Low calcium , high alk while dosing no3po4

[Rmckoy]

I have been dosing 12 ml nopox every evening in our system ( 90 gal display and 30 gal sump ) started dosing just over a month ago .

After testing today
Cal 320
Alk 11.2


Salinity is 1.026 and using aqua vitro
Is low cal part of carbon dosing ?

Thanks in advance

 

[Reaper603]

I'm currently dosing nopox in my system to control nitrates and phosphates I have a 65 gallon setup but everything I read online says to start small at half a dose because it can lower your calcium and alkalinity and irritate LPs corals so I dose 3ml per day which is about half of the amount so my levels dont drop and I continue doing 15% water changes per week and I use red sea coral pro salt which has alkalinity and calcium etc for when nopox goes to lower the levels.

 

[SPR1968]

I have been dosing 12 ml nopox every evening in our system ( 90 gal display and 30 gal sump ) started dosing just over a month ago .

After testing today
Cal 320
Alk 11.2


Salinity is 1.026 and using aqua vitro
Is low cal part of carbon dosing ?

Thanks in advance

No, but just add some extra calcium supplement to increase the calcium level to your target, maybe around 430 ish.

Your alkalinity is ok but on the higher side, but maybe it depends on what salt your using, for example Red Sea coral pro

Just follow the nopox instructions and if you get any bacterial blooms, or white slime, jut back off a few mls

 

[Rmckoy]

No, but just add some extra calcium supplement to increase the calcium level to your target, maybe around 430 ish.

Your alkalinity is ok but on the higher side, but maybe it depends on what salt your using, for example Red Sea coral pro

Just follow the nopox instructions and if you get any bacterial blooms, or white slime, jut back off a few mls

I have cut back to 1/2 the suggested dose of 3ml per 25 gal down to 1ml per 25gal

I have 35 gal salt mixed and ready for water change later this evening .

Also adding a newer and much larger skimmer .
Going from the crappy curve 5 bubble Magnus back to a external skimmer mrc
See how this works .

 

[W1ngz]

Carbon dosing (the basis of nopox) increases bacterial consumption of nitrates, which is known to increase alkalinity.
I wonder if the increase in alkalinity could have caused a partial precipitation, removing some calcium from the water. What was the calcium before the drop?

 

[Rmckoy]

Carbon dosing (the basis of nopox) increases bacterial consumption of nitrates, which is known to increase alkalinity.
I wonder if the increase in alkalinity could have caused a partial precipitation, removing some calcium from the water. What was the calcium before the drop?

Calcium was always around 410

I use salinity ( aqua vitro ) After moving the tank and crashing ( killing everything due to extreme cold )
After maintaining a tank with only rocks and a few fish .
I decided to start water changes , and get back into reefing .

Is it still old tank syndrome or lazy reefing ?
Moving forward . Jumping back in is Provo g to be a little more difficult than maintaining what was running for so many years .

 

[W1ngz]

If you're fish only right now maybe pulling the rocks to really clean out all the crevices and giving the sand a really thorough siphoning would do more, faster than the nopox.

At the least it would give you a foothold so the nopox can do what it should to settle things down and give you control of your parameters.

 

[Rmckoy]

After years of “ do not disturb the sand “
I was told the other day by a lfs to siphon our all sand and replace as it should be done 2x per year .
Before every water change I use a powerhead and a turkey Baster to blow everything off the rocks.
I’ve recently removed the filter floss from the sump after being told and somewhat believing the floss holds a lot of the excess nutrients .