dosing help

[makana]

I posted this in the nano forum but didn't seem to get much of a response so hopefully it will get more views here.

I recently bought some elos tests and discovered that my calcium was low. I had been using hagen kits and it turns out the calcium kit was way off. Since then I discovered that the IO salt that I use is low in mag and calc.

I started dosing to bring up my levels and it has taken a few weeks to learn how to dose one without dropping the other but I managed to get my levels up.

The problem I am having is that I can't keep them up. On Wed. my alk was 8.5dkh, calc was 410, and mag was 1400. On tue. alk was 7.5, calc was 390, I didn't check mag. On fri. alk was 6.5, calc was 410, and mag was 1350.

I assume tuesdays calcium reading was a testing error but mag has dropped 50 in 48 hours and alk seems to drop 1 dkh per day.

I only have a sun coral, some mushrooms, an open brain, and a toadstool. Two fish and a shrimp. Nothing that should be using up my alk. Before I started this dosing I had never needed to dose and my alk was always stable at 7.5, a little low but consistent.

I have recently discovered a tiny hitchhiker clam that is about the size of a dime. It has been in there for over a year. I thought it was part of the rock but since the dosing it actually moved twice and now opens up and displays a mantle.

If anyone can help me figure this out I would appreciate it. I can't see anything that would drain my alk like that. I would prefer to maintain my levels with water changes only if I can stabilize it. I am dosing my water change water as well now.

[delo978]

whats your water change and dosing schedule?? daily, once a week? I do a 2% water change daily and a 10% weekly and dose on my 10% water change. I only need to boost up my alk with 5ml baking soda maybe once a month to maintain my lvl at 9dkh other than that I have had steady lvls with minimal if any fluctuations.

[makana]

well right now I am testing the tank levels daily and dosing when it gets too low. I am still trying to figure out a dosing level that will maintain my alk. As for water changes I do a 10% weekly. What I have been doing for a couple weeks is dosing my water change water higher than the levels I want to bring the tank back to the levels I want.

What I can't understand is were my alk is going. It dropped 1dkh a day with nothing added to the tank. I can't see coraline using that much and nothing else in there should be using much at all.

[fishytime]

something is soaking up that dkh.......if your parameters are dropping daily and you want to keep them stable, then you will need to dose daily:biggrin:......either directly to the tank or in your top up water.....just curious but, what brand of salt are you using?...... and have you tested a new batch of salt water before youve done a w/c?

[Spiny]

a little coraline can take a lot. 1dkh isn't that far fetch for coraline alone to consume

[makana]

I am using IO salt. When I tested a new batch it was low in mag and clac and I am now dosing it.

Interesting note is that a lot of the coraline has changed colour and some is flaking off the plastic.

What I don't understand is why my dkh was stable at around 7, never dropping, until I raised my levels. They seem to be out of balance but the measurments say they are balanced.

Could raising the levels have caused things like coraline or the tiny clam to start consuming more?

[makana]

I just did a water change, after letting the water aerate for 24 hours and dosing the water up I got calc 450, mag 1350, alk 8.5.

[makana]

I am having nothing but problems trying to stabilize my tank.

Can someone who uses IO please tell me how you prepare your water change water.

Do I just mix it up and dump in the additives I need or do I do it slowly over time?