alk, ca, mag, in zoanthid tanks

[mfinn]

I've recently started testing more (obsessed) in my zoanthid tank.
I pretty much thought that by using Reef Crystals instead of Instant Ocean, I would be getting better quality water, and then better growth.
I'm not big on testing so I really didn't pay too much attention to it until lately.
I starting testing alk, ca, and mag using some older Salifert test kits.
I got pretty much average numbers alk = around 9 ca = around 400 and
mag = around 1290.
Good ,, average,,, what is usually said close to natural sea water.
The test kits were getting low so I ordered all new kits.
I did a large water change yesterday in my zoanthid only tank.
I tested this morning with the new kits, and I was shocked at the results.
alk = 11.2
ca = 500
mag = 1290

Evidently my old test kits were too old and not giving correct readings.

So I would like to hear from people how have predominately zoanthid tanks and what they keep their alk, ca and mag levels at.

I don't want to know what test kits you use.
I don't want to know what salts you use.

What are the alk, ca, and mag levels that you shoot for and maybe why?

 

[sterling18]

alk 10-12
ca 450 - 500
mag -1290 - 1350

It's a mix tank but lots of zoa.

I feed heavily as I have six small fish.

I dose alk, ca, and mg and top off with pickling lime.

 

[RokleM]

Pretty much where you'd expect it with ReefCrystals.

Reef Crystals (new)
490
13
1440
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1714505

 

[Reef Bass]

Wow, you guys have a lot of alkalinity in your tanks! I keep a mix of sps, lps and zoos / palys with ca 425ish, alk 8-9 and mag 1300-1500.

 

[RokleM]

Wow, you guys have a lot of alkalinity in your tanks! I keep a mix of sps, lps and zoos / palys with ca 425ish, alk 8-9 and mag 1300-1500.

That's not necessarily a surprise. A number of popular salt mixes today have high alk. Softie heavy tanks with no LPS/SPS to heavily deplete alk/calc/mag, in turn the levels stay high and close to the salt mixing parameters.

Personally my LPS and some softies tank is at 1400 mag, 425 calc, 9 dKH

 

[Reef Bass]

Good point, thanks. Having a fair amount of sps and lps, I have to dose substantial quantities of alk, ca and mag to keep my levels up.

 

[MUCHO REEF]

alk 9 dkh
ca 450
mag 1300

I have always shot for these numbers. Yes, even 450 cal as it helps with keeping my reef fully coralline encrusted with deep pink and purple.


Mucho Reef

 

[sterling18]

Wow, you guys have a lot of alkalinity in your tanks! I keep a mix of sps, lps and zoos / palys with ca 425ish, alk 8-9 and mag 1300-1500.

I like a slightly higher mag because it keeps my ca and alk accessable, to be used by my coral. From my research on the chem forum, if your mag is low, it will prevent the uptake of ca and alk. But if you keep your mag slightly higher, it makes the ca and alk in a more useable state.

I use a blend of oceanic and instant ocean. Oceanic is high in ca while IO is high in alk. I only put a slight dose of mag to balance everything else out.