Mg, Ca, Kh... need to correct values and more questions

[glarior]

Trying to wrap my head around fixing parameters and battling dinoflagellates.

Read various measures to kill the dinoflagellates. I have my own ideas taken from what I read. Black out tank, less food.. etc etc. I think the values are the root cause for it thriving. I believe it was introduced into the tank from fish or coral bought at a LFS since its happening to my tank and friends.

Friends setup - 110g, LED lights, reef, various fish, 100lbs LR/sand, small skimmer, no fuge.

Values taken
Temp 76
Nh3, NO2-, NO3-, P04 are all zero
pH 8.3
Ca 300
Mg 1000
Kh 110

Ca, Mg and Kh are all low. I want to raise Ca to `450, Mg ~1300 and Kh ~170.

I am trying to understand how to do that naturally. I prefer natural vs always having to dose the aquarium. I think chemicals are only a short term fix and does not address the root cause.

The next option I have been researching is adding socks with media. I just started investigating that so I am still unfamiliar with them. I think that would suffice considering I can buy in bulk, change out 1-3 months and will help maintain stability.


Any help, ideas, suggestions, methods, experience, stories.... anything will help.

Thanks!

[FireWater]

Not sure of too many ways to up the levels with out dosing. Maybe try a different or upgraded salt?
As for socks with media that should work with no problem. Only thing I have found is it can be somewhat inefficient due to flow around the media - whether too much or too little.

[Texreefer]

Just want to get clarification, are you asking 2 different questions? one about element levels and one about Dinoflagellates?? because one is not the cause of the other... The dinos are more a symptom of a young system, high nutrient, low light, low water movement, or combination of any of these.. the other is, like john said.. either a salt issue.. or your system is using it up faster than it is being replaced by water changes.. other than that.. dosing is about the only thing thats going to fix that

[alton]

The safest way would be to do 10 gallon water changes once a week with a good reef salt (Red sea pro, Reef Crystals) The problem I see with dosing is you are probably missing a bunch of trace minerals also along with the items you showed us. Remember everything did not get that low over night, so the last thing you want to do is shock your tank by bringing everything back up too fast. Once you get your levels up close to normal then you can start dosing to keep it that way.

[glarior]

Maybe try a different or upgraded salt?

Similar problem at different locations. Each setup uses a different brand salt.

2 different questions? The dinos are more a symptom of a young system, high nutrient, low light, low water movement, or combination of any of these..

Not 2 questions but relating dino to incorrect parameters. The system in question is 11 months old and another setup with similar problems is 1.5 years old. Setups have cre LED's which put the old MH to shame and there is lots of water movement. I actually had to reduce the pump flows inside the tank because the corals did not like that much current.

The safest way would be to do 10 gallon water changes once a week with a good reef salt (Red sea pro, Reef Crystals) The problem I see with dosing is you are probably missing a bunch of trace minerals also along with the items you showed us. Remember everything did not get that low over night, so the last thing you want to do is shock your tank by bringing everything back up too fast. Once you get your levels up close to normal then you can start dosing to keep it that way.

The 3 salts I use in the setups are coralife, redsea and another one I can't think of the brand. It is a type you can mix all the ingredients together. The reviews on it were great and I noticed a major difference in coral growth using the liquid one.

After all my reading and talking with other forums/friend at the LFS. Calcium reactor is what I will need. The dino is related to the parameters being off. The fact that it has happened in two aquariums 30 miles apart using similar setups excluding salts, water and aqarium size there has to be another cause. The reef setup is a eco system within itself. If everything is balanced it should do exactly what it does. Cyano and other nuisance problems are related to something being out of whack.

Really good example is cyano. My aquarium became infected as well as a friends. I read and read about it, talked to people and they all the same answers. They told my friend and I to add chemicals, reduce lighting and change flow. I told my friend there has to be another reason. I kept researching while he was chemically dosing his aquarium all the time. I found out the MH were the cause. I replaced my entire MH setup and that eradicated the cyano. My friend still used his MH light and bought phoenix 14k bulbs and kept dosing. Same problem for months. He switched to LED, cyano died and he has yet to have any come back.

When I say natural that is what I mean. There is something causing the system to be doing what its doing. With my Kh, Ca and Mg at various levels and not correct those are the reasons I am having the problem. Took a lot of reading to figure that out. The problem with dosing it is only a temporary fix. Some of these tanks I don't see for a week and I need something that does not require my involvement. Thus, leading me calcium reactors.

Thank you everyone for the replies! Hope no one else has to deal with dinos... they are annoying!

[Texreefer]

Sounds like you have it figured out.. good luck

[glarior]

I hope! One thing I enjoy about this hobby is learning more about the science behind it all. I believe in survival of the fittest and balance. Every time I have a problem I end up learning more new things. This time I learned about algae turf filters (old school) and think I will do a setup experiment with that.