Calcium and Alk Problem

[Spyke326]

Afternoon Everyone

I have been having a problem with Calcium and Alk for awhile now. I have a 85g DT with a 25g sump. about 10 SPS frags and 5 LPS frags, non more than inch large.

I am trying to get everything stable so I can add more coral. I recently upgraded to a GHL doser on 9/13/15 before that I was manually dosing. I do a 5 gallon water change every 2 weeks with Red Sea Coral Pro.

I believe that I had a precipitation problem and I am not sure how to make it stop. But my sand is not hard, all pumps/heaters seem fine. The only thing I can think of is I have a good amount of tanish sediment in my sump.

All my parameters are good except Calcium and Alk. Below is all the historical data I have from each time I test and how much I have added to the tank. Sorry it is a bit long but I thought more info the better . Any help would be greatly appreciated, my wife would love for me to stop talking to her about it every day.

Thanks so much

7/19/15
Calcium - 460 Alk - 7.5 DKH
30 ML dosed. 40 ML dosed

7/20/15
Calcium - 460 Alk - 6.75 DKH
30 ML dosed 50 ML dosed

7/21/15
Calcium - 450 Alk - 7.5 DKH
30 ML dosed 50 ML dosed

7/22/15
Calcium - 460 Alk - 7.5 DKH
30 ML dosed 50 ML dosed

7/23/15
Calcium - 440 Alk - 7.5 DKH
40 ML dosed 50 ML dosed

7/27/15
Calcium - 450 Alk - 6.75 DKH
40 ML dosed 90 ML dosed

7/28/15
Calcium - 420 Alk - 8.5 DKH
50 ML dosed 50 ML dosed

7/29/15
Dosed same as 7/28/15

Water change 8/1/15

8/5/15
Calcium - 410 Alk - 6.15 DKH
100 ML dosed 100 ML dosed

8/6/15
Calcium - 410 Alk - 6.75 DKH
100 ML dosed 100 ML dosed

8/7/15
Calcium - 400 Alk - 6.15 DKH
100 ML dosed 100 ML dosed

8/8/15
Calcium - 350 Alk - 6.15 DKH
200 ML dosed 100 ML dosed

8/9/16
Calcium - 410 Alk - 6.15 DKH
200 ML dosed 125 ML dosed

8/10/16
Calcium - 420 Alk - 6.15 DKH
200 ML dosed 150 ML dosed

8/11/15
Calcium - 410/420 Alk - 6.5 DKH
300 ML dosed 190 ML dosed

8/12/15
Calcium - 430 Alk - 6.15 DKH
250 ML dosed 190 ML dosed

8/13/15
Calcium - 400 Alk - 5.6 DKH
150 ML dosed 190 ML dosed

8/14/15
Calcium - 400 Alk - 6.15 DKH
100 ML dosed 150 ML dosed

Changed to Red Sea Test Kit

8/15/15
Calcium - 460 Alk - 10-11 DKH
70 ML dosed 120 ML dosed

8/16/15
60 ML dosed 60 ML dosed

8/17/15
Calcium - 410 Alk - 7.3 DKH
100 ML dosed 100 ML dosed

8/18/15
100 ML dosed 100 ML dosed

8/19/15
Calcium - 415 Alk - 7.2 DKH
100 ML dosed 120 ML dosed

8/20/15 - 8/21/15
100 ML dosed 120 ML dosed

8/22/15
Calcium - 395 Alk - 7.7 DKH
120 ML dosed 120 ML dosed

5g water change

8/23/15
Calcium - 405 Alk - 7.6 DKH Mag - 1260
120 ML dosed 120 ML dosed

8/24/15 - 8/27/15
120 ML dosed 120 ML dosed

8/28/15
Calcium - 375 Alk - 7.6 DKH Mag - 1380
220 ML dosed 200 ML dosed

8/29/15
Calcium - 375 Alk - 7.95 DKH
After adding only Calcium 250 ML
Calcium - 405 Alk - 7.3
140 ML dosed 140 ML dosed

8/30/15 - 9/4/15
140 ML dosed Alk - 140 dosed

9/5/15
Calcium - 390 Alk - 7.2 DKH
140 ML dosed 140 ML dosed

9/6/15 - 9/10/15
140 ML dosed 140 ML dosed

9/12/15
Calcium - 360 Alk - 6.5 DKH

Started GHL Doser

9/13/15
60 ML dosed 60 ML dosed

9/15/15
Calcium - 385 Alk - 8.1 DKH Mag - 1380
Dosing 60 ML Dosing 60 ML

9/20/15
Calcium - 370 Alk - 7.8 DKH

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You are thinking there's a problem because of the amount dosed?

What are the solutions that you are dosing?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Also, are you dosing every day, or only on the stated days and for the amount for that day, (so no dosing 9/14, 9/16, etc.)?

 

[Spyke326]

I am thinking there is a problem because I cant get it stable and every time I test I get different numbers. and it doesn't seem like its only off by a little. As you can see, I have dosed anywhere from 200 ML to 50 ML and it still doesn't change or it goes down. I have seen other people dose WAY less and they have much much more coral. I will say most of the corals seem to be growing a lot even though there is a fluctuation. just trying to get them up and stay up.

I dose with BRS. and yes I dose every day, and I keep it the same till I test again. ( Sorry about that, should of stated that )

Thanks for your help Randy

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

IMO, you should pick a reasonable dose, like 60 mL of each part every day, and stick with it for an extended period and see what happens. Assuming you are dosing something like my DIY two part (like BRS sells), 60 mL per day is only about 1 dKH, which is not much. Even coralline algae alone can consume that or more if growing fast. Doubling that dose if alk gets too low would also be fine.

 

[twilliard]

Over dosing of calcium

Give the dosing of calcium a break and see what happens

Sorry Randy didn't mean to barge in

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

FWIW, I suspect that all of the calcium changes between 8/22 and 9/20 are primarily testing variation rather than real changes.

 

[Spyke326]

I do not really have any coralline algae yet, I have a small rock with some but it hasn't spread at all.

I will stay with 60ML of each for now and see what happens over the next couple of weeks.

Thanks so much for the help Randy and Twilliard. I will report back if it doesn't get any better.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

OK, good luck!