Help raising calcium and alk

[Popeye]

Cal 370
Kh 143
I'm using Kent liquid calcium
And was also told to use baking soda. I i I used cal 2 days ago and baking soda yesterday, now today my numbers have not changed. Maybe it takes more than a day, I don't know. I do have some kalkwasser but am told it only helps keep those numbers stable so I'm not using it yet. Any help with this matter would be great. Thanks

 

[Flippers4pups]

Lots of questions here.

Size of tank? And how long has it been running?
What salt brand are you using? And how often do you do water changes?
What's you SG?
What's your PH?
Do you have a ATO?

In order to maintain proper alkalinity and calcium levels consistently, you must have a proper level of magnesium. With that said, what's you magnesium at?

 

[acer]

Also when you said " i used cal" - did you use a calculator to determine how much to use and how did you add it to you system?

 

[twilliard]

Cal 370
Kh 143
I'm using Kent liquid calcium
And was also told to use baking soda. I i I used cal 2 days ago and baking soda yesterday, now today my numbers have not changed. Maybe it takes more than a day, I don't know. I do have some kalkwasser but am told it only helps keep those numbers stable so I'm not using it yet. Any help with this matter would be great. Thanks

Typically when the numbers don't change and you are trying to increase a number then you are not adding enough as the results should be evident within hours.

 

[JaimeAdams]

check out this calculator http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

 

[Popeye]

Lots of questions here.

Size of tank? And how long has it been running?
What salt brand are you using? And how often do you do water changes?
What's you SG?
What's your PH?
Do you have a ATO?

In order to maintain proper alkalinity and calcium levels consistently, you must have a proper level of magnesium. With that said, what's you magnesium at?

55 gal dt
20 gal sump
2 yrs old
I use reef crystal salt mix, and change 10 gal every week. Don't have anything to check magnesium

 

[Popeye]

Also when you said " i used cal" - did you use a calculator to determine how much to use and how did you add it to you system?

No, was referring to when I added liquid calcium. 1 1/2 tsp. Same with baking soda.

 

[Popeye]

Sounds like I might need to also start checking mag.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Yes if you have hard coral. What do you have in coral in the tank?

 

[Popeye]

Lots of coral. Sorry not good with names mostly soft corals but do have a hard coral or two. I'll try to take a picture.

 

[Popeye]

 

[Flippers4pups]

Nice. Do you have a ATO?

 

[Popeye]

No

 

[Popeye]

check out this calculator http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

It says to add 29 tsp of liquid calcium and 6 tsp of baking soda slow dripped. Does 29 tsp sound like alot?

 

[Flippers4pups]

Sorry, been last minute Christmas shopping with the wife. No, if the calculator says so. Alkalinity/dkh, raise it no more than 1dkh per day is safe.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Many of us use that calculator.

 

[Popeye]

I'm going by what it says then

 

[Dtfnemo]

My tank is the same size as yours, and I had the same problem with my kh and cal, Also about the same amount of corals.
I do 10g water changes weekly. I added a cap and a half of purple up for cal and a cap of MECORAL Kh daily for a week and now everything is in check.
I'm dosing half a cap of each every other day to maintain consistent levels.

 

[JaimeAdams]

Just raise the dkh very slowly as Flipper says.

Your dkh is 143? So around like 8? Your Calcium is low, but 8 isn't bad. What levels are you shooting for? I know an older gentleman who has been in the game for many years that runs his at like 14. But that is certainly higher than what most of us would suggest or run.

 

[Popeye]

10 or 11 is pretty normal, right.