Having issues with CAL and MAG lowering to "normal" levels

[Diazcm]

Good morning everyone, I'm having a bit of a problem getting my CAL and MAG back down to 440 cal and 1350 mag. I have been dealing with this for a while now and not sure what the heck is going on and my SPS have been suffering for a while now and its killing me to see them go through this.
I did a 15% water change on sunday using red sea salt (blue bucket) in hopes to help bring the levels down but actually did the complete opposite, CAL jumped just from 445 to 470 and MAG went from 1400 to 1560 ALK has stayed the same at 8.1 solid for days. Any ideas of what can be going on? is my MAG and CAL so high that its not letting my ALK come up? I use brightwell aqautics reef code A & B as my two part and stopped dosing CAL after yesterdays test but ALK is still dosing as normal. Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I suspect it is just test kit error, but did you measure the calcium and magnesium in the new salt water?

 

[Diazcm]

I did, Cal was @ 430,mag @ 1300, ALK @ 8.5 using red sea pro test kit for cal/mag and hanna for ALK

 

[Reef Able]

My Cal and Mg are always high but i dont see any issue with Corals...last i checked my Cal was at 500 but it maybe due to the fact that i transitioned my dosing from kalkwasser to Bionic A and B hoping by this weekend it comes down..but the question is does it hurt anything if your Cal and Mg are high or is it something else hurting your corals...just throwing out there...

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I did, Cal was @ 430,mag @ 1300, ALK @ 8.5 using red sea pro test kit for cal/mag and hanna for ALK

Then the results are test error, which is very common, especially the magnesium testing.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

As to what to do, I'd personally just keep dosing equal parts of the two part based on the alk demand, but it is OK for a bit to stop dosing the calcium part if you strongly want it lower.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

My Cal and Mg are always high but i dont see any issue with Corals...last i checked my Cal was at 500 but it maybe due to the fact that i transitioned my dosing from kalkwasser to Bionic A and B hoping by this weekend it comes down..but the question is does it hurt anything if your Cal and Mg are high or is it something else hurting your corals...just throwing out there...

Generally, calcium up to at least 550 ppm is not any substantial concern.

 

[Diazcm]

My Cal and Mg are always high but i dont see any issue with Corals...last i checked my Cal was at 500 but it maybe due to the fact that i transitioned my dosing from kalkwasser to Bionic A and B hoping by this weekend it comes down..but the question is does it hurt anything if your Cal and Mg are high or is it something else hurting your corals...just throwing out there...

in my case i believe that cal and mag are affecting my sps corals, at first i thought it was red sea's coral colors but its been weeks since i last dosed and no change C.C. should of worn out by now i have not seen any polyp extensions for weeks now they are not bleaching or browning so i'm hoping there's still life in them. I've always kept my levels of cal and mag around 435-400 and 1300-1350 with no issues. I know exactly how my tank spiked and i'm now trying my hardest to get my levels back to where i had them but seems like every time i try something it goes from bad to worse.
Last thing i have done now was shut off my CAL dosing using apex and letting the tank consume it back to my levels and start it all over again and hopefully next water change it stabilizes and i can put this mission behind me already.

 

[Diazcm]

As to what to do, I'd personally just keep dosing equal parts of the two part based on the alk demand, but it is OK for a bit to stop dosing the calcium part if you strongly want it lower.

Thanks randy, I tried that last week dosing according to ALK but Cal kept creeping up 5ppm/day with ALK staying put. I've shut down CAL for now and i'll test again when i get home this afternoon and see where i'm at. Wife is already starting to get jealous cause i spend some much time with the tank in order for me to get back to my normal levels. LOL

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

in my case i believe that cal and mag are affecting my sps corals, at first i thought it was red sea's coral colors but its been weeks since i last dosed and no change C.C. should of worn out by now i have not seen any polyp extensions for weeks now they are not bleaching or browning so i'm hoping there's still life in them. I've always kept my levels of cal and mag around 435-400 and 1300-1350 with no issues. I know exactly how my tank spiked and i'm now trying my hardest to get my levels back to where i had them but seems like every time i try something it goes from bad to worse.
.

I strongly disagree. There is no evidence that these calcium and mangnesium levels impact SPS corals the way you are suggesting.

I know exactly how my tank spiked and i'm now trying my hardest to get my levels back to where i had them but seems like every time i try something it goes from bad to worse.
.

How? I thought you claimed it was by water changes with a mix that was not that high (which wouldn't cause it).

 

[rtparty]

Randy is right, not that he needs any confirmation or anything.

How can calcium and magnesium raise from a water change when the new water wasn't extremely high in either element?

Think about it. You have 10 gallons of 75° water. You take out 1 gallon and add back 1 gallon of 75° water. Now your water is 80°??? Yeah, it doesn't work that way.

