Dosing Kalk, high calc/alk

Mussin · Feb 22, 2016

I just started dosing Kalk a week or so ago. My numbers were calc-400 alk-7 before dosing. I add Kalk to my top off (5gal container) I did 1tsp per gallon (5tsp). After a week my numbers were high.. Calc-500/alk-12.. Obviously I'm adding too much Kalk. Should I just add water for a week and start over and cut my dosing in half? Thanks

This is a lps dominated tank with lots of brain corals and a clam.

Jeremy

Randy Holmes-Farley · Feb 22, 2016

The calcium rise was not entirely from the limewater (kalkwasser) since alkalinity did not rise enough to explain it. It may be mostly testing error and likely only rose by about 35 ppm.

That said, the alkalinity is a clear indicator you are using too much. I'd drop back to 1/4 of what you are dosing now and see what happens to alkalinity in a few days.