Acceptable Readings

[clippo]

Got a couple of patches of skeleton showing on a couple of my lps - seems like a very slow recession - no jelly etc. Someone mentioned low magnesium may be the cause, so got a mag test kit on the weekend. Results of test were:

KH = 2.8meq/l
Calcium = 380ppm
Mag = 1400ppm

(kits are salifert profitests - first 2 test kits are approx 12 months old - mag is new)

so mag result was quite unexpected - my question is, do these readings appear to be balanced?

I do not dose kalk yet, but am on the verge of starting this.

[craighuckins]

You might want to consider using caribsea aragamight powder to make up top off water instead of kalk- it can be mixed as a large batch as it is stable unlike kalk, and it adds calcium, magnesium, strontium and carbonates as alkalinity buffer in balanced amounts, in the proportions that hard corals use. Also it can never overdose in seawater. It lasts for ages as you just reuse the powder gunk (put teaspoon full into large container of RO, shake, leave for an hour then remove clear liquid off top, then simply re-use the powder. It leaves no residue so what you see is what you get! expect to pay 12 quid for a 16oz container.

[bob_d]

Hi,

I run my Calcium at over 400, ( I try to keep it between 420 and 450), so the 380 may be a bit low.

A bit of advice I got having had a problem with a test kit, (which I now follow diligently), is to have two test kits running simultaneously for each parameter.

By using two vendors kits, you can use one to verify the other, by alternating them you don't even spend more, just differently.

If I get a result that I don't like, I immediately test with the other kit, to verify that it is the parameter that is wrong, not the kit failing.

Just a thought

regards

Bob

[GaryM]

Your params look ok.Calcium should be around 415 to be in balance with your alk but i do not see this as the cause of the problem with your corals.

[Shinken]

Yeah natural sea levels for calcium i believe are 380!