my water PPM advice please

[imdaring]

Ok here are the new water PPM :sfish:

CAL. 580 a little high
PH 7.8 :frustrat: I use DKH pro buffer and I also added PH up and there was still no chage I'm going to test it again in the morning
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
nitrate 20 :frustrat: can not get it down past 20 I'm going to try somthing new from fosters
PO4 1.0
KH 17 drops aso about 299 :frustrat: can't get that to come down
any advice

 

[yote]

Your testing your PH at the wrong time.You should test it right before the lights on the tank go off for the night as thats when your PH is going to be the highest.
The reason your alkalinity is so high,is because your adding buffer to bring the PH up.

 

[SSalty]

What kind of water are you using?
Are you using a skimmer?
How often do you do water changes?
Which brand of salt are you using?
Which test kit are you using?
What do you have for corals?

 

[imdaring]

Water -RO
Skimmer -Yes
water change -EOW
salt brand- instant ocean
test kit API brand
coral, bubble coral, toad stool, zoo's anemones hammer, frog spawn, brain coral and some others

 

[ccCapt]

What are you using to dose calcium? 580ppm with IO is impossible without heavy supplementation. IO straight out of the bucket measures about 320 ppm calcium.
I would question your test kits or testing methods. Those #'s don't make alot of sense.

 

[imdaring]

I'm not dosing my cal at all. I'm using the drip test is there another kind of test to use

 

[ccCapt]

If your not dosing calcium, either your test kit is no good or you are doing the test incorrectly.
I'm not familiar with API test kits. I use Salifert.

 

[yote]

Are you using any other additives that may contain calcium?
Those API kits are kinda hard to mess up on,but they are also bad about giving bad readings.
Try having your LFS test your levels and see where they read.

 

[Piggy]

I would get a better calcium test kit.