dosing questions

[SaltyBeagle]

i need some info on dosing. been testing with hanna checkers. i only dose alkalinity every other day as needed maintaining it around 9. magnesium around 1400 . and my thread question my calcium is always way high around 500 or so . why is it so high as that i never add it only allalinty . please help?????

 

[BillNye]

What type of salt are you using for water changes?

 

[SaltyBeagle]

red sea coral pro salt . i have a 210 gal i do 20gal water change every other week. sg of 1.025

 

[SaltyBeagle]

i have 5 2" sps frags. 3 2" lps frags and a few small mushrooms.

 

[danil]

i need some info on dosing. been testing with hanna checkers. i only dose alkalinity every other day as needed maintaining it around 9. magnesium around 1400 . and my thread question my calcium is always way high around 500 or so . why is it so high as that i never add it only allalinty . please help?????

In your profile it says you have 210g reef. Five 2'' frags will do close to nothing to level of Cal in 210g tank. So I'm surprised you have to dose Alkalinity. High level of Cal comes from your WC. Salt mix you use was design for reefs though have high level of Calcium and some level of Alkalinity to help reefers keep levels up.
So if you worry about level of Cal you can do few things.
1. Buy more corals, get few clams. Scrap (with knife or something) coralline algae from good life rock to seed it.
2. Try to use salt mix with lower level of Calcium.
3. Reduce WCs.
4. Do nothing since 500ppm of Calcium is OK. I wound't go beyond it though.

PS. Forget to mentioned. Hannf checker for Calcium is not really good one. I would recommend to re-check your level with regular (red sea) calcium test.

 

[hkgar]

Use Salifert for checking CA. Although I use Hanna for ALK and PO4, the CA checker is junk.

Check the ALK and CA in your water change water when you make up a new batch.

 

[SaltyBeagle]

thanks for the tips. i will get different test kit

 

[jason2459]

API calcium and Alk would be a quick cheap check against other test kits. I use them as my primary kits for those two parameters.

Have you tested your saltmix after a few hours after mixing or before use?