Parameters stability?

[.AcroKiller.]

I don't know what going on with my tank it's been doing some weird stuff with alk and calcium and I can't figure it out. Last week my alk was at 7.1 and calcium at 420 mag is high 1480 and this week all is at 9.1 and calcium is at 480 mag is the same and the weird thing is that last week I mix 1 teaspoon of kalk per gallon of water on my ato and this week I did the same thing and I have not dose the tank with anything else or done a water change. Ph is at 8.20 this is driving me crazy. So what would drive alk and calcium that high.

 

[mike007]

You probaly need to test every week untill you figure out how much you need to dose to maintain parameters. You may not need to add kalk every week.

 

[.AcroKiller.]

If I don't add kalk it goes down to 6

 

[mike007]

I tried kalk but i don't care for it. I have been using Redsea products with great results. Parameters stay stable and products are easy to use. There are other two part products out there that are very good also.

 

[Bishop]

I'm a bit confused as to what the issue is so forgive me if I am out of place. What I am gathering is that you added kalk to your ATO and as that water entered the system, the levels wend up for Alk and calcium. To my understanding, that sounds normal as 480 calcium is not really high and the alk level of 7.1 was actually rather low, as far as I know.

With an Alk level of 9.1, your hard corals should have a much easier time building calcium skeletons as alk is needed just as much so as calcium. I should actually start testing alk and calcium myself. While my coral do grow, they don't grow as much as I feel they should and I have not tested anything other than temperature in over a year.

 

[.AcroKiller.]

I'm a bit confused as to what the issue is so forgive me if I am out of place. What I am gathering is that you added kalk to your ATO and as that water entered the system, the levels wend up for Alk and calcium. To my understanding, that sounds normal as 480 calcium is not really high and the alk level of 7.1 was actually rather low, as far as I know.

With an Alk level of 9.1, your hard corals should have a much easier time building calcium skeletons as alk is needed just as much so as calcium. I should actually start testing alk and calcium myself. While my coral do grow, they don't grow as much as I feel they should and I have not tested anything other than temperature in over a year.

Bishop this is an old school reefing thought. Must reefer now days have experience better growth from 7 to 8 alk natural salt water is in the sevens. for the amount of kalk that I put in the water it should not go up it should just keep it stable. Something is wrong with the balance I been reading in the past hour and found out that calcium numbers support to be in a certain window in comparison to alk.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Right on. One affects the other, and its abilitly to be used in the system. Calcium being to high is one of them. Gotta let that one come down a bit. You rnumer of 7-8 is ok with ALK, as there are others that feel the same way as you.
And it would appear that your system isn't using alk and Cal as fast as you are thinking. Time to cut the dose in half and see what that gets you. Then again, I use a liquid Calcium, and Baking Soda for Alk, can dose differently.

 

[Bishop]

Got me to test my Carb hardness for the first time ever. Mine is at 6 so I can only image that alk would be about the same. With my only options being ATO dosing, what would be recommended? Does the 2-part B-ionic alk and calcium just go into the ATO water?

As for calcium needing to be at a certain point compared to alk, that's a new one to me. I've always just thought it was a matter of having or not having enough as long as it's not at harmfully high levels.

I certainly need to start getting into dosing something myself. As much as I prefer to let my tank just handle itself, it's not gonna happen with no dosing and no water changes. Something has to give.

 

[.AcroKiller.]

Got me to test my Carb hardness for the first time ever. Mine is at 6 so I can only image that alk would be about the same. With my only options being ATO dosing, what would be recommended? Does the 2-part B-ionic alk and calcium just go into the ATO water?

As for calcium needing to be at a certain point compared to alk, that's a new one to me. I've always just thought it was a matter of having or not having enough as long as it's not at harmfully high levels.

I certainly need to start getting into dosing something myself. As much as I prefer to let my tank just handle itself, it's not gonna happen with no dosing and no water changes. Something has to give.

