Calcium and Alkalinity

[blkhawk10]

I was wondering if adding different amounts of each would adversely affect a reef tank? For example adding 10 ml of alkalinity and 15 of calcium. The reason being keeping a low nutrient sytem alkalinity at about 8 with calcium at around 460.

 

[Wesley42079]

Adding 10ml of Alk and 15ml of Cal is all reliant on the total water volume of your reef tank.

If you have a 1 gal tank, then yes, 10ml of Alk is alot to dose.

I have a 40 breeder and dose 10ml every few days.

 

[fort384]

Saying dosing 10 mL of XX may be a lot, or a little. It depends on the concentration of solution.

But, no, it does not hurt to dose *appropriate* doses of each solution in different concentrations. With my 2 part dosing system, I dose roughly twice as much Alk solution per day as Ca solution. It is dependent upon what it takes to balance your system. For me, Ca stays at 430 consistently with the dose I use, and alk stays at 9.8-10dKH. Consistency is the key.

 

[GeoHawk]

I dose more Calcium then Alk and have never had problems.

 

[AZDesertRat]

You dose based on demand, not just to dose or in exact amounts. You need to calculate the demand for each additive, including magnesium not just calcium and alkalinity, and soe based on those demands and tgheir depletion rates. Its very common to have one higher in dmand than another so adding indiscriminatly will lead to trouble. Never ever add ANYTHING you do not test for and know absolutely for certain it is really necessary and it is in fact depleted. It is extremely easy to get a system out of whack and harder than the dickens to get it back in balance!
If you have bottles of supplements that don't list every single ingredient on the label and you don't have reliable test kits for every one of those ingredients then don't put it in your tank, throw it as far as you can. Buy good test kits like Salifert or Elos and use them to determine your demand and dosing schedule.