New to controlling ALK/Calcium

[ferro]

So I have never tested ALK/Calcium before a week ago. I had lost a Hammer coral that abandoned his home and floated around the tank after a water change and it made me buy more test kits. My calcium tested at 400ppm saliftert test and my ALK was 6.4 dkh with hannah. My new salt water registers at 9.9dkh (was partly reef crystals and red sea coral pro). I think the drastic change in ALK with the water change caused him to bail. The water change water usually ends up right where the coral was. So I used coralline grow https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/red-sea-coralline-gro-500-ml.html to up the ALK over 4 days then did a water change. Currently the ALK is 8.7 DKH. Should I keep using the coralline grow to maintain alk or a kalkwasser drip? I currently have both options available.

I try to do monthly 20 gallon water changes on 80 gallon tank with 20 gallon sump but sometimes it does go longer.

My tank is 1 year old
I have a 5 head duncan
3 head small hammer
Single torch
small birds nest frag
3 zoa colonies
plate coral frag
group of bubble tip anenomes
3 mushrooms
about 300 small feather dusters

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

IMO and ime , that “drastic “ a drop has never caused polypbailout on any of my corals. I did nothing but WC for many years.
I was using actual seawater btw. 6.5-7.5.
Possible thoug I guess.

It’s much easier to use IME, to use kalk in the top off. The amount you use can vary in concentration too to control the “dose”.
Like a 2 gal ato you could use one gallon of kalk or a half gal.

 

[ferro]

I don't think it was the low ALK that upset it. I think it was my low ALK level then dropping 10dkh water in the area of the coral. I think the 3.4 difference in dkh made it unhappy. That's my theory anyways. Going to try to keep a better eye on it now ;Pompus

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I don't think it was the low ALK that upset it. I think it was my low ALK level then dropping 10dkh water in the area of the coral. I think the 3.4 difference in dkh made it unhappy. That's my theory anyways. Going to try to keep a better eye on it now ;Pompus

Possibly. I’ve use instant ocean for while and keep my alk at 8 , IO is 13.
Dunno.