Somthing is off and not being dosed

[Exotic Reef.]

So I'm just going to jump into it .. I have a 75 gallon tank i've never dosed any kind of chemicals since I've had the tank for about four years my cal is 490 never drops .. I'm trying to keep my alk at around 9 I've been testing Dailey and alk seems to be the only one I dose and see change my mag is about 1250-1300 .. For alk and cal I'm useing salifret and mag Red Sea (I just ran out and will be switching to salifret ) MY SPS ARE NOT GROWING ... Don't blame the lights but here the catch I've since stop doing wc to bring my phos and nitrate up a bit both at 0 (stop about 3 weeks ago ) I notice growth in my sps within 2 days of the wc and my alk was 7.7 and mag 1000 to 1100 at the time I'm useing esv to dose

 

[undertai]

Corals need some phosphates for grow most people have at least .02 I think. What salt do you us? I run redsea pro which has high levels in cal, mag, and alk. Maybe try switching salt with higher levels of needed elements. Reef cystals, redsea pro, or others.

 

[Exotic Reef.]

I'm useing reef crystals ... That's why I stoping doing water changes to bring my phos and nitrate up .. My colors are a bit pale but I'm not worried about color I'm worriers about growth and why I only see growth when I do wc and not now where cal is 490 alk 9 and mag 1300

 

[undertai]

I would lower the cal, but try and keep alk around the same levels. In sps tanks some people have there alk between 9 - 11 dkh. I would keep your around 9 and try lowering cal, to a lower level around 450 to 460. I don't know how to lower cal only but probably some info on Google or in the chemistry forum.

 

[Exotic Reef.]

I no it's a bit high that's the only thing I have not doses just alk keeping it around 9 and mag because it was low around 1000 1100 but now it's around 1250 1300 ... Hopefully somthing takes a twist and corals grow without wc

 

[nemodan]

I'm useing reef crystals ... That's why I stoping doing water changes to bring my phos and nitrate up .. My colors are a bit pale but I'm not worried about color I'm worriers about growth and why I only see growth when I do wc and not now where cal is 490 alk 9 and mag 1300

I will never stop doing WC to bring P and N up. Many others things will be depleted.

Just increase the food to fish and/or corals and your P and N will go up.

 

[kevin_e]

I'm guessing that calc reading is off. Try with Salifert or at LFS.

 

[alten78]

It could be the Reef Crystals, my latest box is testing at 480 cal and 6 dkh. I got lazy with my tests lately but noticed that my growth went from pretty good to nothing overall and some colors starting to fade. My consumption is still pretty low so I was kinda shocked to see alk so low and cal so high considering I don't dose anything either, just water changes.

I still have a few bags left so until a need a new box, continue to test the make up water, bring up the alk and keep feeding the fish