Magnesium issue

[C_Everett95]

you could leave your mag alone for the sec and buff your cal this will drop your ak and due to your mag being low the cal will drop. do this a few days till you get to where you want to be ak wise then boost the mg to 1250-1350 and the cal will hold. good time to be doing the numbers on what affects the tank

I was just about to edit this post with a similar suggestion to that! Base on this link http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/11/chemistry I am in zone 3. Being in that zone I am suggested to dose calcium chloride until reaching zone 2. As stated in the article most reefers get the problem I have from using a pH buffer which is exactly what I did... Once I reach zone 2 I should use a two part calc/alk additive to reach the desired "perfect zone", considering I have no need for an expensive calcium reactor system or need for a Kalk drip at the moment as I have nothing sucking those nutrients out. Mind that I will be keeping a close eye on all my levels through this entire process, and water changes aren't seeming to cut it. Any other input would be great!

My concern is won't magnesium being low not allow the others to fall where they need to be?

 

[ryeguyy84]

Let's step back and look at what's going on step by step. Sorry if it seems simplistic but sometimes that's the best way. Step 1: how are you mixing your salt? The exact procedure, tell me like I'm a toddler.

Seems like a testing issue or a mixing issue.

 

[billbunton]

Are you mixing with RO/DI water, or tap water? If tap, what's the alkalinity of the tap water?

 

[Happyschneider]

To me it sounds as if the alk test is toast. Do you have a possibility to test the test? A standard solution? Or maybe with pure (rodi) water?

 

[C_Everett95]

Let's step back and look at what's going on step by step. Sorry if it seems simplistic but sometimes that's the best way. Step 1: how are you mixing your salt? The exact procedure, tell me like I'm a toddler.

Seems like a testing issue or a mixing issue.

Food grade 5 gallon bucket. 1/2 cup IO salt per gallon of water as instructed for a 1.026 SG mix. Heater to heat the salt mix to my tanks temp and a power head to mix the salt overnight. I only do 20% water changes at the moment so I'm mixing all 3 separately overnight until I'm able to get a bigger food grade bucket such as a brute trash can is the like to store my fresh and mixed saltwater solutions and keep stocked up. Once I clean my garage out I may purchase my own RODI unit but for now that isn't an option.

I also follow the tests step by step, and they are salifert so I know they're not the best although they are pretty good from what I've read about them. The only one seeming to be all over the place is the alk test.

Went to take a sample to my LFS to let him test some parameters but unfortunately he closed early so I will try to go back today.

I understand where you're coming from with the simplistoc perspective. I am new and for all I know I understand it could be a fault on my part. I put a complete halt on furthering myself into this hobby until I learn a little more and gain some credible knowledge. I don't want to completely recycle my tank or anything so I'll leave my CUC and what few softies I have in the tank. CUC is just blue leg hermits and they're doing fine. Softies don't open up fully but they aren't dead either.

 

[C_Everett95]

To me it sounds as if the alk test is toast. Do you have a possibility to test the test? A standard solution? Or maybe with pure (rodi) water?

Yes I have some pure RO/DI water I picked up a few days ago I could test. I wonder if it is the test if I could get a replacement or refund but I highly doubt it. I'll test the fresh water when I get home and update you then. Thank you for the reply!

 

[C_Everett95]

Are you mixing with RO/DI water, or tap water? If tap, what's the alkalinity of the tap water?

Only RO/DI from the get go. I won't ever use my tap water. I'm not even comfortable drinking it myself!

 

[Happyschneider]

Yes I have some pure RO/DI water I picked up a few days ago I could test. I wonder if it is the test if I could get a replacement or refund but I highly doubt it. I'll test the fresh water when I get home and update you then. Thank you for the reply!

Do that. My LFS was very helpful when I had a faulty test. Immediately exchanged it. Didn't even check if it truly was faulty. I hope you get it sorted out. I currently have a nightmare with trying to catch whatever breaks my life rock so don't worry too much about alk, you'll get that under control! There are. So many other things to experience (he said and disappeared equipped with gloves, eye protection and long tweezers to catch that bugger)

 

[ryeguyy84]

Are you adding salt to the water or water to the salt? Either way I think your test kit is bad. Mixing problem would give you low alk.

 

[C_Everett95]

UPDATE:
Took my water sample to my LFS and he is saying my water alk is nearly 30dkh.... Im not doing anymore water changes and running through salt because it's clearly not doing anything. Any advice on my next Approach? Mag is 1170 and calc is 380. Anyone read the article I quoted in a previous comment? Should I use calcium chloride respectively to move from zone 3 to zone 2 and then use a two part calc/alk solution to reach my desired zone. At this point I'm getting so frustrated I debated just recycling my tank but I really don't want to have to do that...:sad2:

 

[C_Everett95]

UPDATE:
Took water sample to my LFS and my alk is reading nearly 30dhk. I won't be doing anymore water changes as that's not seeming to fix the problem. May take the calcium chloride path to correcting my alk until it's in a place that I can raise my magnesium and get everything balanced. Sounds simpler in my head. Anymore input would be great...

