Triton issues

[USMA36]

I had what I think is a doser malfunction. My mag shot up to 1800 for close to 3 months before I noticed a snail die off. I re calibrated my dosing Pump but now I am having calcium issues. I am currently dosing 1 ml 6x per day of each. I had to stop mag for about a week but have resumed after levels dropped down. Now that I am re calibrated my alk is 9.5 which I know is too high my calcium is off the charts at 700 and my magnesium is 1400. What’s the best way for me to get things back in check? My softies, hammers torches, zoas, and candy canes are all as happy as can be but my birdsnest and Pocillipora are dying off, my plating Montipora is bleaching, and my branching Montipora is alive but looks pretty sickly. I have two other small acro frags that seem ok but they are new additions. Phosphates 0-.05 Nitrates 2-5 SG 1.025 temp 78-79 I run gfo once a week or so for about 12 hours when my phosphates creep up. Please help.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

How are you running your gfo on and off?


Letting the numbers fall naturally is the best way.
I blew Up my dose and the alk crept up to 14. I just unplugged the doser. Waited, adjuted the dose , and started again.

 

[USMA36]

So turn off the doser totally? My GFO is in a reactor. I only turn it on as needed. Usually once a week for 12 hours or so. That keeps my phosphate steady between 0 and .05 on the Hannah checker.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

So turn off the doser totally? My GFO is in a reactor. I only turn it on as needed. Usually once a week for 12 hours or so. That keeps my phosphate steady between 0 and .05 on the Hannah checker.

A reactor full of water when it is off can quite easily go Anerobic. When it comes back on it pumps bad stuff back into the tank.
A common prob for those running bio pellets with too low a flow , or on and off schedules.
Something to look at.

Yes , if your demand is quite low the alk will not drop so quickly as to cause problems.

Imbalances I have not seen cause problems either.
When the alk naturally settles to the 8 your targeting then continue dosing , let the cal then drop to close to the level you want and then continue that dosing.

Unless your tank looks like this , I would assume your alk would not nose dive drastically.

This tank was overdosed as well just a bit and got to 11 from 8. I simply reduced the dose.
The larger tank went to 14 is not as sps intensive , and I just unplugged it.

Keep in mind as folks warn worry and fear, swings are not the same as gradual reduction. The difference is days vs weeks.
My smaller tank if I were to full stop dosing would swing low very very fast.