My parameters

kwandrsn · Apr 1, 2013

Ok I had another thread about my nitrates and I asked about it on there but got no answer just a debate about nitrate levels with different test kits

My kh had been staying 9 and my calcium 380. Ive went through a whole bottle of reef code a it never raised my calcium over 380 and I was dosing it daily.

I asked my lfs and they sold me seachem marine buffer cause my Ph runs 8.0 but I'm guessing the hour drive there lowered it to 7.8
I've dosed 3 days in a row so far no change still 8.0

Also sold me seachem advanced calcium powder and I dosed yesterday with a beginner dose as per the instructions and my kh jumped up to 12 and calcium 420

Will that quick of a change hurt anything.

I have fish, shrimp, snails and all kinds of coral

I do weekly water changes and test in the middle of the week

Should I keep dosing marine buffer daily till I get it to 8.3
And should I not dose advanced calcium anymore till it needs it. For instance I did my pwc Saturday so check everything Wednesday and dose calcium if needed then do my water change next Saturday and so on?

I've never had to dose anything so I'm a little afraid of screwing something up.

Here are where my parameters were staying before the kh and calcium jump

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10-20
Ph 8.0
Temp 78
Specific gravity 1.025
Calcium 380
Kh 9
Phosphates 0-0.25

and I had lfs check magnesium Saturday and they said it is 1250 ?

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skinz78 · Apr 1, 2013

How many gallons is your tank and how much did you dose?

kwandrsn · Apr 1, 2013

36 gallon
I was dosing code a 2 capfuls a day

Now I am dosing marine buffer 1-1/2 tsp a day
And I dosed 1 tsp yesterday of advanced calcium

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Reefing Madness · Apr 1, 2013

Does that stuff raise Calcium or just raise dissolved Calcium?

kwandrsn · Apr 1, 2013

Here is what the website says

Reef Advantage Calciumâ„¢ is a non-caustic (pH 8.3â€“8.6) optimized blend of ionic calcium designed to restore and maintain calcium to levels found in natural seawater. Calcium and carbonates are essential to all coral growth. If either becomes deficient, coral growth will cease, followed by a rapid decline in coral health.
Reef Advantage Calciumâ„¢ also includes magnesium and strontium in amounts proportionate to typical utilization ratios (100:5:0.1, Ca:Mg:Sr). This allows one to maintain these two important elements while maintaining calcium. Unlike limewater (kalkwasser), Reef Advantage Calciumâ„¢ does not have a caustic pH and will not deplete magnesium. Used as directed, it will not deplete alkalinity.
Sizes: 50 g, 250 g, 500 g, 1 kg, 4 kg, 20 kg

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kwandrsn · Apr 1, 2013

Here is the link that shows directions and info

http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/ReefAdvCalcium.html

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Reefing Madness · Apr 1, 2013

You need to be dosing just Calcium, and worry about dosing the other stuff independently. Some do a 2Part ALK,CA, but your dosing an all in one.

mike007 · Apr 1, 2013

Understand that you have to achieve a balance between ca and alk. With high alk. your ca. may be to low and vice versus. If your ca. is low bring it up. If your alk.is low bring it up untill you get a good balance. They have to work together. There is no given measurement of addives without testing to see what you need to correct water parameters. As far as high nitrates it is caused by excessive nutrient levels most commonly caused by excessive feeding. Water changes, protein skimming, good live rock will help'

kwandrsn · Apr 1, 2013

The nitrates are ok its a fairly new tank and they will get better over time. I was doing huge water changes every week and was advised in another post that it wasn't needed. I feed every other day. Plus I'm using api test kit. So as per recommended I'm back doing 10 percent weekly changes instead of 50 percent ones. I have not had any problems and with it being a tank that is only 3 months old nitrates 20 or lower is good. Actually I added my first fish January 29th so its barely over 2 months old

Now as for the 2 part stuff I went through a whole bottle of code a never used code b and couldn't get my calcium to go over 380. This powder raised it to 420.

My main question is I went from kh 8, calcium 380 to kh 12, calcium 420 with one dose and overnight. I'm worried it went up too quick. I, would like to keep those levels though.

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Reefing Madness · Apr 1, 2013

Your fine. No worries.

NanaReefer · Apr 1, 2013

What salt are you using? What all do you have in your tank? Personally I'd stop dosing and get your levels stabilized via water changes. A KH of 8 and CA of 380 is nothing to be overly concerned about. They are within the accepted ranges. Are you keeping a lot of SPS/LPS?
So far IMO the LFS has sold you things you do not need!

kwandrsn · Apr 1, 2013

regular io salt.
5 fish
1 shrimp
Tons of snails and hermits
Over 25 types of Coral. Getting into sps now. Acro and birdsnest so far

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kwandrsn · Apr 1, 2013

To be precise
2 occ clowns
2 green chromis
1 firefish
1 pistol shrimp
Over 15 hermits
Over 200 dwarf ceriths
8 Florida ceriths
7 nerites
6 astria snails
Over 20 nassarius vibrex
a couple brittle stars
Several mussels

Briareum Gargonian
Dragons Eye Polyp
Polythoa (2 kinds)
? Bam Bam Polyps ?
Mushrooms (4 or 5 kinds)
Cyphastrea
Green Star Polyps
Frogspawn
Candy Cane (2)
Green Candy Cane
Duncanopsammia
Blastomussa
Prism Favia
War Coral
Emerald Eye Chalice
Birdsnest (2)
Deep Water Acropora
Devils Hand Leather
Kenya Tree
Pulsating Xenia (2)
Cabbage Leather (2)

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Reefing Madness · Apr 2, 2013

Ah, better figure this one out quick, your ALK CA and MAg are gonna go real fast with SPS.

kwandrsn · Apr 2, 2013

Well my kh and calcium had been staying steady at 8 and 380
I was just trying to get the calcium up a little higher and code a wasn't doing the trick do I got that advantage calcium powder and it jumped to 12 and 420 which is good right? I was just worried how fast it jumped up

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