help!
80 gallon system
1.024-25 salinity
79 temp
8.0 ph
420 calcium
7.0 dkh
1500+ Magnesium
80 no3
.02 phosphates
As you can see my dkh is low and my magnesium is high. No3 is super high
They’ve always been in similar positions, everything is looking good, healthy and “normal” that said I want to start dosing vinegar because my nitrates are out of control. I don’t test a lot but I’ve been fighting GHA and I realized the nitrates were causing it.
As such I’ve started vinegar dosing along with microbactor 7 in order to get them under control.
I’d like to increase the dkh but I’m more concerned about PH as my doses of vinegar increase. Because the last time I did this my ph got dangerously low. Which I tried to fix via running my skimmer hose outside and it did help.
But my no3 got too low and I got dinos which in turn caused me to stop dosing. Killed the Dino’s by increasing phosphates and nitrates and got gha.
So in the end I’m trying to stop the rollercoaster cycle. Too high algae, too low Dino’s etc.
How do people think I should get things more stable?
Vinegar dosing, and kalkwasser? It should increase dkh as well correct?
Also I’m using gfo to lower phosphates.
I know I can use vodka to avoid ph spikes but I’m a recovering alcoholic so it’s not an option. It cannot be in my house. Sugar doesn’t sound like the best option from what I’ve read.
Also I do a 30g water change every 2-3 weeks which has done a lot to stabilize but as you can see I still have issues.