8 dKh and 550 calc?

[chuckdallas]

Hello everyone. I have 2 peristalic pumps to dose alk and calc at midnite (alk), calc at 2 am, alk at 4 am and calc at 6 am in small doses. I just used an API test kit to test for dKH and calc. Got the readings above. What are good alk and calc readings for a non-SPS tank with LPS and one soft coral? Alk was up to 12 about 2 months ago with calc at 450 & now it seems the calc is high and the alk is low. I thought 9-11 was good for LPSes and 450 on calc. I do weekly 5 to 10% water changes and phos is 0 to 0.03 ppm.

[chuckdallas]

Nobody wishes to comment?

[chuckdallas]

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[toothman]

alk 7-9
ca 420

check your water change water after salt is added. You may be surprised. Consider adding more water to your 2 part solution, you may have more control on dosing amount. Make sure you also check mg, it is just as important as ca and kh. Salifert test kit is best.

[cody6766]

Don't sweat the high calcium. Ca is something the corals use as needed, basically they go out and get it, and not something in excess that will affect them directly. Anything above 400 or so is fine. I got that info from an advanced aquarist article IIRC. I'd slowly bring your alk up to about 9. Many people keep theirs between 7 and 10, with a few in the 11-12 range, but stability is key. I keep mine around 9-9.5.

[chuckdallas]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will try to increase alk. I don't use salt mixtures, since I live in S. Florida, we just get buckets from the oceans.

[Catastrophi]

I suggest investing in a higher quality calcium and alk test kit to ensure an accurate reading. I suggest salifert! API isn't very accurate

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The high calcium here is probably driven by your salt mix. Many have calcium that high. If you want it lower, try dosing no calcium for a while and let it decline, but it is not a problem where it is, IMO.

[Paulairduck]

Florida water high in calcium!! You can save some money on additives!!

[Tang Salad]

It is not a problem to be that high. You can focus your worry on other things!

[iwishtofish]

Florida water high in calcium!! You can save some money on additives!!

lol, doesn't do much good when your RO/DI strips it all out!