Cal/Alk low...all other levels good. Dose or no?

[Adam_T]

So, here is a recent chart of my water parameters in September:

Sept 3rd:
-8.0 pH
-0 Nitrite and Ammonia
-10 Nitrate
-0 Phosphate
-7.952 Alk
-350 Cal
-1100 Mag
-1.023 Salinity

I dosed Kent A&B on the 5th, 6th, and 7th and got:

Sept 8th:
-8.0 pH
-0 Nitrite and Ammonia
-5 Nitrate
-0 Phosphate
-9.52 Alk
-380 Cal
-1350 Mag
-1.0245 Salinity

I then did a 20% water change on the 15th and dosed a few more times. I just tested my water levels this morning and this is what they are:

Sept 25th:
-8.0 pH
-0 Nitrite and Ammonia
-5 Nitrate
-0 Phosphate
-7.28 Alk
-370 Cal
-1450 Mag
-1.024 Salinity



Okay....so my magnesium seems to be fine, but my Calcium and Alkalinity are very low, especially since I keep 2 types of birdsnest now and 3 different types of acro.

My tank is a 20 gallon Elos Mini with roughly 7 gallons in the sump. The sump is on a opposite lighting schedule since it houses live rock and Chaeto. I run a Media Reactor with PhosBgone and Active Carbon 24/7.


The question is.....should I start dosing again to get my Cal/Alk levels up, or am I in danger or raising my Mag level by doing that? I wouldn't want to raise my Mag levels....just my cal/alk, but from what I know...raising cal/alk raises the magnesium?


Please help out!



PS - All tests performed with Elos and Hannah Checker testing devices. I tested twice and the numbers were identical. Very accurate meters.

[HighlandReefer]

You are not going to raise mag if you add strictly an alk and calcium supplement. The alk and caclium supplement would need to have mag in them to increase your mag level.

Some salt mixes are high in mag and your tank will end up high as well.

Right now increase your alk using baking soda and the reef chemistry calculator. Raise your calcium with calcium chloride and the calculator. After you get your levels where you want them, then add alk and calcium as needed, perhaps on a daily basis if your demand is high enough. ;)

Reef chemicals calculator
http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html


What are you currently dosing with now, they may be fine to use?

[Adam_T]

I am dosing with Kent Marine Tech CB Part A and B. It doesn't say anything about Mag in the ingredients, I just wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing. I once used Brightwell Aquatics Part A and B and I didn't realize it had Mag in it, and bumped my Mag up to 1950. Haha....a few years ago though, haven't made many mistakes lately.