Questions on Parameters and Dosing the Big Three

[AKL1950]

My system is going on 9 months now and I’ve got most of the corals I want in place. It was cycled in late May 2022 when I started adding fish and the first corals went in 1st of September 2022. Lots of comments over the last 6 months that my Mag was too high, but definitely seeing a drop now. DT + Sump is about 180 gallons. Current parameters are as follows:

Temp 78.5 - 80.5
Salinity 35.0
PH. 8.0 - 8.25
NO3. 8.25-10.0
PO4. 0.04
Alk. 8.0
Ca. 460
Mag. 1470

Daily water change of 2.5 gallons using IO Reef Crystals
Skimmer and UV running 24/7
Filter Socks changed every two days

Alk dosing 10 ml/day
Ca dosing 3 ml/day
Mag dosing zero
Aminos dosing 5ml/day

last 6 months Sept - Feb. Testing using Trident, Salifert and Hanna

Alk. Sept 7.7, Oct 7.8, Nov 7.8, Dec 8.2, Jan 8.0, Feb 8.0. (Now stable at 8.0)
Ca. Sept 500, Oct 500, Nov 485, Dec 470, Jan 460, Feb 460
Mag. Sep 1600, Oct 1600, Nov 1590, Dec 1620, Jan 1510, Feb 1470

Alk is staying very stable with Ca starting to drop and Mag showing a large drop Over the last two months. I assume different bags of salt can make some variations, but the trend is definitely levels are going down.

My question. Should I continue to wait on making any dosing changes? If the trend on Ca and Mag continue down (my assumption is coral growth and tank maturing setting in), when and at what level should I consider upping my Ca dose level and when should I start dosing Mag. I don’t want to chase numbers, but I‘m looking for good ball park numbers of where I want it to stabilize.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What products are you dosing?

 

[AKL1950]

What products are you dosing?

Brightwell Alk, Ca and Mag. Cant remember the brand on the Aminos. It’s what WWC recommended with the others

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Brightwell Alk, Ca and Mag. Cant remember the brand on the Aminos. It’s what WWC recommended with the others

The mag drop is not likely from consumption (which is not more than about 1/10th of the calcium drop), but it is still fine, if accurate.

I don’t see a reason to change current dosing.

 

[AKL1950]

The mag drop is not likely from consumption (which is not more than about 1/10th of the calcium drop), but it is still fine, if accurate.

I don’t see a reason to change current dosing.

Thanks Randy. Everything else seems very stable. Now that I’ve been doing my testing religiously every week for 6 months, I’m seeing how unpredictable the testing can be. Specially Trident. I just mixed up new salt, so I may see it go up again. corals and fish seem happy, so I am too. A note from another thread I made months ago about Alkalinity. I read your paper on it. I kept trying to get it up to around 8.3 and it just didn’t want to stay there. Much easier to accept 8.0. That seems to be where it should and wants to be.