Need help with CA/ALK

[DAP]

Tank parameters:

 

PH: 8.17 day/ 7.93 night

Phosphate: .2mg/L (going to add a Phosphate sponge today)

Ammonia: 0

Nitrite: 0

Nitrate: 0

Calcium: 250

Alkalinity: 12.8dKH / 4.57 meq/L

Salt: IO, but I will be slowly switching over to Sea Crystal Marine Mix.

My switch is more about cost. In my area, Maryland, it is about 1/2 the cost of IO.

Tank has been set up for 3 months, all rock and coral is 4 years old from previous tank.

I use RO/DI water. Cartridges only 3 month old.

20 gallon tank with a sump containing 15g water, bag of carbon, MAG 950 for return and a Euro-Reef protein skimmer.

35lbs of FIJI live rock

new 2" sand bed .5-1.2mm size aragonite (I sold my old tank with the live sand, and I forgot to grab a cup for myself before it left )

250watt 10k MH only on for 4 hrs a day (trying not to help the green algae)

130watt Actinic on for 12 hrs a day.

 

Inhabitants:

No fish

22 Astrea snails that are barely keeping up with the green algae.

Mushrooms

GSP

Brown star polyps.

1-1/2" Squamosa clam

some kind of beige encrusting "thing" that has tiny polyps. (Haven't attempted to ID yet)

 

Problems:

 

As soon as I set the tank up, I had BAD green hair algae with in a week. The only differences from my old tank(which was perfect) and this new one is the new one has a better skimmer, no hermits, no fish, and Metal Halide lighting. So I still cannot understand where this algae came from.

I added 12 snails to my existing 10 and they have been keeping some of the algae in check, but some areas it gets out of control and I have to take the rock out and scrub it. I was amazed that they took down some 1" long Green hair algae.

 

I dont feed my tank anything. I feed my clam DT's outside of the tank. I am using ClamsDirect's instructions.

 

I asked for help with my CA/ALK before.

At that time my CA was 380 and my ALK a little higher than it is now.

I was told to stop dosing Alk and only dose Calcium. At the time I was using B-Ionic 2 part. I stopped dosing B-Ionic entirely.

I had some Seachem Liquid Ca, so I have just been dosing with that about every other day.

 

recap of problems:

Green Hair Algae

Low Calcium

High Alkalinity

 

Sorry for the long post.

Thank you, to all who took the time to read it.

[skeletor]

have you checked for Mg ?

 

Low Mg can make it hard to get the Ca up, but you're Ca is way way low at 250.... I would start to dose some of that liquid Ca and get that up to at least 400.....

 

Alk should return to normal on it's own, as long as you're not dosing any alk suppliments or Ph buffers etc. 12.8 isn't really that high, I'd be more worried about the low Ca.

 

enjoy,

[Physh1]

12.8 is fine. I'd also be worried about the low ca level and would look at the magnesium levels. A low mag level can cause the ca issues your displaying.

 

Algae wise if you had the tank lit while cycling that is your problem. High nutrient values and strong lighting will cause lots of algae.

 

Cameron

[DAP]

I have been dosing liquid calcium per the bottles instructions, but for some reason it is not working. I am going to stop with the liquid calcium and start dripping Kalkwasser.

I will get a magnesium test kit, and report back.

[tinyreef]

i tend to agree with the mg thought. if your coralline growth has significantly dropped this can also point to the low mg.

 

but i really think what's really exacerbating the low ca is the clam. they will suck it up. has it show any growth? if so, then that's where all the ca went.

 

i would stop feeding the clam (unless it's a baby). even a drop of the dt's (when you transplant it back into the tank) can considerably add to the nutrient level. i wouldn't cut back on the light anymore tho as that is more critical to the clam. (more light is not necessary tho). i say up the ca dosage slightly to see what happens. both kalk and cacl should be fine imo, just watch out for the kalk's extreme pH and you should be fine.