Calcium/Alkalinity Imbalance

[Brandon McHenry]

Hi guys.
So I have a 150 gallon SPS tank that I am trying move to natural seawater parameters and I am having issues. I am aiming for 410ppm Calcium 7 dkh Alkalinity. I am currently dosing BRS Calcium Chloride and Soda Ash at a rate of 80 mL for CaCl and 115 mL for Soda Ash. My parameters are as follows:

Calcium- 450ppm (salifert)
Alkalinity- 6.4dkh (salifert)
Magnesium- 1350ppm (Red Sea)
pH- 7.8 (API and Red Sea I don't have a probe)

I am running my skimmer out take outside because I did the aeration test and it helped but it is not doing anything for my tanks pH.

If anybody could please assist me in getting my parameters in check it would be greatly appreciated!

 

[redfishbluefish]

Here's what I'd do:

1. Have a fellow reefer or LFS verify your numbers.
2. If they are correct, use a reef calculator (the one on the BRS site is fine) to figure out how much alk you need to add to get up to 7, and add that amount. Might want to do it in two or three doses so you don't simply rip it up to 7.
3. continue regular dosing to maintain alk and calc. If need be, stop calc dosing until the number comes down a bit.

 

[twilliard]

Your not too far off your target dkh
Stop calcium as noted above.
I call this correction doses

 

[Myka]

Here's what I'd do:

1. Have a fellow reefer or LFS verify your numbers.
2. If they are correct, use a reef calculator (the one on the BRS site is fine) to figure out how much alk you need to add to get up to 7, and add that amount. Might want to do it in two or three doses so you don't simply rip it up to 7.
3. continue regular dosing to maintain alk and calc. If need be, stop calc dosing until the number comes down a bit.

Do that ^ and then ignore your pH until you get a handheld pH meter or monitor. In fact, you can throw those pH test kits out because they will only lead you astray imo. At pH 7.8 you shouldn't be concerned anyway imo.

 

[Brandon McHenry]

Here's what I'd do:

1. Have a fellow reefer or LFS verify your numbers.
2. If they are correct, use a reef calculator (the one on the BRS site is fine) to figure out how much alk you need to add to get up to 7, and add that amount. Might want to do it in two or three doses so you don't simply rip it up to 7.
3. continue regular dosing to maintain alk and calc. If need be, stop calc dosing until the number comes down a bit.

Unfortunately I do not know and other reefers nor do I have a LFS that I trust with my tank parameters. The closest store Id trust is about 35 minutes away.
Is it okay that I am not adding the same amount of each additive? I thought they should be somewhat similar when they are a two part like this.

Your not too far off your target dkh
Stop calcium as noted above.
I call this correction doses

Yes I can definitely try to adjust my levels gradually until I reach my desired parameters. However, is it possible that they might become imbalanced again?

I would like to try to find the culprit for the imbalance so that I can correct the source.

 

[twilliard]

It is just fine to not add the same of each.
In a balanced mature system they do come out close to being the same.

@Randy Holmes-Farley can give good insight on this situation.

 

[Brandon McHenry]

It is just fine to not add the same of each.
In a balanced mature system they do come out close to being the same.

@Randy Holmes-Farley can give good insight on this situation.

Okay. That was a big concern of mine if I kept lowering the calcium and raising the alkalinity to try to get them to balance and then wind up adding twice as much of alkalinity than calcium.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Unfortunately I do not know and other reefers nor do I have a LFS that I trust with my tank parameters. The closest store Id trust is about 35 minutes away.
Is it okay that I am not adding the same amount of each additive? I thought they should be somewhat similar when they are a two part like this.


Yes I can definitely try to adjust my levels gradually until I reach my desired parameters. However, is it possible that they might become imbalanced again?

I would like to try to find the culprit for the imbalance so that I can correct the source.

They normally will be, but water changes with a mix not matching the tank goals will require deviating (as will other effects, but those are smaller).


