Understanding numbers

[Bigdaddy05]

Recently switched to having own rodi system with tds meter and doing my own water tests with salifert tests not understanding the numbers calcium is testing over 500 mag 1450 and kh/alk 11.5 at 78 degrees with 1.026 salinity not growing any coraline alage on glass and not seeing great coral growth this is all with 10 gallons changed weekly with reef crystals any ideas on these numbers and lack of growth

 

[Jekyl]

How old is your tank?

 

[lafarrow]

How long has it been?
What about lights?
Are your numbers in line with what would be expected from the manufacturer's values?

 

[Dan_P]

Recently switched to having own rodi system with tds meter and doing my own water tests with salifert tests not understanding the numbers calcium is testing over 500 mag 1450 and kh/alk 11.5 at 78 degrees with 1.026 salinity not growing any coraline alage on glass and not seeing great coral growth this is all with 10 gallons changed weekly with reef crystals any ideas on these numbers and lack of growth

What is the calcium and magnesium levels of freshly prepared Reef Crystals.

 

[Bigdaddy05]

It's coming out those numbers if not a little higher freshly mixed the tanks just over a year with sand and live rock in the display and sump from tanks that were up for years

 

[Bigdaddy05]

I replaced all filters in the rodi bought a new tds meter and I might add I'm slightly color blind so that might have a little effect but iv had my wife look at the colors the last few times

 

[Bigdaddy05]

All coral soft lps and even a couple easy sps have been fine expect iv had cyphastrea die and some montis die I have a 20 long that was set up as a quarantine or hospital tank when the main tank was set up and all that's over it is a shop light and it grows coraline same water same salt just pulsing xenia a starfish and molly's are in it

 

[Dan_P]

It's coming out those numbers if not a little higher freshly mixed the tanks just over a year with sand and live rock in the display and sump from tanks that were up for years

Might the salt be the cause of the high numbers?

 

[Bigdaddy05]

I just ordered a new 200gallon box and it's the same iv been told reef crystals test high are these numbers bad

 

[Bigdaddy05]

How old is your tank?

Over a year

 

[Bigdaddy05]

Light is vipar spectra 165 watt used to run 80,%blues 20%,,whites now at 80 blues 1 whites

 

[Jedi1199]

Recently switched to having own rodi system with tds meter and doing my own water tests with salifert tests not understanding the numbers calcium is testing over 500 mag 1450 and kh/alk 11.5 at 78 degrees with 1.026 salinity not growing any coraline alage on glass and not seeing great coral growth this is all with 10 gallons changed weekly with reef crystals any ideas on these numbers and lack of growth

Reef Crystals is an enriched salt mix. Your numbers are slightly high, but don't appear to be outrageously off.

Attached are photos of what the manufacturer claims you should have... (sorry about the flash glare.. lol)

 

[ReefPig]

coralline also doesn’t magically appear, it needs to come in with something.

Liverock, snails, corals, scraping, bottled stuff (never tried it though).

People seem to think it just happens, it doesn’t.

 

[Bigdaddy05]

coralline also doesn’t magically appear, it needs to come in with something.

Liverock, snails, corals, scraping, bottled stuff (never tried it though).

People seem to think it just happens, it doesn’t.

There's coraline just not like I see in other tanks my rocks and frag plugs are covered

 

[Bigdaddy05]

Reef Crystals is an enriched salt mix. Your numbers are slightly high, but don't appear to be outrageously off.

Attached are photos of what the manufacturer claims you should have... (sorry about the flash glare.. lol)

So my numbers don't seem bad? I can't figure out why my calcium is testing over 500

 

[Rmckoy]

The new frags that come in with coralline .

scrape it into your system .

 

[Jedi1199]

So my numbers don't seem bad? I can't figure out why my calcium is testing over 500

Are you testing the tank water, or the freshly mixed water?

 

[FriedReef TV]

So my numbers don't seem bad? I can't figure out why my calcium is testing over 500

man i had this same exact issue so i switched from reef crystals to red sea coral pro and saw massive improvement in all my inverts instant ocean isnt necessarily a bad salt it just is a cheap salt so obviously its not going to mix very consistently to what the labels say . Also the red sea salt doesnt leave crud and residue in your mixing container mine mixes clear in under 30 minutes

 

[Bigdaddy05]

Are you testing the tank water, or the freshly mixed water?

Both