Dosing and calcium questions.

[kchristensen8064]

So my 180gal reef is nearing a year old and through testing, I use up quite a bit of Alk and Mag. I have just started dosing to try to get these levels to where the are steady. So my question is, while I don't have to dose a ton of Alk (soda ash) to maintain that level, I dose a ton of Mag to try to hold that one steady. Why is this? Also, my calcium level never drops and is now up to 560ppm. I have the ability to dose this but obviously have never needed to because it is so high. What would be the cause for this, and what would be the best solution to getting all of this balanced out.

 

[JuanGutz]

Let’s start with I’m no pro and there are people on this forum who will help out a lot me but what test kits are you using?

 

[kchristensen8064]

Let’s start with I’m no pro and there are people on this forum who will help out a lot me but what test kits are you using?

I use hanna for calcium and alk, and nyos for mag.

 

[JuanGutz]

I use hanna for calcium and alk, and nyos for mag.

I always had issues with my Hannah Calc checker, it was never consistent. I even bought they’re Hannah water and some nice pipettors with no consistency at all.

 

[kchristensen8064]

I always had issues with my Hannah Calc checker, it was never consistent. I even bought they’re Hannah water and some nice pipettors with no consistency at all.

I have 2 different hanna calcium checkers, the old egg shaped one, and I just bought the new one that checks a bunch of different parameters. They both read the same thing, and have been consistent. I've never had and stray readings.

 

[Terry Fox]

Kchristensen8064,
I am about to pull the trigger on the Hanna Master checker and was wondering if you would recommend it.

 

[kchristensen8064]

Kchristensen8064,
I am about to pull the trigger on the Hanna Master checker and was wondering if you would recommend it.

I am loving it so far! I've had it for about 2 weeks now and it's been great having everything in one package. I also love that it stores all the results.

 

[ReefCheif]

What kind if magnesium are you dosing and whats your salinity at?

Id run that calcium teat against another test if you can. Just through the addition of alk the calcium level should automatically drop through precipitation (this is the white cloud the forms when you dose alkalinity). Without adding any calcium to supplement precip that number should absolutely be falling.

 

[Terry Fox]

If the ph is really low the ca might not drop, or is it alk or kalk he is dosing. For sure something is bad wrong. It does kinda point to a testing problem. I sometimes check rodi water to verify my test kit does measure the difference when I get readings that doesn't make since.

 

[jda123]

I strongly suggest Salifert alk and calcium to keep on hand just to check your other kits. They are cheap and reliable. It is more likely that your test kit is bad than you are not using up calcium... although I guess that it is possible.

 

[kchristensen8064]

What kind if magnesium are you dosing and whats your salinity at?

Id run that calcium teat against another test if you can. Just through the addition of alk the calcium level should automatically drop through precipitation (this is the white cloud the forms when you dose alkalinity). Without adding any calcium to supplement precip that number should absolutely be falling.

If the ph is really low the ca might not drop, or is it alk or kalk he is dosing. For sure something is bad wrong. It does kinda point to a testing problem. I sometimes check rodi water to verify my test kit does measure the difference when I get readings that doesn't make since.

I dose BRS Magnesium mix 2 part maintenance. I'll pick up another test to have a way of checking my Hanna. My salinity sits solid at 1.026 and my PH is usually around 8.5.

 

[kchristensen8064]

I strongly suggest Salifert alk and calcium to keep on hand just to check your other kits. They are cheap and reliable. It is more likely that your test kit is bad than you are not using up calcium... although I guess that it is possible.

I'll definitely pick up these kits so that I have a way of checking the validity of my Hanna.

 

[flagg37]

Having both Hannah checkers yield the same wrong result is like a one in a million chance (well maybe not literally but it’s up there). It is also strange that the Ca isn’t being absorbed at all though too.

 

[kchristensen8064]

Having both Hannah checkers yield the same wrong result is like a one in a million chance (well maybe not literally but it’s up there). It is also strange that the Ca isn’t being absorbed at all though too.

What would be the cause if this is the case?

 

[flagg37]

What would be the cause if this is the case?

I’m not familiar with your system but if you don’t have any stony corals it may take a while for there to be a change. My first tank used a ton of mg, a moderate amount of alk and almost no Ca. The Ca was like 450 or something so I just didn’t add it until one day it slowly started coming down.

I noticed one day that the corals weren’t looking good. I went through and tested all the elements I had tests for and everything looked fine but then I checked my salinity and it was like 1.031. I had been dosing quarts of mg into my little 30 gallon tank because it would barely make it rise. I didn’t realize that the chloride in my magnesium chloride was binding to the sodium in my soda ash and pushing up my salinity.

 

[kchristensen8064]

I’m not familiar with your system but if you don’t have any stony corals it may take a while for there to be a change. My first tank used a ton of mg, a moderate amount of alk and almost no Ca. The Ca was like 450 or something so I just didn’t add it until one day it slowly started coming down.

I noticed one day that the corals weren’t looking good. I went through and tested all the elements I had tests for and everything looked fine but then I checked my salinity and it was like 1.031. I had been dosing quarts of mg into my little 30 gallon tank because it would barely make it rise. I didn’t realize that the chloride in my magnesium chloride was binding to the sodium in my soda ash and pushing up my salinity.

That is good to know. I have about 240 gallons of total water volume so my swings shouldn't be a so sudden, but I test my salinity every other week when I do my water change, so I will definitely keep an eye on that, and adjust accordingly. It sounds like you were experiencing the same thing with those 3 that I am, I just want to make sure that I'm not chasing something that I shouldn't be. I have Salifert Alk, Cal, and Mag tests ordered, this way I can check my results that I'm getting from my Hannas.

 

[jda123]

Even if you are growing coralline, you should be using carbonate and calcium in balance. ...at least mostly like within a small percentage a year. If you don't have any calibration fluid for your refractometer, I have some that I can leave on the porch if you are nearby and you can just calibrate/check it and run.

There is always an easy answer to this, it is just usually hard to find.

 

[kchristensen8064]

Even if you are growing coralline, you should be using carbonate and calcium in balance. ...at least mostly like within a small percentage a year. If you don't have any calibration fluid for your refractometer, I have some that I can leave on the porch if you are nearby and you can just calibrate/check it and run.

There is always an easy answer to this, it is just usually hard to find.

I have calibration fluid, I use it fairly often. I will double check all my calibrations though and when my Salifert tests show up I'll definitely try and get this all dialed in.

 

[kchristensen8064]

Okay, so my salifert tests showed up today. I tested alk with both my Hannah and the Salifert. Hannah read 8.5 and Salifert read 8.9. For the magnesium the Nyos read 1365 and I didn't even get a reading on the salifert, because it was over 1500. Out of all of these tests which ones do I trust?

 

[Terry Fox]

Kristopher,
Did you test with both of your Hanna checkers? Do they use the same regents? I tested my kh last night with a Red Sea kit and then with a Nyos kit. The Red Sea said 4.5 and the Nyos said 8. So...... I ordered an eXact iDip saltwater test kit. Maybe this tester will be better. I am suspect of all of my kits now. It is crazy to try to keep corals with no ability to maintain water quality. I don't normally test if everything looks good and I do 20% weekly water changes. I wanted to try a different water Testing kit other than the Marine Master because of this thread.
I will gladly let you test your water with the new tester if you want to try it. I come up your way at least once a month to the Immortal rock bar. I highly recommend it, always lots of fun.