Having trouble maintaining ALK, CA, PH

[JeremyAN7]

So my tank is old. 12 years.. It's a 72g bow with about 60-75 pounds of LR and the same of aragonite. There are lots of corals.
I use a HOT skimmer as primary filtration. I use Instant ocean salt, and dose with mag when i change water (mag is measured around the 1200 range)

I have gone from liquid a+B to kalkwasser and am able to briefly with HIGH amounts get the numbers near normal, then a day or two later.. boom,

PH=8 ALK = 1.9 and CA = 220

I DO have crazy finger leathers which just get bigger (that probably weigh 20 pounds total) and I DO have some green hair algae growing in places (although I pluck most of it where / when I can ..

A) thoughts about where my chems are all going?
B) thoughts about getting it stable?
c) anyone expert enough in this area wanna drop by (malden area) to share advice?

Also, looking for a new home for 1/2 to 2/3 of the finger leather. Possible trade for something else (show piece size)

 

[reefstarter]

1.9 ? I think everything would be dead if that was the case and 220 on calcium ? somethings not right . How old are your test kits ? and you probably need to dose daily , maybe 2 times a day . personally I use a calcium reactor on both my systems . someone who uses the dosing method is better to chime in here .

 

[frank180reef]

Yes I would remeasure.....

 

[Phinfan]

I wouldn't trust those kits

 

[jamesdong009]

What test kit are you using? Is that alkalinity in dKh or mEq/l? Also what is your salinity and what are you using to measure it?

 

[cilyjr]

I'm gonna guess that 1.9 is meq/l which is about 6 dkh

 

[JeremyAN7]

yes. it's 1.9 meq/l and i have been dosing constantly. i have now replaced my makeup with full strength kalkwasser
but the corals are still growing like crazy!

 

[JeremyAN7]

I have used a couple different tests. both for alk and ca. and my PH is new.

 

[JeremyAN7]

Here is a pic from today.. I mean you can't say it's not growing!!! /Users/jeremyneuringer/Desktop/photo.JPG

 

[jason401]

Are you topping off manually or with an ato?

I would get your levels back to normal with additives for calcium and alk, then maintain those levels with the kalk.

 

[jason401]

Where are you from? If your close I can double check those numbers for you, and test with my kit.

 

[JeremyAN7]

I use ATO and I'm in Malden Oak grove

 

[JeremyAN7]

So I am now trying both A+B and calk. but why would it drop sooooo fast?

 

[frank180reef]

Corals use it fast

 

[JeremyAN7]

The huge finger leathers in particular are "growing" fast. could / are they the culprit?

 

[reefstarter]

yep , also check your Mag levels , if that is off it could affect your readings . Im not 100% sure on how . but as a rule I make sure Mag first then alk , then calcium then ph , in that order

 

[LuisA]

thanks reef starter never really had an order to test. would you dose in the same fashion?

 

[Bobbofin]

+1 on checking mag levels. Low mag will slew cal and alk readings