FWIW, I would not focus on "balance" as I do no think it is a very useful tool or goal.

I'd focus on getting each one to your target level, regardless of what the other one might be.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Okay. That was a big concern of mine if I kept lowering the calcium and raising the alkalinity to try to get them to balance and then wind up adding twice as much of alkalinity than calcium.

Bear in mind that no reefer will ever be able to detect the difference between 420 and 450 ppm calcium in how that impacts a reef tank. It is just not important or desirable to try to constantly correct things to highly control the calcium level.

 

[Brandon McHenry]

They normally will be, but water changes with a mix not matching the tank goals will require deviating (as will other effects, but those are smaller).


FWIW, I would not focus on "balance" as I do no think it is a very useful tool or goal.

I'd focus on getting each one to your target level, regardless of what the other one might be.

So would it be work finding a salt mix that is closer to my goals of NSW parameters?

Also, is my goal of 410 calcium and 7 alkalinity okay even though it happens to be balanced? Im more set on the alkalinity of 7 but I would like to drop my calcium just a bit too.

 

[Brandon McHenry]

Bear in mind that no reefer will ever be able to detect the difference between 420 and 450 ppm calcium in how that impacts a reef tank. It is just not important or desirable to try to constantly correct things to highly control the calcium level.

Ah i see. So anywhere in the range of 410-450 would be a good match to 7 dkh?

 

[Myka]

So would it be work finding a salt mix that is closer to my goals of NSW parameters?

Also, is my goal of 410 calcium and 7 alkalinity okay even though it happens to be balanced? Im more set on the alkalinity of 7 but I would like to drop my calcium just a bit too.

Using a salt mix with NSW levels is a good idea. I use H2Ocean and add muriatic acid to bring the alkalinity down as I don't have access to a better salt mix. Most salt mixes have high alkalinity, and the ones that mimic NSW tend to be pricier salt mixes. H2Ocean is a "natural" seasalt, and I'm not sure why they elevate the alkalinity level. Aquaforest is a brand of salt that's new to North America which has NSW levels in all 3 of their salt mixes, and the prices are very good. I'm going to switch to Aquaforest as soon as there is stock on Amazon.ca.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ah i see. So anywhere in the range of 410-450 would be a good match to 7 dkh?

Yes.

 

[Brandon McHenry]

Using a salt mix with NSW levels is a good idea. I use H2Ocean and add muriatic acid to bring the alkalinity down as I don't have access to a better salt mix. Most salt mixes have high alkalinity, and the ones that mimic NSW tend to be pricier salt mixes. H2Ocean is a "natural" seasalt, and I'm not sure why they elevate the alkalinity level. Aquaforest is a brand of salt that's new to North America which has NSW levels in all 3 of their salt mixes, and the prices are very good. I'm going to switch to Aquaforest as soon as there is stock on Amazon.ca.

Thats funny because I have actually just started using their whole product line (with just a few exceptions, salt being one of them). Maybe on my next trip to the fish store I will pick up a bucket of their salt to try out.

Yes.

Thank you for easing my stress levels. LOL. I appreciate it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You're welcome

Happy Reefing.

 

[Myka]

Thats funny because I have actually just started using their whole product line (with just a few exceptions, salt being one of them). Maybe on my next trip to the fish store I will pick up a bucket of their salt to try out.

I thought you were in on the conversations on RC about AF.

 

[Brandon McHenry]

I thought you were in on the conversations on RC about AF.

I am. Its been a little difficult to find all of the information I need. Theres very little here in the US about it. They are pretty good at getting back to people but sometimes I feel like there is a little bit of a language barrier.

 

[Myka]

I am. Its been a little difficult to find all of the information I need. Theres very little here in the US about it. They are pretty good at getting back to people but sometimes I feel like there is a little bit of a language barrier.

There certainly is a language barrier, but it's usually easy to cipher.