It is testing error or a bad kit

 

[Diazcm]

I strongly disagree. There is no evidence that these calcium and mangnesium levels impact SPS corals the way you are suggesting.
then its something else i havent been able to pin point yet.



How? I thought you claimed it was by water changes with a mix that was not that high (which wouldn't cause it).

My MAG and CAL spiked about 1.5 months ago when i went to my LFS to pick up water for my regular water change. I usually buy seawater from them and that ONE day they were out of seawater and made a mix of Red Sea Coral Pro Salt which has elevated levels and this last Sunday i tried regular red sea salt ( with lower levels) which spiked again. Now as i'm typing this i'm starting to think it maybe the salt GRRR..... i want to start making my own salt so i can better regulate what goes in there and save trip to the LFS.

 

[Diazcm]

Randy is right, not that he needs any confirmation or anything.

How can calcium and magnesium raise from a water change when the new water wasn't extremely high in either element?

Think about it. You have 10 gallons of 75° water. You take out 1 gallon and add back 1 gallon of 75° water. Now your water is 80°??? Yeah, it doesn't work that way.

It is testing error or a bad kit

you make complete sense i'm not arguing with you on that and you guys maybe right and my test kit may be failing on me ( already made an order for refill kit) but my sps still arent doing well and something is still in that tank that is messing with the corals. I used poly-filter this past weekend and it didnt change colors so theres no contaminants in the water according to the filter. I'm really stumped now i dont know what else is going on

 

[rtparty]

you make complete sense and thats why i bought regular salt from red sea and you guys maybe right and my test kit may be failing on me ( already made an order for refill kit) but my sps still arent doing well and something is still in that tank that is messing with the corals.

If this is the case, we'll need more details about the tank.

Size, lighting, flow, how old, all current parameters, what rock was used to set it up... Things of that nature

 

[Diazcm]

as of yesterday ( 11/13/17) @ 5:00pm the current parameters are:
Cal- 470ppm (red sea pro test)
ALK-8.1 (hanna)
MAG-1560( red sea pro)
Nit-.50 (red sea pro)
Phos-0.06 (hanna ULR phosphorus)

Tank will be 2years old in janurary its a red sea reefer 450 with 3 radions XR15PRO G3 running A+B schedule @ 50% intensity ,two MP40 running reef crest @ 45%, Bought live rock from the LFS 2 years ago. I used brightwell aquatics reef code A & B for my two part. i feed coral reef roids with a mix of plankton twice a week and feed fish mysis shrimp once a day no other additives except for coral colors that one time weeks ago.
I appreciate any help you all can offer and i apologize for being such a newbie with the two year experience i have.

 

[Diazcm]

Here's a couple of pictures of my tank before the chaos started. I know i dont have much but i'm im starting once i get things squared away.

 

[Dr.Xipoles]

I dont check my mag since i just have lps and do regular WC, but my calc is about 500 and my frags are splitting like crazy; about 1 new head every 2 weeks on my blastos, hammers, acan, etc. Your parameters look right to me. Just my 2 cents.

 

[rtparty]

Those numbers look pretty good. Higher nitrates will be beneficial. Shoot for 5ppm or so. Dosing potassium nitrate is very easy and cost effective. You just need Spectracide (must be this brand) Stump Remover. Doing a search will yield what you need here.

A $10-15 lux meter will also help know if you have enough light. @saltyfilmfolks has food info on that

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

as of yesterday ( 11/13/17) @ 5:00pm the current parameters are:
Cal- 470ppm (red sea pro test)
ALK-8.1 (hanna)
MAG-1560( red sea pro)
Nit-.50 (red sea pro)
Phos-0.06 (hanna ULR phosphorus)
.

FWIW, many people seemingly get incorrect readings (most often high but not always) with the Red Sea magnesium kit. I would not assume it is correct, especially after an unexpected big jump. It doesn't jump up or drop down fast on its own.

 

[Diazcm]

Those numbers look pretty good. Higher nitrates will be beneficial. Shoot for 5ppm or so. Dosing potassium nitrate is very easy and cost effective. You just need Spectracide (must be this brand) Stump Remover. Doing a search will yield what you need here.

A $10-15 lux meter will also help know if you have enough light. @saltyfilmfolks has food info on that

I'll be going to home depot later this evening to pick up a 20 gal brute can to start mixing my own salt and i'll also pick up a bottle of spectracide but you think i'm lacking nitrate? SPS really relies on higher nitrate?

FWIW, many people seemingly get incorrect readings (most often high but not always) with the Red Sea magnesium kit. I would not assume it is correct, especially after an unexpected big jump. It doesn't jump up or drop down fast on its own.

i sure hope the test kits are failing on me and my tank really isnt that high but again i'm getting no response from the SPS so something is going on. I'm gonna buy an ICP test kit also with the refill kits from BRS and see what that says hopefully the corals can hang in there until i get the results back.