Calcium and Alk problems...

[Shananagans]

So since I came back from vac in August my corals were not looking great. Lost some others, others doed a slow death, and some look fine. What I did notice it Acros seem to be uneffected...

I am sadly kinda lazy with testing so I did the other night. What I saw shocked me. My tank is norm great with cal 550+ range and ph 7-9. But when I tested my cal was 220 and alk was 18. I tested again last night and same thing.

I have purple up and liquid reef. I read the bottle and added some liquid reef to up the cal, because it mentioned nothing of alk. I later checked on there site and it says it will up alk too. Wish they would have put that on the bottle. I added alittle mag to the tank last night too.

Anyway what would be the best way to get things back in order? A cal reactor is out of the question.

My salt that I use is Tropicmairne pro, I think next time around I will not get the pro version. My tank is mainly sps frags with a few zoas. Like I said acros seem ok. Montis, pocil, and birdnest are not happy. I just switched over to kessil leds. I just hooked up some npx pellets almost 2 weeks ago too. 57g rimless.

This is prob partially my fault as in the past my alk was a little low due to frequent water top offs. So I started adding alk buffer to my ro water when toping off. Probly should have kept a better eye on that.

Sorry for the long read, any help would be great.

 

[howze01]

Seems like A LOT has changed with the tank in the past few weeks. Vacation, parameters swinging up and down, lighting, biopellets. You should try and make changes gradually. I don't think a pH of 18 is even possible is it? I thought 14 was the highest? What kind of test kits are you using?

 

[Shananagans]

It wasnt all righ ton top of each other lights were a month and 1/2 ago, pellets about 1 and 1/2 weeks ago. But agreed, it makes it hard to figure some things out with so many changes.

The kit is api. I thought that was crazy high too.

 

[Mattl22]

U don't have 2 part ?

 

[ScorpionSys]

Test kits may be expired PH of 18 is very high and I doubt anything in the tank would be alive if it were that high

 

[Shananagans]

No, i don't have 2 part. I have been wanting to pick some up. But won't that raise alk too?

They don't have an exp date on the container, right?

I just did another 5g water change, I try to test again when I get back home.

I just re read it. My ph is not 18, my alk is. Ph was like 8.4.

 

[Boomer]

I have purple up and liquid reef.

These are not calcium sup's an can raise hell with a tank and do not due as claimed by a long shot.

That Alk of 18, if that is 18 dKH is form all that stuff you added is floating around in the tank interring with the Alk kit.

 

[Shananagans]

I'm gonna get 2 part today if the place has it instock.

 

[mbg75]

Water changes should get you close to normal.

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk

 

[Mattl22]

U need to get ur levels normal with water changes ! Then start testing to see if and how much 2 part u will need to dose! I really like esv 2 part!
If u don't have alot of corals and no Sps u might be able to keep ur levels right just doing weekly water changes ! U need good test kits b4 u do anything ! Check cal alk and ph !! Lots of info online about this stuff but can be very confusing for newbie! I'd stat reading some articles online then posting questions u have after reading!! Good luck!!!

 

[Shananagans]

So, I brought some water to a local store and tehy confirmed my test kit is fine. But that does mean my levels are crazy off.

I did a 10% change today and added some calcium from the 2 part I picked up last night. Tested again, still needs work but alk went down and cal went up.