Out of whack!

[willtheld]

So I'll admit I need to be better about testing. But I tested today and my results are out of whack,

KH 11.84
Cal 275
Mag 990
Po4 0

I use Brightwell salt with a auto water change of a gallon a day and my cal rx runs at 6.5-6.6

I'm at a loss how to bring kh down while bringing Cal and Mag up...

 

[Sawdonkey]

Address the mag first. I believe if your mag gets that low, you could end up precipitating calcium. Then just dose calcium and let your alk come down naturally.

 

[troublemaker]

You either need to start dosing slowly and carefully or buy a salt that has the parameters closer to what your desired end result to be and start doing water changes with that. Go slow if nothing in your tank is looking terrible.

 

[anarchy]

I agree with Sawdonkey. To hopefully help prevent this in the future theres magnesium media for the cal rx that will help keep mag levels up. You'd have to ask [MENTION=2509]rockhead[/MENTION] what it is since I think he uses it

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[rockhead]

Indeed I do I keeps my mag at 1380 consistently I add a 1/4 cup every 6 months or whenever I change out my c02.

 

[Smitty]

I'd check the levels of a new batch of saltwater to see what the levels are. Those levels seem way off.


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[Paulip]

Epsom salts may be sufficient unless it is a chronic problem. Then, you worry about sulfate build up.

Go slow over a period of days to weeks. Messing with the balance will swing the numbers. Sometimes frequent water changes ( with good salt) is all that is needed.

What is your calcium + alkalinity supplementation scheme?

 

[Rcunning8]

Address the mag first. I believe if your mag gets that low, you could end up precipitating calcium. Then just dose calcium and let your alk come down naturally.

+1 in my limited knowledge this is exactly the way I would approach this issue


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[troublemaker]

The advice from above is exactly right. You need to attack the Mag first, I never raise it more than 100-150 a day, but you really are only talking a couple days to get it in line. Thankfully tanks are very tolerant of Mag swings, just not huge ones.

I also agree on testing a new batch of water. If the parameters of the new batch are off, water changes without correction are useless.

If the new water tests low in Magnesium, the water can be dosed before a water change. I would attack this slowly but deliberately, know exactly what you want the parameters to be and do exactly what you need to force them there. Then tackle how to keep them that way.

I use Kalk so Magnesium is one of those ones I have to constantly keep an eye on. You will be able to read your tank, Alk swings are easy to diagnose, salinity effects my Montis first, Mag is first noticeable in my LPS.