General water chemistry problem...

[Patzig]

Well I have several problems. Since about a month ago, I've noticed my corals have been less and less "happy". Also, different kinds of algae have been springing up. I have the API standard ph, nitrite, nitrate and amm test... I test about once a month and ph is almost always around 8.2 and all others very close to zero. So today I finally went into LFS and bought a red sea phosphate pro test kit and also API calcium test ( I still need to buy a magnesium test kit ). Well I get home and test calcium to find that it is at 270 yikes! I also ran the phosphate test and it rang up at a supposed close to zero. But then I got online to find Biff quoting in a few different spots that phosphates can sometimes not show up on a test due to the algae eating the phosphates as they show up. So I did a thorough removal of all algae in my tank and fuge. Then about 12 hours later i tested phosphate again...now it reads somewhere around .5 ppm (say what?!?!). So I've obviously got some problems I need to take care of.

Questions:

1. Is the API calcium test ok? I heard somewhere they read a bit high

2. Can someone recommend a good magnesium test?

3. Best calcium/magnesium additives?

4. Best phosphate removal method (of course other than backing off on feeding + more water changes)

Thanks so much in advance.

 

[Cathic]

Run a Reactor, they cost about 40-50 bucks, minus the pump, calcium should be somewhere near 460, Purple Up or Purple Tech, are good for raising calcium levels, as well as encouraging growth of coraline algaes. Liquid calcium is also available, I would look into these...

 

[coolhandgoose]

1. API is fine. Salifert is better but more expensive
4. Use Rowaphos in a reactor

What is your alk?

 

[Patzig]

cathic - I've always planned on getting a calcium reactor...maybe it's time. I actually have purple tech, and dosed a few times with no luck of raising calcium, i will probably look into getting the liquid calcium stuff.

cool - Not sure what my alk is, don't have a test for it...maybe I should buy one. and stupid question, i guess you can run rowaphos in a reactor instead of calcium? also what about magnesium? can you run that in a reactor?

 

[coolhandgoose]

Rowaphos just gets rid of phosphate, it doesn't add calcium. How often are you doing water changes? I would go out on a limb and say that you aren't doing very many if your calcium is that low. I would definitely step up the water changes. As for adding calcium you could just add liquid calcium. But like I said if you step up the water changes you should see that level rising along with mag. Alkalinity, or carbonate hardness, to me is an important test and I'd be checking that.

 

[Smitty]

API is a good brand top use...
I use purple up for calcium...
And Chemi-pure elite for nitrate and phosphate removal/control.

 

[Patzig]

ok cool, ya I have definitely slacked on water changes. I will probably do 20% every week for a while as that should help fix all these problems. Thank you everybody for the feedback