maintenance dose might I need? I guess, where do I start and then test to figure out what to continue with.

Also, would mid 12xx Mg cause me my Ca to be a little unstable?

 

[enderg60]

No idea about red sea stuff but I usually keep my dosing of BSR stuff to 100 points per day for mag and calc and 2 points for alk a day.

 

[snowmansnow]

let it stabilize. your numbers are ok.
better to let your corals get use to it.

 

[ricky5415]

Fix Mg first before fixing Ca level. Dose Mg increment by 100 a day until getting to 1400-1450 and stabilize for a few days before dosing Ca. Use a good test kit

 

[danh]

I'm using red sea kits for everything.

Increment by 100 a day? So I can/should go from 1250 and dose all the way up to 1350 in one day?

 

[Adam]

Hey Dan, Maybe someone near you has some BRS Mag 2-part. If you dose 29 fluid ounces it'll get you up close to 1400. That's if you're at the 1280 you said to me earlier in the PM. That dose will take you up just slightly over 100. I'd be happy to give you some but we're not exactly close to one another.

Then, like Ricky said, let it stabilize and start working up your Ca. But 380 isn't that bad...
You might want to get one of the smaller BRS 2-part packages to have on hand. It will allow you to adjust those parameters up to where you want them. Then adjust the Kalt dosage for maintenance.

 

[Adam]

Danh;1097634 wrote: I'm using red sea kits for everything.

Increment by 100 a day? So I can/should go from 1250 and dose all the way up to 1350 in one day?

The instructions for the Red Sea C say not to go up by more than 10ppm per day. There must be something else in it and I wouldn't go against their recommendation, unless someone with experience using it chimes in.

The BRS stuff is very easy to use.

 

[danh]

The red sea is working. 1300 tonight. Alk And ca remain the same.

 

[ricky5415]

Slowly raise it up is the key. Fastest way to get things back to normal range is doing water change

 

[danh]

10-20ppm a day is slow, right?

I'll get a wc in this weekend as well.

 

[ricky5415]

I would go 60-70 a day slowly drip instead of pouring it in. Just like using kalk

 

[danh]

Does anyone know if I can put it in my ATO like the kalk? I am not yet. I'm just putting in 5-10ml at a time throughout the day.

A week later dosing as much as I Red Sea says I should per day and I'm still at 1300-1320. CA and Alk remain a little lower than they were before the ato issue.

I think I've come at this wrong. I figured the Mg issue was due to fewer water changes - it probably is.. I figured the drop isn Ca and Alk was due to Mg being low (for the Ca) AND due to the ATO issue followed by topping off with non kalk water for 24 hours afterwards and the process of getting the salinity back to where it needed to be.

I think I've got TWO more factors in there that are affecting my Ca and alk.
#1 - I changed my pumps and flow. I have LESS surface agitation, which means less evaporation.

#2 - I've been keeping a window cracked beside the tank to help with ph. This is increasing humidity in the room and decreasing evap.


So today I added 4.5 tsp of kalk to the 5g ATO. Up from 3.5 that had been maintaining my Ca and alk before that.

On the positive side coral and all fish look very healthy. I'm noticing a lot of coral growth. Except for one zoa colony on a tonga branch. I've seen the purple base grow and recede over a particular area of the branch a couple of times. It's receding now... while other zoa colonies are growing.

 

[Adam]

Sounds like the amount you're dosing is pretty close to a maintenance dose for your system.

I've got some brs mag mixed up. If you're out my way any time soon I'd be more than happy to give you enough to bump you up to the high 1300's within a couple days.

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[danh]

I think I am going to have to make the trip one day during my lunch break.

My tank is NOT heavily stocked... 10ppm consumption per day??? I don't have any idea what the ballpark should be.

 

[Adam]

Well you were at 1300 last Wednesday so it hasn't come up much if any. If the tank isn't using it then either the product your using isn't putting it in or you're testing is off.

Have you done a water change yet? That in itself will bring you up some. Like Ricky said you can bring it up 60-70 per day. With water change one day and a dose of Mag the next you'll be right back to 1360~1380. Then test again after a week.

 

[danh]

I only did 10 gallons.

I am sure testing isn't perfect.. and maybe the RS foundation C isn't the best either... I'll test again tonight.... 7 tests so far since the 15th.

 

[Adam]

Then I'd say you have it down by now. No need to test again.

Get something that will get it back in a couple days. Petco has stuff from tropic Martin and Kent.

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