Low dkh and Ak consistantly

MattinIdaho · Aug 19, 2012

I'm frustrated with trying to raise my levels to what are my target numbers. My sg is consistently 1.026. My Mg is varies between 1400-1450 but my dkh always struggles to stay at 7.0 and my Ca rarely gets above 360. I have a 180 mixed reef and all corals grow and have good color and polyp extension. I'm using Instant Ocean Salt (which I know mixes low) and I dose with BRS 2 part (recipe 1). For the last month and a half I have raised the levels of 2 part. For the last three weeks I have been adding 500ml Ak and 1000 ml Ca to my topoff every Sunday and daily I dose 350ml of each directly into my sump (return). It has not raised the numbers at all. I test with Salifert Test Kits and have checked mine against a friends kits. I would be happy with 8.0 dkh and 400 Ca. I feel like I am right on the edge of things going bad at 7.0 and 360.
Any ideaarrrrrssss?

oh:

MBG75 · Aug 19, 2012

Are you Saying you dose cal and alk to you fresh top off water?

MattinIdaho · Aug 20, 2012

Yes . I dose large amounts in my Sunday top off water where it will dose over three days with my topoff. Then nightly lol add 350 ml each everyday directly Tommy return.

Downbeach · Aug 20, 2012

I think I would start using Reef Crystals when you do WC's. Get your Ca and Alk where they should be, and start using Mrs. Wages or something similar in your top off water. The kalk won't elevate your Ca and Alk, but will help to maintain them, and use the two part to get/keep your levels up. Keep an eye on your pH.

Dog Boy Dave · Aug 20, 2012

You arent adding enough to raise it m8. You might try something stronger (more concentrated) than two part. (assuming its pre mixed) Ca Chloride and sodium bicarb for calc and alk if you are trying to walk it in. Kents turbo calc will work and Arm and hammer for you alk. After you dial it in just maintain with your two part.

-Logzor · Aug 20, 2012

MattinIdaho said:
I'm frustrated with trying to raise my levels to what are my target numbers. My sg is consistently 1.026. My Mg is varies between 1400-1450 but my dkh always struggles to stay at 7.0 and my Ca rarely gets above 360. I have a 180 mixed reef and all corals grow and have good color and polyp extension. I'm using Instant Ocean Salt (which I know mixes low) and I dose with BRS 2 part (recipe 1). For the last month and a half I have raised the levels of 2 part. For the last three weeks I have been adding 500ml Ak and 1000 ml Ca to my topoff every Sunday and daily I dose 350ml of each directly into my sump (return). It has not raised the numbers at all. I test with Salifert Test Kits and have checked mine against a friends kits. I would be happy with 8.0 dkh and 400 Ca. I feel like I am right on the edge of things going bad at 7.0 and 360.
Any ideaarrrrrssss? oh:

You can't mix them together or they cancel each other out, don't add them to your top-off water. You need to add them, separately, into high flow areas in your aquarium.

The BRS stuff is fine for this purpose...

CRW Reefer · Aug 20, 2012

-Logzor said:
You can't mix them together or they cancel each other out, don't add them to your top-off water. You need to add them, separately, into high flow areas in your aquarium.

The BRS stuff is fine for this purpose...

+1 if you add them both at same time they will bond together and become useless. I would wait at min wait a few hours between dosings. Hth

MBG75 · Aug 20, 2012

Why would you add them to top off water?
Top off with kalkwasser would be a better choice.

To get stable numbers you should be dosing directly to the tank daily not weekly. Otherwise u cause large swings.

If you dose daily u can retest after 2 hours.

swannyson7 · Aug 20, 2012

Agree with what what said above... they should be dosed a minimum of a few hours apart or else they will just precipitate out and won't raise your Ca & Alk levels.

Chameleon · Aug 20, 2012

yep in top off water they are virtually worthless. Without the magnesium in top off water to protect the ions they precipitate out. Try dosing everything directly to tank and break it up to do it every day. Some recommend waiting an hour between but just a few minutes is all you need IME

beaslbob · Aug 20, 2012

I would use the diy two part.

Basically you mix up gallon containers for calcium, another for alk, and a third for magnesium.

then when alk goes down you dose equal calcium and alk. After using up a gallon of the cal and alk you dose the mag.

There is a sticky here on where to get the chemicals but they are very inexpensive. calcium chloried is like $25 for a 50 pound bag, alk is just baking dose. magnesium is magnesium clhoride and epshom salts. Magnesium chloride is like $30 or so for a 50 pound bag.

But that's just what I do and it's worth at most .02

MattinIdaho · Aug 20, 2012

In my daily dosing of 350 ml per day of each I wait a minimum of 10 minutes. I always dose the Ak first and the Ca second. The only reason I was adding a large amount to my top off was to try to boost the levels without a big ph swing.

MattinIdaho · Aug 20, 2012

Obviously they are cancelling each other out because my levels never budge.

MBG75 · Aug 20, 2012

For daily dosing, I'd look into a dosing pump. Make life much easier. It spreads it out over the day for much more stability.

Using kalkwasser in your top off will allow you to somewhat reduce your daily dosing. It also adds to stability and growth.

But first what is your topoff setup consist of?

MattinIdaho · Aug 20, 2012

Right now it is just 2 5 gallon jugs gravity fed into the return area of my sump with a float. Very basic.

MBG75 · Aug 20, 2012

Kalk could be an issue with that if they feed from the bottom. Might pick up powder or clog the float.

At this point stop wasting 2 part in your topoff and continue to dose tank daily

MattinIdaho · Aug 21, 2012

For the rest of this week I am going to stick with the daily 350ml dose of both Ak and Ca (which seems like a crapload

) but will add them both directly to the dt and I am going to dose the Ak first and then give it a good 4 hours before I dose the Ca and then test again on Sunday and see if there is any difference. Thanks for all reply's.