I believe only kalk can be use with ato water. I believe 2 part has to be dose direct to the tank

 

[Bishop]

I believe only kalk can be use with ato water. I believe 2 part has to be dose direct to the tank

That's sorta what I was thinking but wasn't sure. Not gonna hurt to run to the grocery store and pick up some Pickling Lime. Mrs. Wages® Pickling Lime 16 oz. (454g) Only difference between pickling lime and kalk is that one is priced for a reef tank. Anyone have feedback on pickling lime?

A question I have for dosing... Do I just dose for the ATO container? 5 spoons for a 5 gallon?

Looking into it some more, a kalk reactor is fairly cheap and would fit right into the ATO system I have.
http://www.afishybusiness.com/product.asp?itemid=4003&gclid=CMDokZiTvbgCFWUV7AodxmIA_w

 

[pickupman66]

you can dose kalk in addition to top off id guess... why could you not dose it seperately?

as for pickling lime, I have used it. works PERFECLY for boosting alk and calcium.

 

[.AcroKiller.]

you can dose kalk in addition to top off id guess... why could you not dose it seperately?

as for pickling lime, I have used it. works PERFECLY for boosting alk and calcium.

I was talking in comparison with 2 part. But yea kalk can be dripped to the tank also

 

[Dowtish]

Luis, the fact that you have started adding kalk to the system with the big brute can is a different method than what you have done prior. So any change like this is going to have an effect on your levels. This is where daily testing is going to have to be done for close to 2 weeks to be sure what's really going on. Kalk has the ability to maintain levels, but if your demand is not enough from the corals, the kalk will raise your cal and alk.

Start making a log in a notebook or whatever, and make sure to test at the exact same times each day. In the beginning of me adding kalk while dosing 2 part, I would test everyday and then adjust my dosing pumps accordingly to keep my levels stable. It can take a little while to dial everything in.

I'm not sure if you are only adding kalk and no 2 part or using a cal reactor?

 

[.AcroKiller.]

Luis, the fact that you have started adding kalk to the system with the big brute can is a different method than what you have done prior. So any change like this is going to have an effect on your levels. This is where daily testing is going to have to be done for close to 2 weeks to be sure what's really going on. Kalk has the ability to maintain levels, but if your demand is not enough from the corals, the kalk will raise your cal and alk.

Start making a log in a notebook or whatever, and make sure to test at the exact same times each day. In the beginning of me adding kalk while dosing 2 part, I would test everyday and then adjust my dosing pumps accordingly to keep my levels stable. It can take a little while to dial everything in.

I'm not sure if you are only adding kalk and no 2 part or using a cal reactor?

I'm only using kalk at the moment but I do have a cal reactor but I don't need it yet and I'm kind of scare to use it lol and I so have 2 part to last me a long time but not using it at the time

 

[Tennsquire]

I believe only kalk can be use with ato water. I believe 2 part has to be dose direct to the tank

Salifert makes an all in one liquid product. I used to add it to my ATO tank whenever I went out of town, and it worked fine. Since I switched over to dosing pumps, I don't have to worry about it. It does take some time and testing to get it right and writing down what you do (as has been mentioned) helps a lot.

 

[Dowtish]

I'm only using kalk at the moment but I do have a cal reactor but I don't need it yet and I'm kind of scare to use it lol and I so have 2 part to last me a long time but not using it at the time

Ok. Since you arent using 2 part or cal reactor, that means that the amount of evaporation compared to how much kalk you are adding is too much. your corals arent demanding enough, so your levels are rising instead of maintaining. Next time you add water to the ATO dont add more kalk, and then test everyday at the same time cal and alk, and figure out what your demand is, and then add kalk accordingly.

 

[.AcroKiller.]

Ok. Since you arent using 2 part or cal reactor, that means that the amount of evaporation compared to how much kalk you are adding is too much. your corals arent demanding enough, so your levels are rising instead of maintaining. Next time you add water to the ATO dont add more kalk, and then test everyday at the same time cal and alk, and figure out what your demand is, and then add kalk accordingly.

Bro you nailed it that's the problem because it started as soon as I added a blower fan on top of my sump to keep up with cooling so that made it evaporate at a higher rate. You da man