Alk is high but calcium not dropping

[isaacalves]

I seriously am having issues with Nitrates and Phosphates. Dosing Dr. Tim's WasteAway has seemed to halt and recede the white fuzz bacteria but not eliminate it. Also, no help with nitrates.

Although, I'm still under dosing WasteAway. I'm at 25ml at this point.

....
Also,
I over did the Alk Dosing. Stopping the dosers tonight. But what I don't understand is how has my calcium not dropped? I thought calcium should drop with the rise in Alkalinity?

Any ideas or advice would be appreciated.

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[M3ace9]

Do a water change to bring it down. High calcium is not the end of the world you will be fine. Yes both effect one another but not as much as one thinks. It also depends on what kind of specimens you are keeping. If its all lps you will be dosing a smaller amount of calcium comparted to alk.

 

[Fly5150]

What kind of coral do you have in your tank?


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[joseserrano]

I would just do a large water change. Keep in mind, if doing for example a 50% water change, it will bring down your nitrates and phosphates to half of what they where at. So if they are at 40ppm, it will bring them down to 20ppm.

 

[joseserrano]

also, make sure the salt mix is one of the ones that is lower in alk and cal. For example, frtizs, tropic marine pro, red sea blue bucket,....

 

[isaacalves]

What kind of coral do you have in your tank?


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LPS and Softies


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[isaacalves]

also, make sure the salt mix is one of the ones that is lower in alk and cal. For example, frtizs, tropic marine pro, red sea blue bucket,....

I've been using reef crystals since the beginning.


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[isaacalves]

I would just do a large water change. Keep in mind, if doing for example a 50% water change, it will bring down your nitrates and phosphates to half of what they where at. So if they are at 40ppm, it will bring them down to 20ppm.

I'll do this this weekend. Makes sense.


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[Fly5150]

Doing a water change with reef crystals isn't going to help your situation. Alk and calcium are high in that mix. You should find a lower salt mix like Jose said. What's the reason for the high nutrients? Over feeding, lack of water changes? How's everything look?


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[watchguy123]

I thought if you overdosed CA and alk that you are going to end up with some precipitate. I don't think they can both stay in solution. However, test kits are often not as accurate or precise as we would want. And they are finicky in that they are also highly dependent on user being consistent with testing protocol. If your alk reading is correct, I'd presume there may an error with your calcium test result. I have made enough user errors to know. It gets scary when you alter things based on test results that may be in error. But as has been already stated high CA not catastrophic but a hefty water change is certainly good advice.

Something you may want to reevaluate, usually high nitrates are associated with high phosphates. Typically food or dead fish without adequate export removal (skimmer, water change, biological filtration such as siporax or live rock or macro algae , carbon dosing, gfo, etc) lead to elevated levels of both. Your phosphate number is great and your nitrate is high, it just isn't usually that way. So maybe one of those tests is giving goofy results or just maybe you have a system that is unique.

 

[joseserrano]

also you are making your water, make sure your filters are not to old, I waited a little long recently, and they gradually shot up my nitrate and PO4; as well as other elements I don't test for (chloramines,...)

 

[pirate2876]

I would double check that ALK with another test kit. I had bad ALK regent a while back.

 

[Smite]

Just to double check on that nitrate reading, salifert is read from the top down. If you are holding it up sideways you need to divide the number by 10 if I remember right. Probably not the issue but I've seen a post on someone missing that in the instructions.

 

[Smite]

What's your tanks salinity?

 

[isaacalves]

also you are making your water, make sure your filters are not to old, I waited a little long recently, and they gradually shot up my nitrate and PO4; as well as other elements I don't test for (chloramines,...)

Good point. I've recently added a booster pump to help with increased water production because I seem to go through DI pretty fast. I'm on my second set of filters already and my tank is only about to be 10 months old. I'm in RSM and not sure about Chloromines in the water.


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[isaacalves]

I thought if you overdosed CA and alk that you are going to end up with some precipitate. I don't think they can both stay in solution. However, test kits are often not as accurate or precise as we would want. And they are finicky in that they are also highly dependent on user being consistent with testing protocol. If your alk reading is correct, I'd presume there may an error with your calcium test result. I have made enough user errors to know. It gets scary when you alter things based on test results that may be in error. But as has been already stated high CA not catastrophic but a hefty water change is certainly good advice.

Something you may want to reevaluate, usually high nitrates are associated with high phosphates. Typically food or dead fish without adequate export removal (skimmer, water change, biological filtration such as siporax or live rock or macro algae , carbon dosing, gfo, etc) lead to elevated levels of both. Your phosphate number is great and your nitrate is high, it just isn't usually that way. So maybe one of those tests is giving goofy results or just maybe you have a system that is unique.

I've got the Red Sea kit as well. But I seriously don't like that color chart. I should try another Salifert kit possibly.

I have a lot of Marine Pure blocks in my sump. But only a couple months now.

I have over fed. I've just now changed my feeding regimen to LRS in the morning. And only one sheet of rod's Nori every other day.


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[isaacalves]

Just to double check on that nitrate reading, salifert is read from the top down. If you are holding it up sideways you need to divide the number by 10 if I remember right. Probably not the issue but I've seen a post on someone missing that in the instructions.

Yeah. I'm doing top down. Although, do you hold the vile slightly hovering over the white? Or do you have completely flat and resting on the card? The I feel the result makes more sense if I slightly hover. But I'm noting both readings.


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[isaacalves]

Most recent readings. Phosphate up. I've changed out my GFO after this.

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[isaacalves]

I would double check that ALK with another test kit. I had bad ALK regent a while back.

Just got a new reagent. Will use in my next test session.


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[isaacalves]

Dosed 50mls of WasteAway last night. I was hoping this would drop nitrates as well. Second week of dosing every other day. I took two weeks to get up 50mls.


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