High Cal & Alk with low Mag

[Efranco]

For the past few weeks when I test my Cal it is well over the 500 limit on my tester, but while testing my Alk it is at 12. I just recently got a tester for magnesium and it shows my levels are at 1040ppm. Are these levels cause for concern?...I use API test kit for the Cal and Alk but a Hanna for Mag and test once a week every Friday.

65g with 20% water change every 2 weeks
PH~8.0
Ammonia ~0
Nitrite ~0
Nitrate~0
Phosphate ~finally down to 0
Cal ~ over 500
Alk ~12
Mag~ 1040

 

[Efranco]

For the past few weeks when I test my Cal it is well over the 500 limit on my tester, but while testing my Alk it is at 12. I just recently got a tester for magnesium and it shows my levels are at 1040ppm. Are these levels cause for concern?...I use API test kit for the Cal and Alk but a Hanna for Mag and test once a week every Friday.

65g with 20% water change every 2 weeks
PH~8.0
Ammonia ~0
Nitrite ~0
Nitrate~0
Phosphate ~finally down to 0
Cal ~ over 500
Alk ~12
Mag~ 1040

Sorry it's a Red Sea test for Mag

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

A number of folks have problems with the Red Sea kit. The magnesium is pretty low to attain unless the salinity is low or you've added a lot of alk and calcium but no magnesium for a long time.

Try the kit on some new salt water.

 

[Efranco]

A number of folks have problems with the Red Sea kit. The magnesium is pretty low to attain unless the salinity is low or you've added a lot of alk and calcium but no magnesium for a long time.
I checked my salinity last night a few hours after my water change and it was at 1.024

Try the kit on some new salt water.

I checked my salinity a few hours after my water change last night and it was at 1.024...I use a refractometer...also retested using an API and Red Sea kit....
API results were
Cal=over 500
Alk=12

Red Sea
Cal=340
Alk=8
Mag=1040

I was dosing Red Sea ABC but stopped A and kept dosing B&C...