I installed a Kamoer peristaltic pump and removed the needle valve from my calcium reactor. After a sump cleaning above ^^^, being off my manifold, the effluent clogged and I didn't notice for a few days at least. Alk jumped to 11.5. The sticks didn't like that and I lost all but one green Aussie piece. I've just been running the Kamoer pump and the reactor has been circulating, but the gas is off. I was waiting for my tank to drop below 9. Its been a few weeks and the alk has been slowly dropping on its own with what little coral I have. Some Coraline but the growth is still slow.
My Alk test kit shows that I am at around 9.3. I also had Steve Garrett test my water last Friday and he also got 9.3.
I sent a ATI Labs test in and got back the following-
Alk- 11.3
Cal- 454.1
Mag- 1490
Which is interesting because I have two alk test kits, both Salifert, giving me 9.3. I have read they can read a little low, but two points low? Could the lab test be off?
Everything else seems OK, Iodine and Bromine are low and I have high Selenium. First I've heard of high Selenium, it says to check for corroding magnets on the test, but I've read a few people claiming its from the salt mix. Very little info if it even is a problem in our tanks, similar to high Lithium which a lot of people seem to have.
Nitrates- 1.1
Phosphates- .04
I've been feeding the crap out of the tank, and have added a few fish over the last month or two.
I've got male Bimac that is thinning the anthias heard. Down to my last female Bimac which sucks. I have a trap in the tank but they aren't going near it at the moment.