How many gals is the system volume?

75 gal tank + 20 gal sump

I would do a couple 20 gals a week w/c and see what effects it has. 10 gals per week should be good but you need to get your parameters up.

Get those other test kits and test all your params.
Start a log for your tank. PM me with your e-mail if you want a copy of my Excel spreadsheet.

Corals need fish poop, or expensive additives.

My thoughts on params;
Alk 8-8.5
Cal 400-420
Mag 1350
Nitrates 1-10 Max. 5 is good. Mine is 0
Phosphates 0.03. Mine fluctuates between 0.00 and 0.002
The balance between NO3 and PO4 is key to coral success, so read about it.

The other key is stability. As Frogger wrote, when your Alk drops, so does your Ca.
Get kits, test 2-3 days in a row to find what is being used, then calculate what your tank needs daily.
Use the online calculator if you can find your product on the list
http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

For now, get some stuff from J&L and balance your tank using the online calculator. Get the simple to use stuff to start with EI: liquids or easy to measure powders. Once you get a grip on that I'll teach you about the home-made powders.

I'll tell you about how to use baking soda, and I'm selling calcium in bulk.
But this will come after you understand the whole process.

Thanks for the info. I will get reading.

I am heading g to j&l tomorrow after work to get some test kits.

Had no idea I should do fish first!

I tested a batch of fresh saltwater and the alkalinity was about 12.2 or so. I'm really surprised 8 snails and 12 frags(3sps) would cause that much of a difference in alkalinity. Thought I would have more time before dosing.

Or I guess I need more fish.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

I use over 1 gallon of alk and 1 gallon of ca monthly.
Once you start dosing you'll realise what that means.

Test your newly made water before adding it to your tank. Test your tank.
Then, with a spreadsheet, you'll see what you need to do to adjust your water.

Off to bed.
We can talk later.

As Greg said keep a log/spreadsheet of your test values.

Down the road it will be invaluable because you will be able to see trends and see where you were at when things were good and where you were at when things were bad.

Also keep track of when you purchase corals, fish, who you bought them from, when you add or change equipment, change bulbs, change additives etc.

I have weekly log dating back 3 years to when I first started my tank. I can easily see the good and the bad and remember the disappointments. You can also easily measure coral growth. Pictures help too.

Log book is a good idea. I will try and do that!

I'm always good at starting it, but then eventually fall off and forget to do it. Looks like there are some apps for this exact thing. Will have to give them a try.

Off to j&l now, any recommendations on what sort of dosing stuff I should pick up? This will be my only time to make it out this week so need to make sure I get the right stuff.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

If John is there talk to him (ponytail) and he should be able to steer you in the right direction. Just don't mention my name. Lol.

Alright, picked up some test kits and dosing supplements today.

Tests came back as:
Calcium - 340
Magnesium - 1470

Image of the the dosing supplements below.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...835b0ff017.jpg

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk