Question about dosing and Alk/Calcium levels

[ZoaFan08]

My Alk got low (around 6) so I started dosing 2 part and now have it up to around 7.8. What level of Alk should I be shooting for? While dosing Alk my calcium has gone down so should dose more calcium and less Alk?

I am trying to get my Alk/Calcium levels good so I can bring my calcium reactor online.

 

[coralfarm123]

Treat them individually when trying to raise them. Here is a link to a Reef Chemistry Calculator that will help you get them where you want them. Most people keep their Alk around 8-9dKh and Calcium at 420 or a little higher. If your Calcium will not come up check your Magnesium levels.

Reef Chemistry Calculator

 

[702reefer]

personally i try to stay around 8-9dkh and 400-440 for calcium. if one is lacking, dose to get it to your target levels.

 

[RBursek]

If Mg is low it is hard to get and keep Ca up at higher levels, you should fine what need in these articles.
Reef Chemistry Articles - Reef Central Online Community Archives

 

[ZoaFan08]

Can I dose MAG while I am dosing Alk/Calcium? In the 2 part instructions it says not not to put in the MAG till your done dosing the container of ALK/Calcium.

 

[gilmour01]

+1 on what everyone said. check your mag levels before dosing, but it shouldnt matter when you add it.

 

[RBursek]

You want to add the Mg to get that level up first, then dose Alk and Ca to get and keep those levels where want them, and then dose Mg as need to keep it at proper levels. Mg is used up at slower level then Alk and Ca.

 

[gilmour01]

if you like books, brightwells reef chemistry book explains all these things in great detail. its a nice book to add to the collection.

 

[ZoaFan08]

Question using those calculators. It said the following:

Calcium:
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Product Required:
125 grams; 4.4 oz; approx 25 tsp (is this what I dose to get the parameters up originally?)
\[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Balanced Alkalinity is:
4.45 meq/l at 450 ppm (what is this?)

Alkalinity:
[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Product Required:[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]7.5 grams, approx 1.6 tsp, or 0.2 oz [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif](is this what I dose to get the parameters up originally?)[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Balanced Calcium is:[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]421 ppm at 3.03 meq/l [/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif](what is this?)[/FONT]

 

[ZoaFan08]

Also how do you find out how much you should be dosing daily?

 

[gilmour01]

heres another calculator that may or may not be easier

Reef Chemistry Calculator

 

[ZoaFan08]

Thats the calculator I am using...

 

[RBursek]

You put your tank water volume, what your chem numbers at now, what you want to get to, pick the product you are using, and it gives how much to of that. Read the info at the bottom of the columns for warnings about how fast to raise your levels. As far as how much daily, yoy learn that by testing ,seeing how your numbers drop, and how you have to add, devided by how many days it was between test.

 

[gilmour01]

oh..sorry

you need to test daily to see what the average uptake of alk and ca is. then you can figure out how much to add to make up for it.

 

[ZoaFan08]

Ok so this part:

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Product Required:
125 grams; 4.4 oz; approx 25 tsp (is this what I dose to get the parameters up originally?)

Is what I want to dose at one time to get my calcium up to 450 correct?
[/FONT]

 

[gilmour01]

i personally wouldnt dose it all at once. whats your CA level now?

 

[ZoaFan08]

390, trying to raise it to 450.

Alk is 7.8 trying to get it to 8.5

 

[gilmour01]

what size tank?

 

[ZoaFan08]

120g 150g total volume

 

[gilmour01]

then yes...it would take approx 25 tsp to raise it to 450. once you get your levels where you want them, test daily to determine your uptake. from there you can figure out how much you need to dose to replace the uptake. be particularly careful about raising the alk too quickly b/c it could cause a pH spike...you probably already know this.