Parameter Stability First Month!

[FellowSclownfish20270]

Hello Reefers,

This is my first month accomplishing my 40-Gallon breeder aquarium with my parameters, my tank is one month old, facing the ugly stage, used to it though!
So, I wanted to know if my parameters were doing good because when I first tested them in week #1 they were;

Week #1 Parameters:
Calcium : 430
Alkalinity : 8.7
Magnesium : 1275

After letting my tank cycle for its first month, I tested the parameters again because I would usually test my parameters every week that comes by frequently to keep my parameters stable. However I was curious why my parameters got higher even though I haven't dosed anything except topping off my evaporated water with fresh water.

Month #1 New Parameter test results:
Calcium : 460
Alkalinity : 9.1
Magnesium : 1370
Now I think these are good parameters in my opinion because I've read that Magnesium needs to be from 1250 - 1400, Alkalinity needs to be 7 - 12 and Calcium has to be from 380 - 460.
Correct me if I'm wrong though.

Thanks!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The magnesium rise is test error. I’d stop measuring it at all.

Just say NO to magnesium testing: RMM is born

OK, this thread has been many years in the making, and I'm posting it here since folks in the chem forum are probably already tired of all the threads relating to problematic magnesium testing. I'm going to propose a method, let's call it the Randy Magnesium Method, or RMM for short. All good...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Everything else is fine.

 

[FellowSclownfish20270]

Thanks!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You’re welcome.

Happy Reefing!

 

[CrashTestBennie]

Everything else is fine.

Hi Randy, I'm Ben and I'm a noob. I can really use some advice. How are you at correcting bad parameters? So here are today's parameters: s.g. - 1.027
pH 8.66
Ammonia 0
Nitrates are flashing 75. So I built a refugium yesterday, and am doing 2g water changes every other day.
Dkh 8.2
Calcium 200ppm

I know I desperately need to get Nitrates down. But what surprised me was the low calcium. I have brightwell's coralline stuff that will raise calcium. Should I use something else instead for raising calcium? Sorry, I don't have nitrite checker. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Ben