Please help me with my KH problem

[FortyFour44]

Thanks for reading. Quick backstory:

I have an LPS/soft coral tank and had been relying on kalkwasser to supplement alk/calcium and act as a PH buffer. I run automatic water changes (10% weekly) using Reef Crystals. I am done with kalk and I’m switching to 2 part dosing because the kalk has been a nightmare for my ATO and sump maintenance.

My alk had been historically low (6-7) but since my corals were growing I just let it be. PH would range between 8.1 and 7.8.

Now I’m about to start 2-part and I’m testing a lot. My Mag was 1100, Calcium was 447, and Alk was 5.38.

I tried to bring my Mag up to 1300 over the course of 2 days, but I overshot it and got 1500. Corals still looking fine so no panic.

I then added enough liquid soda ash to bring my alk up to 6.4 (raising slowly), but when I tested the next day, I was actually at 4.8! I ordered a new regent, and tested again today and it is at 4.65! My PH drops to 7.7 on the low end now.

It seems my corals are KH starved and I should be dosing significantly here, especially since I’m out of kalk now.

Does my calcium dose have to match my alk dose here? Any advice?

Thank you!

 

[Reefer5640]

How stocked is your tank, coral wise? Are corals growing quickly? Low mag doesn’t help the situation. Calcium and alk do not need to match. In fact I think most people have one that uses more than the other. My tank uses more calcium than alkalinity. Another possibility could precipitation. Are you dosing calcium and alkalinity at the same time?

 

[FortyFour44]

Thanks for the note. I am not dosing calcium so precipitation issues are in likely. I do get flakes, but I read here that soda ash can do that and it is actually mag that eventually disolves.

My tank is definitely on the stocked side, and growing. Has always consumed for alk than calcium. I read somewhere (I think Randy’s forum) that when dosing 2part, calcium and alk should be dosed proportionately except when calcium is very high. Just checking to be safe, although my inclination would be so dose much more alk than calcium in this scenario.

 

[derekgoude]

Something is certainly not adding up. If you are running an lps/softy tank your daily demand, I would expect, would be met with the weekly water changes. Might sound like the dumbest idea ever.... but take a water sample into a LFS and have them test? Or conversely, test your make up water. I am curious if the testing is to blame in some way. Unless you have some huge and hungry lps.

I went from 2/3 part to a kalk reactor from avast marine and love it. Its so incredibly simple and fool proof. If my tank exceeds the kalk at some point (probably wont) ill hook back up the calcium reactor and do both. My pain points on the 2/3 part were dosing lines plugging up, monitoring container levels, testing and making adjustments on the dosers, and room it took up in the stand.

When I dosed, I started with the amounts matching and increased the amounts until my testing got me where I needed to be in either alk or calc. I held at that level for a few days and tested again to see which was out of balance and then calculated the daily consumption amount and made the adjustment on the dosing pump. Then it was pretty rock steady... except for the clogging of dosing lines and the lines blowing apart under the pressure and the mess. After a few times of that and my tank not getting properly dosed.. well... ya know what happened.

 

[SMSREEF]

A large water change may be the trick. I don’t know why, but in my experience sometimes what you add just precipitates and takes even more with it. Water change will reset everything and give you a better starting place.

 

[FortyFour44]

Here is a recent enough shot of my tank to answer the stocking question. Thanks for the replies so far.

 

[FortyFour44]

Something is certainly not adding up. If you are running an lps/softy tank your daily demand, I would expect, would be met with the weekly water changes. Might sound like the dumbest idea ever.... but take a water sample into a LFS and have them test? Or conversely, test your make up water. I am curious if the testing is to blame in some way. Unless you have some huge and hungry lps.

I went from 2/3 part to a kalk reactor from avast marine and love it. Its so incredibly simple and fool proof. If my tank exceeds the kalk at some point (probably wont) ill hook back up the calcium reactor and do both. My pain points on the 2/3 part were dosing lines plugging up, monitoring container levels, testing and making adjustments on the dosers, and room it took up in the stand.

