Check out my numbers :)

[h2odvl]

So I just got some red sea test kits, tonight was the first test on my tank for a long time.

1620 ppm Mg
525 ppm CA
5.3 Dkh / 1.9 Meg/l

Seem to be high in Ca and Mg but very low in Alk
everything in the tank looks great/fine
Just thought I would share

[tanktop74]

Do you dose anything?

[impur]

I've got some new Salifert kits if you wanna compare results.

[Electrokate]

I would also advise double checking. The red sea kits I had were terrible. That said my calcium is over 500 and alk at 4.5 right now in my reef. No death, but corals are really pale. Using Salifert and LaMotte kits here lately. Apparently I need to work on my dosing strategy.

[h2odvl]

Do you dose anything?

Most of the time no, I did add a cap full (5ml) of purple up two days ago.

I'll check again tonight
I might have to take you up on the miles. saturday?

[impur]

Just got my keg filled at Ninkasi, I'll be around :D

[h2odvl]

Well I dosed 75ml of brs alk last night.
Test again tonight still 5.3 dkh so I'll not dose and test again tomorrow

[impur]

75ml? That seems like a lot to dose all at once. I assume you dissolved the sodium bicarbonate in 75ml of water? How much of the sodium bicarbonate did you use?

[tanktop74]

75ml? That seems like a lot to dose all at once. I assume you dissolved the sodium bicarbonate in 75ml of water? How much of the sodium bicarbonate did you use?

I assumed he was using 75ml of the already mixed up alk..... as in you mix up a gallon at a time and then dose accordingly.... 75ml that way doesn't sound like much, as I dose near 300ml daily to keep my alk stable in our 150.

[tanktop74]

75ml? That seems like a lot to dose all at once. I assume you dissolved the sodium bicarbonate in 75ml of water? How much of the sodium bicarbonate did you use?

I assumed he was using 75ml of the already mixed up alk..... as in you mix up a gallon at a time and then dose accordingly.... 75ml that way doesn't sound like much, as I dose near 300ml daily to keep my alk stable in our 150.

[impur]

Still seems crazy, i dose 4ml per day! And we have roughly the same water volume.

[Algae]

Bicarbonate as opposed to soda ash takes over twice as much in BRS formula. I think the difference is in that Jacob is trying to raise Alk while you are maintaining Alk. There is something fishy going on however.

[souperman]

I have the new Red Sea test kits and don't know if I trust them yet. The mag one has been reading impossibly high for me. Did you watch the videos that Red Sea put out?

[ocboat]

There is a thread over on RC about the Red Sea Mag test kit. It seems like everyone is testing close to 1600. I would tend to think that there is something wrong with the test kit.

[impur]

How are your params now Jacob?

I went and tested after you posted this up and good thing I did! All my levels are getting a little high, 9.3dKH/500ppm calcium/1500ppm mag.....i even got some nitrates though my test kit says it expired in 2008 DOH!

[Hewey McLovit]

How are your params now Jacob?

I went and tested after you posted this up and good thing I did! All my levels are getting a little high, 9.3dKH/500ppm calcium/1500ppm mag.....i even got some nitrates though my test kit says it expired in 2008 DOH!

Miles do you know what you pH is with a KH at 9.3dKH? Just curious.

[impur]

It was 8.4 at 10am yesterday. My lights don't come on until about 2 and I didn't test it after they came on.