Parameters

[Captaingills]

I have a 20 gallon garbage can in the basement below my tank for the kalk, and use a brs 5ml/min dosing pump as my ato pump. I currently mix a little under 1/2 strength kalk (about 3/4 tablespoon per gallon), and it works for me. I probably go through about a half gallon a day or less in makeup water.

Cheers!

I thought kalkw wouldn't be good after a couple days. This would be great if I could make a weeks worth at a time. I have a 125 gal reef tank with mostly lps corals, also and I travel extensively. Kalk would be least expensive dosing.

 

[bryan oestreich]

Yea imo testing p04 with api is worthless, youll never no your real p04 value. You could go with something like nyos or salifert for now just to give you a general idea, but next time you grab fresh sw from the lfs test it and see if its low. That could be the reason why your calc is low

Ya I figured that there calcium is low it's the only reasoning ha

 

[Sabellafella]

I can mix my own that's not hard I'll jus start doing that. How much salt per gallon to get target range 1.024-1.026?

Half a cup per gallon

 

[bryan oestreich]

What's a better test for calcium. Red sea or salifert.? Cause my red sea is close to expiration too. I have like a new API calcium and never used it. Is that jus as inaccurate was there phosphate

 

[bryan oestreich]

Half a cup per gallon

Can salt go bad? Do I have to store it a certain way?

 

[Sabellafella]

Ya I figured that there calcium is low it's the only reasoning ha

Yea its usually the case, if you dont use twopart/kalk/reactor and your calc is that low, and your alk is in range points to your saltmix, otherwize your alk would be lower

 

[Sabellafella]

Can salt go bad? Do I have to store it a certain way?

Yea but not likely unless you keep the lid open on the salt could draw in moisture with contaminants but no worrys. Petsmart was selling 20dollar buckets of IO, not sure if there still doing it just giving the heads up

 

[Waterjockey]

I thought kalkw wouldn't be good after a couple days. This would be great if I could make a weeks worth at a time. I have a 125 gal reef tank with mostly lps corals, also and I travel extensively. Kalk would be least expensive dosing.

No, as long as you keep the container covered, it will last a month or so without any issues. Randy Holmes-Farley has an article where he tested his kalkwasser over time and as long as the container was covered there was very little change over that time period.

Cheers!

 

[Sabellafella]

What's a better test for calcium. Red sea or salifert.? Cause my red sea is close to expiration too. I have like a new API calcium and never used it. Is that jus as inaccurate was there phosphate

Doesnt matter, either one, as long as your levels stay consistant somewere over 400 and under 500

 

[Waterjockey]

What's a better test for calcium. Red sea or salifert.? Cause my red sea is close to expiration too. I have like a new API calcium and never used it. Is that jus as inaccurate was there phosphate

I currently use API for calcium and it seems accurate enough. API's carbonate hardness test matches up with my Hanna as well. API's nitrate test imho, while not high resolution is accurate enough to know your ballpark numbers as well.

Cheers!

 

[bryan oestreich]

I currently use API for calcium and it seems accurate enough. API's carbonate hardness test matches up with my Hanna as well. API's nitrate test imho, while not high resolution is accurate enough to know your ballpark numbers as well.

Cheers!

I've notice with api on nitrate when I've taken my water in at LFS. There test always comes out lower than mine so I figured as long as I stay at 20ppm or lower Im good

 

[bryan oestreich]

I currently use API for calcium and it seems accurate enough. API's carbonate hardness test matches up with my Hanna as well. API's nitrate test imho, while not high resolution is accurate enough to know your ballpark numbers as well.

Cheers!

I just tested the water with API calcium and got 380. So my red sea giving me 370 must be accurate so I'll have to say with both test that I am on the low side. I'll be doing a water change Wed. And I'll mix my own salt with istant ocean reef crystals

 

[bryan oestreich]

Anybody think adding a bristletooth or kole tang will be overload?

 

[Russ265]

everyone is rocking out some great advice here.

calcium i generally freak out about if it is below 400. ive let it drain lower with no ill effects but its just a param i dont want below 400.

ph i could care less about. there are pros and cons with ph between 7s and 8s i wont get in to here but i was successful with a 7.8 ph tank as well.

api gets a bad wrap for their nitrate and phosphate kits ime.

calcium for the one off.

me personally: calcium is fine enough.

phosphate is .25 every test
nitrate depends on how you shake bottles. that is a red flag to me.

otherwise the tank looks good by the numbers

good luck!

 

[bryan oestreich]

I have one sps. A monti cap. Would that cause it to drop I hear it takes a few sps to effect calcium

 

[Topekoms]

Depending on how big it is and how fast it's growing yes it could cause you cal to dip and fast. I recommend brs 2 part dosing has some learning curves but have saved my butt many times

 

[Topekoms]

 

[Topekoms]

Delete these post please

 

[Topekoms]

Ambien make me write dumb

 

[Topekoms]

Edited