Chem levels are out of wack HELP!

[Lyscer]

I had my levels tested a little while ago at a LFS and they said that it was time to add fish. I added 2 blue chromis and a couple of soft corals. They said that my magnesium was really low (1050) so I dosed a couple of times and I've been meaning to get back and have them test it again but I decided to test my other levels and here is what I found:

PH: 8.5
KH: 280 (Carbonate Hardness - test kit says should be 100-125)
Ammonia: 0
Nitrate - bearly 1
Nitrite: 0
Calcium: 540
Salinity: 1.25

So my CA/PH/KH are all out of wack. Should I continue to dose with magnesium or just let the KH & PH fall by itself? What should I do?

 

[Lyscer]

Guess I should explain my setup:

Pics can be found here: http://epudge.com/Dale/Tank/Tank 2005/Corals/
Xenia - far left red spot
Mushrooms - upper center
zoos - 2 right red spots


I just added my first corals and I want to make sure that I'm not killing them and that the process is normal. Here is what I added:

zoanthids - a few different kinds (3)
pulsing xenia
fuzzy grass mushroom(there are 8-10 heads)

The corals have been in my tank for about 3 days now and some of the zoanthids have opened up but the stem on the pulsing xenia is turning a whitish color. The mushrooms have pretty much shrunk into little purple balls(the lowest one on the rock has opened up half way) and they are developing whitesh stuff coming out of them. I am just curious if this is normal for the stage where they get use to my tank or if there is something else that I can do. I did add some phyto a couple of hours after I put them in the tank and I add about every 2 days.

Here is what I have for my other information:

120Gal AGA tank with overflows
Lighting: (2x) 250W HQI metal halides with 13k AB Bulbs
1 Blue-green chromis
1 Electric blue hermit
2 scarlet hermits
Various Snails
130ish lbs of live rock
around 3" of sand (both oolitic and red carib)
40 gallon sump with chaetomorpha/grape caluerpa 2" oolitic sand
mag 9.5 return pump(upgrading to mag12 on monday)
(2x)Maxijet1200's
Filter sock on overflow
Ecco Skimmer(150gal)

 

[sidjam]

randy on the chemistry fourm would be the one to ask.

 

[Sullyman]

You haven't started to stock the tank and they're having you add a magnesium supplement? Not good advise.
What are using for calcium and alkalinity?
A questio for further down the road, but what type of reef are you planning on?

 

[REEF-DADDY]

Your adding to much kalk or 2 part

 

[Lyscer]

my magnesium is Kent Tech M
my alkalinity/calcium is b-ionic 2-part

My whole thinking on the matter of adding magnesium was to get all of my levels where they should be before I get to many animals in there to kill while in the process of getting the levels up/down. Looks like I fell on my face with that one

 

[Sullyman]

Anyway you could dose Kalkwasser for top off? If you could, you could stop dosing the b-ionic and thing would all fall into place.

 

[Lyscer]

I haven't dosed with b-ionic for a couple of weeks now.

 

[Sullyman]

They're supposed to be dosed daily, if that's your source for calcium.
Could you set up a Kalk drip to make up for evaporation?

 

[Lyscer]

wouldn't a kalk drip increase my alkalinity further? sorry if that seems stupid but I have no idea.

 

[Sullyman]

Topping off the tank with Kalkwasser will balance your calcium and alkalinity. If you drip at night to make up for evaporation, you will take care of calcium/alk/and stabalize your Ph.
With the corals you got, you really don't need the Phyto either, unless you're feeding a sandbed.

 

[Lyscer]

lol good point

 

[reefD]

kalk is the best but labor intensive.

 

[Lyscer]

why labor intensive?

 

[Sullyman]

Depending upon how you can set it up, you may be mixing Kalk everday to drip at night. Best way is to set up an auto top off with Kalk in the top off device, or a kalk reactor.

 

[REEF-DADDY]

I would leave it alone until the levels drop on there own, and then start adding kalk. Adding it now it only worsen the situation for you. Honestly you don't have much demand for ca/alk so you really should not be adding much of anything as of yet.

 

[Lyscer]

okay - Do you think that I should do a 20% water change?

 

[Lyscer]

bump

 

[Sullyman]

When did you last do a water change?

 

[REEF-DADDY]

I would, it can't hurt.