Confused by my test kits testing???

[Mikeyjer]

I just tested my water tonight after starting the two part solution for the very first time, here's my results:

PH - 8.0
Calcium - 325 ppm
Dkh - 12.6

So should I stop dosing Alkaline and dose Calcium tonight instead? Wouldn't PH be higher if Dkh is 12.6??

 

[NeveSSL]

You may get more responses in the chemistry forum.

Brandon

 

[crumbletop]

Hi, Michael. You can dose using this calculator:

http://jdieck1.home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chemcalc.html

For now you need to bring up your ca so it is balanced with alk. Then you can dose both together. Sometimes alk and ca are difficult to keep balanced, and that often has to do with a mg level that is too low -- so I'd measure mg as well.

 

[Mikeyjer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12317488#post12317488 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by crumbletop
Hi, Michael. You can dose using this calculator:

http://jdieck1.home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chemcalc.html

For now you need to bring up your ca so it is balanced with alk. Then you can dose both together. Sometimes alk and ca are difficult to keep balanced, and that often has to do with a mg level that is too low -- so I'd measure mg as well.

On the two part solution site, it says to dose the last solution which is magnesium after calcium and alkaline is finished. I did not dose Alkaline last night and dose Calcium instead, here's my results tonight:

Calcium - 350ppm
PH - 8.0
Alkaline - 11.2 dkh

So you see Calcium went up 25 ppm and Alkaline went down from 12.6 to 11.2 which is a good thing. I dose Calcium again tonight without Alkaline and test again tomorrow night and start dosing Alkaline again if needed to.

 

[Mikeyjer]

By the way, I'm GLAD I started with this two part solution, it's giving me wonderful results in my corals just a few days of dosing!

 

[hayzooschrist]

Whats your MG?

 

[Mikeyjer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12323538#post12323538 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hayzooschrist
Whats your MG?

I'll test the magnesium tomorrow night along with the other tests.

 

[fishdoc11]

What test kits are you using?

 

[Mikeyjer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12324084#post12324084 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fishdoc11
What test kits are you using?

Calcium Pro by Red Sea
Seachem MultiTest PH & Alkaline by Seachem (Along with my pin point PH monitor)
Magnesium by Salifert

 

[Mikeyjer]

Tonight's Test is as Follows:

PH - 8.12
Alkaline - 11.2 dkh
Calcium - 360 ppm
Magnesium - 1290

 

[fishdoc11]

Just asking because I know some people have been having problems with Salifert kits lately.

 

[hayzooschrist]

If you can get your calcium up, the Mg will follow.

 

[Mikeyjer]

I'm trying to get my Calcium up, only a few day of dosing so far. It should be at the proper level by this weekend right around 400.

Chris, I heard about that. But my Salifert Test kit for Magnesium have been pretty accurate combined with other testing. I bought it awhile back from marine depot when I ordered a bunch of stuffs. It's been working properly.

 

[hayzooschrist]

Heres a good reef chemistry/dosing calculator
Reef Chemistry Calculator

 

[Mikeyjer]

I have actually been using the calculator provided off the two part site. Thanks! I have used that calculator before as well....

 

[fishdoc11]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12334751#post12334751 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hayzooschrist
If you can get your calcium up, the Mg will follow.

Don't you mean the opposite of that? Dosing Ca++ does nothing to bring Mg up but a low magnesium will contribute to a Ca++ alkalinity imbalance.

FWIW you levels looks pretty good Mike. The Ca++ maybe needs to be a tad higher and the alk a tad lower but a couple of days of just dosing Ca++ should do that. Your Mg looks fine.

Chris

 

[Mikeyjer]

Thanks Chris, by the way, that Millipora I got from you is doing great! It have completely recovered and growing.... Especially with the new dosing technique, everything is showing improvements. I thought to myself, why haven't I done this earlier???

 

[fishdoc11]

Glad to hear