Salinity and Water Chemistry

[tmcreynolds]

I have a new aquarium set up that is about three months old. I moved some coral another tank into this one a few weeks ago.
I did a test on 6/6 and the results were:

Calcium 350
Mag 1080
Po4 .03
No3 9.7
Alk 5.4

I thought it was strange everything was so low so I double checked the calibration on my refractometer and it was way off. I thought I was at 1.025 but I was actually at 1.022. Today my salinity made it back up to 1.025 so I did another round of testing and these were the results:

Calcium 370
Mag 1170
Po4 .01
No3 6.6
Alk 5.9

Why is everything still so low? I use TM pro and generally everything in the tank is much more puffy, except my Torch it went from having super long tentacles to now being much shorter and darker. The coral load on the tank is very small so I can't believe they would be having a huge impact on the elements. I have attached before and after pictures.

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Alk should be 7-9
Cal 400+
Mag 1400

Water change to help bring numbers up and or
Need to dose to get thing where they should be

 

[tmcreynolds]

Alk should be 7-9
Cal 400+
Mag 1400

Water change to help bring numbers up and or
Need to dose to get thing where they should be

I do a 10 percent weekly change. I mainly don't understand why my numbers are almost the same as when my salinity was so low. And I only have 6 corals. So I feel like i shouldn't be to a point where I need dosing?

 

[Reefing_addiction]

So then the salt your using mixes that low

And you may only have to dose to get the numbers where you want them and then you should be ok

IF your salt mixes at the appropriate numbers

Or your testers are not right

How do you test?

 

[Pistondog]

Ist step is to verify refractometer reading.
Make your own calibration standard using rodi and table salt.

https://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-06/rhf/

And what @Reefing_addiction said, what are your test kits.
You are correct, you should not have to dose yet.

 

[slingfox]

Test your salt water mix to see what those parameters are. What test kits are you using?

 

[Reefing_addiction]

Ist step is to verify refractometer reading.
Make your own calibration standard using rodi and table salt.

https://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-06/rhf/

And what @Reefing_addiction said, what are your test kits.
You are correct, you should not have to dose yet.

Unless the salt they use mixes low ….

Possible separation in the salt mix itself?

 

[tmcreynolds]

Ist step is to verify refractometer reading.
Make your own calibration standard using rodi and table salt.

https://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-06/rhf/

And what @Reefing_addiction said, what are your test kits.
You are correct, you should not have to dose yet.

Hanna for PO4, NO3 and ALK Salifert for Calcium and Mag