High alkalinity and calcium

[Millsaps2378]

Hello, I have a 40g breeder with 5 fish and a good bit of coral and the tank has been running for a few years now. About 2 months ago I was having a little tissue loss on a couple coral and I dosed restor which made my skimmer act crazy and overflow and still isn’t working after multiple wc’s. Well about a week and a half ago I started randomly getting an algae bloom that seems to be Dino’s. I tested my water parameters and everything seemed consistent with my prior tests. Today I tested, and my alkalinity and calcium have shot up and my nitrates are showing 0ppm. The Dinos are starting to get worse and covering the rocks and my corals aren’t looking as good as usual. I have been doing weekly water changes to try and syphon out as much of the dinos as possible but they are starting to cover everything. I feed 1 to 2 times a day with either reef pellets or brine shrimp. I’m not sure what happened in the past couple of weeks to make my parameters shoot up and I’m not sure what I should do to make them both come down when usually one will rise and the other will drop in a tank. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Parameters
Salinity- 1.026
Alk- 14.7
Cal- 573
Nitrate- 0ppm
Mag-1500
Ammonia- 0ppm

 

[Millsaps2378]

Also I use instant ocean reef crystals

 

[Uncle99]

And phosphate level please

 

[Millsaps2378]

And phosphate level please

Unfortunately I don’t have a phosphate tester

 

[Millsaps2378]

And phosphate level please

I just purchased one from brs

 

[Millsaps2378]

.

 

[Uncle99]

0 nitrates is a bad number.
Nothing to feed the good guys algae and bacteria so the bad guys stuff takes over.

Nitrate and phosphate must remain available and stable so we create an environment best suited to the good stuff.

In addition to your removal, dose nitrate to 5-10ppm and test phosphate and correct to 0.05-.15ppm, add some bacteria daily with a dose of live phyto.

Work towards removing as much as you can of the bad stuff while the above feeds the good guys.

 

[Millsaps2378]

0 nitrates is a bad number.
Nothing to feed the good guys algae and bacteria so the bad guys stuff takes over.

Nitrate and phosphate must remain available and stable so we create an environment best suited to the good stuff.

In addition to your removal, dose nitrate to 5-10ppm and test phosphate and correct to 0.05-.15ppm, add some bacteria daily with a dose of live phyto.

Work towards removing as much as you can of the bad stuff while the above feeds the good guys.

Gotcha, will do! Thanks! Will this also help to bring down my alkalinity and calcium?

 

[Uncle99]

Gotcha, will do! Thanks! Will this also help to bring down my alkalinity and calcium?

you have a two year old system so Iam not sure why you have those elevated numbers.

I really have no concern with a 573ppm CA provided it’s not continuing it’s upward Trend.

I have some issue with the Alk at 14dkh, when Waters test high in Alk, it’s usually followed by lower CA.

I’d hold and test alk daily Over the next few days to see if the increase continues.

I’m curious how your system with corals is getting its dose of Alk? That’s a very high dkh to achieve without overdosing. Could that value be incorrect?

I’m not sure what effect if any would happen to Alk as a result of increasing N and/or P, but, no nutrients or very high nutrients is problematic, I pin them first, stabilize them, then retest Alk and see where it falls after this change has been in affect.

If you don’t dose, then Alk is, either in the water you add, or testing is inaccurate. Test you salt mix after 24 hours to see what’s going in in terms of Alk.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Are you using tap water?

 

[BigMonkeyBrain]

Parameters
Salinity- 1.026
Alk- 14.7
Cal- 573
Nitrate- 0ppm
Mag-1500
Ammonia- 0ppm

Wow. I'm sure Chris Meckley would like to know your secret. My tank would have gone through a precipitation event by now.

 

[Millsaps2378]

you have a two year old system so Iam not sure why you have those elevated numbers.

I really have no concern with a 573ppm CA provided it’s not continuing it’s upward Trend.

I have some issue with the Alk at 14dkh, when Waters test high in Alk, it’s usually followed by lower CA.

I’d hold and test alk daily Over the next few days to see if the increase continues.

I’m curious how your system with corals is getting its dose of Alk? That’s a very high dkh to achieve without overdosing. Could that value be incorrect?

I’m not sure what effect if any would happen to Alk as a result of increasing N and/or P, but, no nutrients or very high nutrients is problematic, I pin them first, stabilize them, then retest Alk and see where it falls after this change has been in affect.

If you don’t dose, then Alk is, either in the water you add, or testing is inaccurate. Test you salt mix after 24 hours to see what’s going in in terms of Alk.

I’m not sure why either. Everything I’ve seen is always examples of one high and one low but nothing on both of them being high. I am getting phyto, nitrate, and wiring until the phosphate Hanna checker shows up before I dose phosphates. I will do a test on fresh bucket of sw today

 

[Millsaps2378]

Wow. I'm sure Chris Meckley would like to know your secret. My tank would have gone through a precipitation event by now.

I would like to know my secret also haha a week and a half ago things were normal lol

 

[Millsaps2378]

Are you using tap water?

I am using tap water but I have never had any issues with it in the almost three years of having the tank and keeping corals. The water is very clean with barely any tds’s. I have tested the water myself multiple and all my reading with the Hanna checkers are 0

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I’m not sure why either. Everything I’ve seen is always examples of one high and one low but nothing on both of them being high. I am getting phyto, nitrate, and wiring until the phosphate Hanna checker shows up before I dose phosphates. I will do a test on fresh bucket of sw today

Low pH allows high alk and calcium. pH is a huge driver.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I am using tap water but I have never had any issues with it in the almost three years of having the tank and keeping corals. The water is very clean with barely any tds’s. I have tested the water myself multiple and all my reading with the Hanna checkers are 0

So you have tested it for calcium and alk?

Those do not generally rise without addition, and tap water can be a big addition. Tap water can have higher alk than seawater.

 

[Millsaps2378]

Low pH allows high alk and calcium. pH is a huge driver.

I will test pH

 

[Millsaps2378]

So you have tested it for calcium and alk?

Those do not generally rise without addition, and tap water can be a big addition. Tap water can have higher alk than seawater.

Yes I have tested it for everything in description

 

[Millsaps2378]

Just tested today and
Salinity-1.025
Alk-14.3
Cal-540
Nitrate- about 3ppm

Still waiting on phosphate Hanna checker to come in.

Dosing phyto and phyco pure reef blend and feeding 2 times a day with frozen and pellets

 

[Uncle99]

Just tested today and
Salinity-1.025
Alk-14.3
Cal-540
Nitrate- about 3ppm

Still waiting on phosphate Hanna checker to come in.

Dosing phyto and phyco pure reef blend and feeding 2 times a day with frozen and pellets

And if you tested your salt mix, what’s its Alk?
Something feeds that number if it’s accurate.