Sorry for the repost. Idk what happened

 

[C_Everett95]

Do that. My LFS was very helpful when I had a faulty test. Immediately exchanged it. Didn't even check if it truly was faulty. I hope you get it sorted out. I currently have a nightmare with trying to catch whatever breaks my life rock so don't worry too much about alk, you'll get that under control! There are. So many other things to experience (he said and disappeared equipped with gloves, eye protection and long tweezers to catch that bugger)

Unfortunately I bought them on Amazon seems to match my LFS test tesult too so my all really is just sky high I hope you get that critter breaking your rock, that's gotta be a pain!! Good luck with it and thank you for your time:thumbsup:

 

[C_Everett95]

Are you adding salt to the water or water to the salt? Either way I think your test kit is bad. Mixing problem would give you low alk.

Salt to water. I wouldn't think it would make a difference would it? My test matches my LFS test results so unfortunately I think I really just have an alk problem. Probably from my stupidity in usin a ph buffer...

 

[Happyschneider]

Using the pH buffer would only affect the alk of your DT. But if I remember correctly, you had a similarly high level in your fresh water. That would explain why you cannot bring it down with water changes. Maybe try a different salt and check with the manufacturer of the salt if your batch was faulty?

I'm still amazed that you can get the alk that high with the reduced amount of magnesium...

Adding salt to water is extremely important. If you would add water to the salt, the initial concentration would be way too high and your calcium would fall out as insoluble calcium carbonate. You would hardly ever get it back into solution.

 

[C_Everett95]

Using the pH buffer would only affect the alk of your DT. But if I remember correctly, you had a similarly high level in your fresh water. That would explain why you cannot bring it down with water changes. Maybe try a different salt and check with the manufacturer of the salt if your batch was faulty?

I'm still amazed that you can get the alk that high with the reduced amount of magnesium...

Adding salt to water is extremely important. If you would add water to the salt, the initial concentration would be way too high and your calcium would fall out as insoluble calcium carbonate. You would hardly ever get it back into solution.

If it comes down to it I will try a new salt brand. I'm just as amazed as you considering how low the mag is that my alk is that high but all I can guess is it's the buffer. That's the only thing ever added in my tank and now I regret it.

But then again you were right, my new salt mix (not freshwater literally if that's what you mean) was above the detectab table limit, so my test is either faulty or I got two bad batches of salt in a row because I finished off a box I bought two weeks ago and just recently got a brand new bag in the other day, but I was having this issue before this bag of salt came in. But two bad batches in a row? I'd think that's a little unlikely but I guess it's still a possibility.


Thank you for clarifying the mixing procedure, I'm glad I've been doing it right and this is definitely the small things that are beneficial to learn that you'd never think about as a newbie, so again thank you

 

[Happyschneider]

If it comes down to it I will try a new salt brand. I'm just as amazed as you considering how low the mag is that my alk is that high but all I can guess is it's the buffer. That's the only thing ever added in my tank and now I regret it.

But then again you were right, my new salt mix (not freshwater literally if that's what you mean) was above the detectab table limit, so my test is either faulty or I got two bad batches of salt in a row because I finished off a box I bought two weeks ago and just recently got a brand new bag in the other day, but I was having this issue before this bag of salt came in. But two bad batches in a row? I'd think that's a little unlikely but I guess it's still a possibility.


Thank you for clarifying the mixing procedure, I'm glad I've been doing it right and this is definitely the small things that are beneficial to learn that you'd never think about as a newbie, so again thank you

Do you still have the box from the first time? They do have so called batch number. With that you could check if your two boxes came from the same batch (the manufacturer makes a huge amount at one time and then fills it in different boxes, all labeled with the same batch number). If one of them had a problem, so would any other of the boxes with the same batch number.

 

[C_Everett95]

Do you still have the box from the first time? They do have so called batch number. With that you could check if your two boxes came from the same batch (the manufacturer makes a huge amount at one time and then fills it in different boxes, all labeled with the same batch number). If one of them had a problem, so would any other of the boxes with the same batch number.

I believe I do in the garage, I'll have to check when I get off of work. If they're the same and both reading 15dkh alk as a fresh mix then hopefully I will get reimbursed/replacements, but unfortunately that isn't gonna solve my issue