When I dosed, I started with the amounts matching and increased the amounts until my testing got me where I needed to be in either alk or calc. I held at that level for a few days and tested again to see which was out of balance and then calculated the daily consumption amount and made the adjustment on the dosing pump. Then it was pretty rock steady... except for the clogging of dosing lines and the lines blowing apart under the pressure and the mess. After a few times of that and my tank not getting properly dosed.. well... ya know what happened.

Thanks for the advice on the kalk reactor. I’ll keep this in mind if the dosing dosing work out. I had actually considered this but got a good deal on a DOS. Always had challenges keeping alk up and going to see if I can get dialed in once I sort this out.

 

[FortyFour44]

My fresh salt is measuring at 8 dKh. I added some soda ash tonight and will retest tomorrow to see if it made a dent. Perhaps it’s so low, it got consumed very quickly (and more).

I did get a ph bump this time.

 

[FortyFour44]

A large water change may be the trick. I don’t know why, but in my experience sometimes what you add just precipitates and takes even more with it. Water change will reset everything and give you a better starting place.

Will definitely reset with a large water change if this stays out of whack.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks for the note. I am not dosing calcium so precipitation issues are in likely.
.

Not true. I have no idea whether you have any precipitation going on, but lack of dosing calcium will make no difference to that (as long as it is there)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks for reading. Quick backstory:

I have an LPS/soft coral tank and had been relying on kalkwasser to supplement alk/calcium and act as a PH buffer.

There is no product you can dose which boosts pH and not alkalinity. I would stop using buffers and just dose alkalinity supplements. You can choose the pH rise from the alk supplement, if you want to.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks for reading. Quick backstory:

I have an LPS/soft coral tank and had been relying on kalkwasser to supplement alk/calcium and act as a PH buffer. I run automatic water changes (10% weekly) using Reef Crystals. I am done with kalk and I’m switching to 2 part dosing because the kalk has been a nightmare for my ATO and sump maintenance.

My alk had been historically low (6-7) but since my corals were growing I just let it be. PH would range between 8.1 and 7.8.

Now I’m about to start 2-part and I’m testing a lot. My Mag was 1100, Calcium was 447, and Alk was 5.38.

I tried to bring my Mag up to 1300 over the course of 2 days, but I overshot it and got 1500. Corals still looking fine so no panic.

I then added enough liquid soda ash to bring my alk up to 6.4 (raising slowly), but when I tested the next day, I was actually at 4.8! I ordered a new regent, and tested again today and it is at 4.65! My PH drops to 7.7 on the low end now.

It seems my corals are KH starved and I should be dosing significantly here, especially since I’m out of kalk now.

Does my calcium dose have to match my alk dose here? Any advice?

Thank you!

You do not "have to", but IMO it is always a good practice to do so unless calcium is already too high (or your two part is not designed for 1:1 dosing). Too much jiggering of doses is like too many cooks in the kitchen, and doesn't lead to the best results.

If you choose to boost alk by 2.8 dKH, calcium will only rise by 18-20 ppm, and will be perfectly fine.

 

[FortyFour44]

My (larger) manual dose last night brought my alk up to 5.7. Will continue to bring it up slowly and then figure out consumption rates and dosing amounts.

 

[FortyFour44]

You do not "have to", but IMO it is always a good practice to do so unless calcium is already too high (or your two part is not designed for 1:1 dosing). Too much jiggering of doses is like too many cooks in the kitchen, and doesn't lead to the best results.

If you choose to boost alk by 2.8 dKH, calcium will only rise by 18-20 ppm, and will be perfectly fine.

Thank you. To your point, I want to stick with soda ash because of the ph characteristics.

In regards to ratio, my goal is to slowly get things in line, and I will start dosing proportionately and see where that takes me.