How about these parameters?

[cordell]

How do my params look? I've been checking often, every other day or so, and saving the results on AquaPlanner on my iPhone. All tests using Salifert tests...

NH4, NO2, NO3, PO4: 0
SG: 35ppt (refractometer)
Temp: 78-80* (digital and glass)
pH: 8.18-8.3 (Pinpoint probe, verified with Salifert)

Ca: 420
Alk: 10.4
Mag: 1410

About 2 weeks ago, the Alk was dropping fast, from 10 to 8.0 in about a week, so I started adding a light dose of kalk to my ATO water, about .5tsp/gal. Now the Alk seems to be a bit high. What do yall think I should do, if anything? Calcium levels have remained 420, no surprise since there isn't anything using it in the tank and the magnesium level is good. Actually, magnesium seems a little high. What do yall think about that? Haven't used any supplements, so that must come from my Oceanic salt mix?

Even though phosphate measures 0, I started running GFO this week... just a small amount (.5cup) in a reactor. Started GAC reactor, too.

Should I just leave it alone for a while and keep an eye on it? Is my swing in pH OK? The kalk water seems to help a lot with that, but at night it still dips a little bit, even with my fuge light on. Staying within 8.1-8.3 is good?

Thanks!

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Alk is a little on the high end of the range - 7-11 dKh. Mag is high, but nothing to worry about. For now, just stick to weekly water changes and test weekly to see what the alk, calc and mag do. It should stabalize if you don't dose anything. Oceanic is a decent salt, but does test out high in mag.

 

[cordell]

Yeah, the Alk is what I was mostly concerned with. And the magnesium... I'll just leave it alone for a while and see where it settles down (or up) to.

Speaking of water change... I need to go do that now!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The magnesium is fine, but using Oceanic it likely won't ever come down.

 

[cordell]

That's good to know. I'm curious as to the effects of an extremely high magnesium level--one much higher than mine. I don't remember having read that in any of the articles on here. Would that make it harder for corals to use the calcium in the tank?

As always, thanks for the wisdom Snails came in from ReefCleaners today. Yay! Haha.. All seems good for the moment...

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It is not clear what the first problems are as magnesium rises above 1600 ppm or so, but it won't make calcium harder to take up.