parameters going crazy

[AquaAddict]

Hi Everybody,

So I set up a new 150 gallon system with auto top off, and an auto doser for alk (Brightwell alk). Still manually dosing a lot of ca and mg - system seems to need them. My ca is 360 (still trying to increase it) and I overdosed my mg to 1500 I take 2 weeks to stabilize my alk and then leave alone for 2 weeks.

I test again and alk rose to 11 from approx. 8. Even my salinity rose from 1.025 to 1.0295!!!!
My ca is 360 (still trying to increase it) and I overdosed my mg to 1500

New system is sealed in everywhere to reduce humidity (my hubby is paranoid about humidity).

I am told this is preventing oxygen 'transpiration' if that is the right word to getO2 into the tank. Hubby says absolute bull#$%!! (he isn't even a reefer!)

I already have lifted one of the lids a little on the sump to get more air in. I think this could be the problem. Any other ideas?

AquaAddict

[Potatohead]

How are you measuring salinity?

What Brightwell product are you using?

I'm assuming you have a skimmer?

[adam84]

Not allowing for o2 exchange will raise your co2 level leading to a drop in ph. 1500 Imo is not bad for your mag but I would not exceed that level, I would say stop dosing the mag and let it that number naturally fall to see how it effects your balance between your alk an ca. As for the salinity, may be a silly question but you are using freshwater in your ato and not saltwater right?

[squibege]

Could you set up a dehumidifier next to the tank to make your hubby feel better? An unhappy spouse won't make for a pleasant experience.
Try to ensure you are changing things SLOWLY, having your parameters jumping around will make your head spin


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[dino]

raising salinity will also alter other parameters. did salinity raise because your top off was not working? are you dosing calcium and alk daily ? your tank need to breath and off gas. I would be concerned if alk swings that much I always notice my corals are not happy if I get that kind of swing.

[gregzz4]

The salts in Alk products will slowly raise your salinity. Also, the massive amount of Mag needed to raise up to 1500 will increase it.
On my last system I was dosing well over 100ml/day of 2-part and had to adjust my salinity every 2 weeks.

If I understand correctly, you had your big 3 kinda where you wanted them 2 weeks ago, and didn't test between then and now?
Sounds like your Alk dosing was set a bit too high.

When I set up a doser, I first get the params where I want them, then test for a couple days without dosing.
With a little math, or use the online calculator, I then know fairly closely what the tank uses daily.
Then I set the doser and continue to test Alk daily for a week to ensure the doser is set correctly.
During this time I test Ca every other day.
If after a week all is looking correct, I start testing bi-weekly.

[Gp Scott]

When I set up my 135 I had the same problems you are having trying to set up dosing cal and alk and mag it for me was a pain so I spent the money and got a calcium reactor and it was easy to set and easy to maintain my levels.
As for your husband not wanting humidity in the house it's actually good for it if you have a lot of woods in it like flooring cabinets if I'm not mistaken 20-40 %

[AquaAddict]

Thanks for all the help. The advice about the Mg and Alk might have been the problem with the salinity. I guess I will also have do a lot more manual testing than I had been.

I have an ATO which does work very well. Also a Vertex Omega 130 Skimmer (left over from my 100 gal tank)

I had been using Brightwell's KH Buffer Powder, had manually dosed kh to 8 and watched the Bubble Magus doser carefully to make sure kH was staying at 8 for a few days and then thought I was OK to leave it alone.

I have a Vertex Refractometer just recently calibrated. I tested a few times to make sure the reading was really almost 1.030.

Parameters are near normal now that I turned off the doser two weeks ago (with alk steadily dropping) and then doing a 60 gal water change. kH is now 8.6 and salinity is 1.025/1.026. I meant to leave the salinity near the same level and drop it slowly but I somehow took out too much water and had to add extra RO water - this was the first water change on my new tank.

I should tell you the whole system is 240 gallons: 150 ds tank, 75 gal refugium/50 gal of water, 40 gallon sump.

I bought a new alk powder - Reef Crest - just a 1 gallon mix to try it out.

I use Seachem's Reef Calcium and still dosing manually but will be adding it to the Bubble Magus. I am not sure I want to add the Mg to the BMag since I don't usually need to dose Mg very often.

Intend to check my salinity a lot more often!

AquaAddict