Dosing Help

[Fotocha]

So I recently lost a Stylophora due to dosing. I thought that I was taking it very slow but seems the corals didn't appreciate what I was trying to do!

So.. this brings me allowing the numbers to drop a bit and try again . Frankly I'm a little hesitant.

So after the mess I started keeping a Reef Log. Here is my current numbers the morning after a 5% water change.

Any suggestions are welcome

My Dosing Products:
Brightwell NeoPhos and NeoNitro (Nitrogen, Phosphate)
Red Sea's Foundation Liquid A-B-C (Alk, Cal, Mag)
Aqua Vitro's eight.four (Ph Buffer) <- Not dosing this currently

Current Numbers:
Ph 8.0 (Red Sea)
Sal 1.023 (Having issues keeping this stable for some reason)
point of sale 0 (Salifert) (Dosing but can't seem to raise this above 0)
Nitrate 2 (Red Sea)
Alk 7.5 (Hannah)
Mag 1230 (Salifert)
Cal 480 (Salifert)

These are my Target Numbers:
Cal 420
Alk 8.5
Mag 1350


Log:

These are what's currently stressed:

My Bird's Nest looks like its dead on the bottom, Trumpet, and Duncan (which has been closed long before this got started.

 

[Fotocha]

I was planning to raise Mag, and Alk. Is it safe? Should I wait? How much on the Alk like 0.5dkh a day? Is the Bird's Nest a lost cause?

 

[Biokabe]

Well, before you get too involved in dosing, I'd try and get your salinity locked down. It really shouldn't be fluctuating at all. Are you running an ATO on your tank?

 

[Fotocha]

Well, before you get too involved in dosing, I'd try and get your salinity locked down. It really shouldn't be fluctuating at all. Are you running an ATO on your tank?

The salinity has been difficult to nail down the cause. It’s never high. Either I’m putting in less water then I’m taking out when I do water changes or the ATO fills at different rates or perhaps the fact my refractometer is constantly off due to needing to recalibrate it by 2-4ppm weekly.

Somewhere the error is happening. The funny thing by now having to correct it like 6 times. You would think the salt would stay in the system. Somehow it’s exporting.

I find it difficult it’s just from my skimmer (dry skim) or taking water to test daily.

 

[Maddlesrain]

My salinity fluctuates by about .8 every day and I have an ATO. Not sure if my apex probe is just wacky or what, but I’ve don’t have an issue.

What does your pH swing look like in a day (from what I got, the graphs were over several months. Forgive me if I misunderstood).

 

[Fotocha]

My salinity fluctuates by about .8 every day and I have an ATO. Not sure if my apex probe is just wacky or what, but I’ve don’t have an issue.

What does your pH swing look like in a day (from what I got, the graphs were over several months. Forgive me if I misunderstood).

For the most part 8.2 -8.4. The graph has the date at the bottom rung.

 

[Fotocha]

Bought a Milwaukee Digital Refractometer (coming in Thursday), hopefully that will help a little at least as far as accuracy. I checked my regular refractometer and it was again off by 1ppm.

 

[Biokabe]

Bought a Milwaukee Digital Refractometer (coming in Thursday), hopefully that will help a little at least as far as accuracy. I checked my regular refractometer and it was again off by 1ppm.

Love that thing, I've had one for close on 5 years... it was my first foray into more expensive equipment, and I haven't regretted the purchase at all.

A question for you that may seem out of left field... how big is your ATO reservoir, and how often do you have to refill it?

 

[Fotocha]

Love that thing, I've had one for close on 5 years... it was my first foray into more expensive equipment, and I haven't regretted the purchase at all.

A question for you that may seem out of left field... how big is your ATO reservoir, and how often do you have to refill it?

Its a 3 gallon, and I would say about once a week