i'm at a total loss! chemistry near perfect.

id get another test kit, either from a buddy or the LFS and test again.......

 

Welcome

 

Just some thoughts....

I would do this in steps... Priority wise, I first always make sure my salinity is on target... 1.025 +/- 0.01. Second priority is Alk/Mg... since Alk/Mg too low or too high means the water can't absorb the Ca you are trying to add. So, you had a pretty drastic swing in Alk from 14 to 8.5. That seems odd to me.

I'd buffer your Alk back to 10, then I'd raise your Mg and Ca to something like 300, then buffer some more to 11 (which is where I keep my tank) then get your Mg to 1400 and Ca back to 400.

Just a thought to gradually do this as a set. Trying to do Ca with Alk/Mg, etc. will be hard since they are all inter-related. I target Alk 11, Mg 1450, Ca 440.

M

 

I agree with this.


You need to get your Mag up first, as Mag is essential to holding Calcium and Carbonates (alkalinity) in solution. If your Mag is too low, you will never get the Calcium and Carbonates to their proper levels. I wouldn't have anything less than 1350 ppm Mag, but I keep mine between 1400 and 1450. That way there is virtually no chance of Calcium or Carbonates precipitating out of solution.

 

use red sea salt and do 20% water change!!

 

this is very good advice and should be followed... also, if you havent read this yet, it will answer any question you might have about chemistry:
Reef Aquarium Water Parameters by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

 

Theres your answer (nice call Reeron) Mag is the most important of the three to hold balance of the two others, it does not get consumed near as fast and in many cases can be replenished into the system via water changes,

 

There is a syndrome called "stubborn tank", some tanks are more difficult at maintaining Cal. Now that you have the Mag close to sea water (1280 ppm) the cal should come up. You can, as some suggest go higher for mag but unless this is done for a particular purpose it really isn't necessary. Cal test may be bad even if it is new, I would double check the results with LFS. You may be blindly walking into more trouble if the test is off and you start raising cal and you are really going toward 600-700 ppm!

 

I would be curious to know what salt you are using and what the calcium is on your just made saltwater?

 

Near the end of his original post, he stated he uses Reef Crystals. Very easy to miss though.

Freshly made Reef Crystals is between 400 and 440 ppm Calcium. At least that's what I've always tested it at and I use Reef Crystals.