Alk and Calcium

[Mr.Rocc]

Ok so I have been reading a ton of articles on dosing since thats what helped crash my tank. They say you should dose equal parts of 2 part. Thats not the case for me. I have about 35 gallons of water, my corals take up .5 dkh of alk and about 10 ppm calc a day. So i dose 6 ml of alk at 30 ml of calc. My Mag is at 1380. My tank looks beautiful why is this wrong?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ok so I have been reading a ton of articles on dosing since thats what helped crash my tank. They say you should dose equal parts of 2 part. Thats not the case for me. I have about 35 gallons of water, my corals take up .5 dkh of alk and about 10 ppm calc a day. So i dose 6 ml of alk at 30 ml of calc. My Mag is at 1380. My tank looks beautiful why is this wrong?

Water changes can substantially mess with the apparent ratio. So can dosing pump misdelivery. A few other things can as well, but the remainder are minor.

What two part are you using?

As long as you are keeping track and not reacting to test kit variation every day or two, there's no substantial problem with not using 1:1. Some products are not even designed 1:1.

This has more:

When Do Calcium and Alkalinity Demand Not Exactly Balance? by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-12/rhf/index.htm

 

[Mr.Rocc]

Water changes can substantially mess with the apparent ratio. So can dosing pump misdelivery. A few other things can as well, but the remainder are minor.

What two part are you using?

As long as you are keeping track and not reacting to test kit variation every day or two, there's no substantial problem with not using 1:1. Some products are not even designed 1:1.

This has more:

When Do Calcium and Alkalinity Demand Not Exactly Balance? by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-12/rhf/index.htm

I use the brs 2 part.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I use the brs 2 part.

Manual or dosing pump?

 

[Mr.Rocc]

Switched back to manual and check both levels weekly

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What salt mix are you using for water changes?

 

[Martin Kuhn]

Hello Tail2112

My opinion is: there is nothing wrong with what you post

I know of several tanks where I'm absolutely sure that their is neither a Ca/Alk measuring error NOR a dosing error
Where Ca/Alk is consumed not in the "balanced" amount. Most tanks need more Alk (than balanced would say) but some need more Ca (than balanced would say)

If you are sure that your measurements are fine, my recommendation would be that you continue that "Ca / Alk stay balanced" in your tank

If it needs more Ca, than dose a higher amount of Ca to keep it at the recommended level


Of course this is only a valid recommendation in case you are really sure about your Ca /Alk test results.
A check of your test kits and your ability to measure with it against a "ca/Alk reference solution" should give you the needed confirmation

 

[Mr.Rocc]

What salt mix are you using for water changes?

IO Reef Crystals

 

[Mr.Rocc]

Hello Tail2112

My opinion is: there is nothing wrong with what you post

I know of several tanks where I'm absolutely sure that their is neither a Ca/Alk measuring error NOR a dosing error
Where Ca/Alk is consumed not in the "balanced" amount. Most tanks need more Alk (than balanced would say) but some need more Ca (than balanced would say)

If you are sure that your measurements are fine, my recommendation would be that you continue that "Ca / Alk stay balanced" in your tank

If it needs more Ca, than dose a higher amount of Ca to keep it at the recommended level


Of course this is only a valid recommendation in case you are really sure about your Ca /Alk test results.
A check of your test kits and your ability to measure with it against a "ca/Alk reference solution" should give you the needed confirmation

See I have been dosing this way since my first tank I ever had. Then again I always had IO Reef crystals as my salt.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

FWIW, Reef Crystals has excessive alkalinity relative to calcium, so a tank using it for water changes that targets NSW levels will need less alk than proportional calcium demand would suggest.

 

[Mr.Rocc]

FWIW, Reef Crystals has excessive alkalinity relative to calcium, so a tank using it for water changes that targets NSW levels will need less alk than proportional calcium demand would suggest.

That's what I thought. You told me a while ago don't chase numbers. I have been following that rule forever!