My alkalinity is slowly dropping while calcium is rising with magnesium steady. I use a doser for two part along with Kalk in ATO. Should I go from dosing both calcium and alkalinity twice a day to 3 times a day and hope they balance?
Alk problem
- Thread starter Jtimbs
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Ron Reefman
Lets Go Snorkeling!
Reef Squad
Excellence Award
Reef Tank 365
Article Contributor
Tampa Bay Reef Keepers
MAC of SW Florida
How about diluting the Ca that you dose so it doesn't go up?
I don't think dosing more of both will help. In fact, I'm quite confident that it will just make matters worse.
BTW, why dose Ca and alk and also use kalk?
I don't think dosing more of both will help. In fact, I'm quite confident that it will just make matters worse.
BTW, why dose Ca and alk and also use kalk?
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
Staff member
Super Moderator
Excellence Award
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
R2R Research
My Tank Thread
Very long term, kalkwasser will continuously boost calcium if you use it to keep alkalinity steady. Best to use a lower calcium mix (like normal IO) if you use kalkwasser. Water changes keeps it in check.
Beyond that, we'd need to know some actual numbers to advise properly.
Beyond that, we'd need to know some actual numbers to advise properly.
I'm phasing out kalk, I'm using red sea program now and have ordered coral pro salt instead of reef crystals. My numbers have been 11 dkh 440 cal. I switched 2 part dosage from once a day with kalkwasser, to twice a day phasing Kalk out and calcium went up and alk went down. It confused me to be honest.
alk; 10, was 11
Cal; 460, was steady at 440
Mag;1300, plan on raising it for red sea sps growth recipe
Nitrates 5
Phosphate .1
Should I just focus on recouping used alk and stabilized, and ignore rising calcium and let the two balance over time? Always heard in research to always dose equally. the Red sea sps recipe has 465 calcium and 12 dkh. I plan on taking a shot at getting parameters to stabilize there, so I figure by raising 2-part dosing slowly would be the way to get parameters near what they are with coral pro salt. Also, I do water changes 10-20 percent weekly.
Cal; 460, was steady at 440
Mag;1300, plan on raising it for red sea sps growth recipe
Nitrates 5
Phosphate .1
Should I just focus on recouping used alk and stabilized, and ignore rising calcium and let the two balance over time? Always heard in research to always dose equally. the Red sea sps recipe has 465 calcium and 12 dkh. I plan on taking a shot at getting parameters to stabilize there, so I figure by raising 2-part dosing slowly would be the way to get parameters near what they are with coral pro salt. Also, I do water changes 10-20 percent weekly.
Well I was going to raise alk but now after being reminded that with low nutrients you need low alk and visa versa. I have a mixed sps dominant tank so I figure higher nutrient and alkalinity would be better for my lps but my tank runs pretty clean naturally. I feed heavy and export heavy, does this help withc having low nutrients and high alk causing tip burn ? I'm a bit torn on what to do. Should I let my alk drop more until it settles or as before get the alk back up and stable
Last edited:
Well I was going to raise alk but now after being reminded that with low nutrients you need low alk and visa versa. I have a mixed sps dominant tank so I figure higher nutrient and alkalinity would be better for my lps but my tank runs pretty clean naturally. I feed heavy and export heavy, does this help withc having low nutrients and high alk causing tip burn ? I'm a bit torn on what to do. Should I let my alk drop more until it settles or as before get the alk back up and stable
GabeM
King of... something.
You really shouldnt be dosing while using red sea coral pro as it has high alk and calcium, I believe it is designed so high to supplement during water changes.
What was wrong with your tank to make you want to switch to high alk?
What was wrong with your tank to make you want to switch to high alk?
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
Staff member
Super Moderator
Excellence Award
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
R2R Research
My Tank Thread
Red Sea Coral Pro is a salt mix designed to maintain high alkalinity in a hard coral reef tanks. It is not designed to avoid dosing of alkalinity.
Red Sea Recommends an alkalinity of 11-12.5 dKH for such a tank, necessitating a high alk salt mix.
Coral Pro Salt | Premium grade, high Alkalinity - Red Sea
Coral Pro reef salt enhances coral growth up to 4 times their natural rate. Its alkalinity of 12 dKH makes it ideal for mixed reefs.
Recommended usage of Red Sea Coral Pro Salt:
| Aquarium Type | Salinity | Alkalinity (dKH) | Ca (mg/l) | |||
| Mixed Reef | 34 ppt | 11-12 | 435 – 465 | |||
| SPS Frag | 35 ppt | 11.5-12.5 | 450 – 480 |
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
Staff member
Super Moderator
Excellence Award
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
R2R Research
My Tank Thread
Tip burn is likely causes by coral skeletons growing faster than organic tissue can keep up in low nutrient/high alk water.
Your nitrate and phosphate values do not indicate low nutrients, and thus you could keep alk anywhere in the 7-11 dKH range that I typically recommend (IMO).
GabeM
King of... something.
You are right of course it seems high to me - this is just something I heard on youtube a few years back. Thank you for doing the research.Red Sea Coral Pro is a salt mix designed to maintain high alkalinity in a hard coral reef tanks. It is not designed to avoid dosing of alkalinity.
Red Sea Recommends an alkalinity of 11-12.5 dKH for such a tank, necessitating a high alk salt mix.
Coral Pro Salt | Premium grade, high Alkalinity - Red Sea
Coral Pro reef salt enhances coral growth up to 4 times their natural rate. Its alkalinity of 12 dKH makes it ideal for mixed reefs.www.redseafish.com
Recommended usage of Red Sea Coral Pro Salt:
Aquarium Type Salinity Alkalinity (dKH) Ca (mg/l) Mixed Reef 34 ppt 11-12 435 – 465 SPS Frag 35 ppt 11.5-12.5 450 – 480
