Cal consumption

[Brad Shook]

What does it mean when the reef is consuming ALK and MAG but not CAL?

 

[P-Dub]

What is your calcium level at? Actually, what are all your levels at? What corals are you keeping? How are you supplementing these elements? What are you using to test for these elements? High Ca can drive down Alk. This is why it is important to keep things balanced. @Randy Holmes-Farley has a plethora of related reef chemistry articles to better clear up this aspect of reef keeping chemistry. The magnesium issue you are experiencing has my limited grasp of the subject without explanation. Read all his articles and see if this helps. Randy's Reef Chemistry Articles

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What does it mean when the reef is consuming ALK and MAG but not CAL?

Most likely it means it is consuming it, but you are not accurately detecting it, either because it is too small (likely), or other factors like water changes are confounding your detection of it.

Definitely there is no way to consume magnesium and not ten times as much calcium. If you see that, it is testing error.

 

[P-Dub]

Most likely it means it is consuming it, but you are not accurately detecting it, either because it is too small (likely), or other factors like water changes are confounding your detection of it.

Definitely there is no way to consume magnesium and not ten times as much calcium. If you see that, it is testing error.

Thanks, @Randy Holmes-Farley