Rookie Chemitry HELP!

[RobertTheNurse]

Hey all!

Got some chemistry questions and if and how to go about dosing.

I have a LPS and Soft coral reef tank. I would say I have more LPS than I do soft. I'm not OVERTLY stocked, but before I continue to stock I wanna make sure I have this chemistry down pact I.e dosing.

I use: KENT salt mix...its been working for me, things grow, I'm happy, they're happy.

Params as of NOW:

1.026
NIitrate - 2 (salifert)
Phos -- 0 - 0.03 (salifert)
dKh -- 7.3 (salifert) <--- my concern
Calcium -- 440 (red sea)

I dont have Magnesium...or pH...test kit (PH) I have a left over API, but really why bother (lol).

Was actually wanting to add a torch, but now that my numbers are like this I need to figure out my game plan. I just did my q2 weekly water change...didn't really raise my dkH much, so I'm guessing my LPS stock is eating it up as I've noticed good coral health and growth.

Question: how would you dose this, and can someone remind and/or direct me to how to test during dosing? I've been reading and watching videos on the relationship b/w alkalinity, calcium, mag, and PH its giving me nightmares of school lol

 

[mdb_talon]

There are lots of good guides on dosing 2 or 3 part, but I will just say whatever you do make sure you go slowly. That kh is low, but you say your corals are doing well with good growth. Last thing you want to do is ruin that by chasing a number. Not saying to do nothing....only to take it very slow. Start with very small doses and test calc/kh daily to see of that dose cause an increase/decrease/stable result. That allows you to figure out consumption. From there you can dose just a bit more than consumption each day to raise it slowly. Should test mg also at least occassionally and dose as needed.

 

[saltybees]

Get a test for mag, test all your lvls and dose to what you what them to be at, wait 4 days and divide the differences. That’ll be your daily doses for a starting point. Dont raise alk more then 1 dkh or calk more then 20 points in 24 hours and try and wait 12 hours between dosing alk/calk.

as the corals/coralline grow etc the numbers will change obviously so better to test then guess. Don’t get discouraged if you’re having to test daily until you have it dialed in.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

How about we keep it simple and just use some kalkwasser/limewater?

 

[RobertTheNurse]

Was thinking of getting the red sea foundation ABC to start...and ya...def want to test MG and obv Ph for sure before I make any changes.

This is the part of the hobby I want to get right, and quite frankly scares me the most.

 

[RobertTheNurse]

Get a test for mag, test all your lvls and dose to what you what them to be at, wait 4 days and divide the differences. That’ll be your daily doses for a starting point. Dont raise alk more then 1 dkh or calk more then 20 points in 24 hours and try and wait 12 hours between dosing alk/calk.

as the corals/coralline grow etc the numbers will change obviously so better to test then guess. Don’t get discouraged if you’re having to test daily until you have it dialed in.

My calcium is fine. Unsure of my mag yet, or my pH lol...so if my levels for those are bang on, focus on raising dkH? Chemistry is messed and this is what scares me, raising one can decrease another...so someone pls forward me to a video or explain to me like im 2 years old if this is the case lol

 

[RobertTheNurse]

How about we keep it simple and just use some kalkwasser/limewater?

Ok. You got me at simple.

 

[saltybees]

Never used it before, I don’t trust “all in ones”, limewater isn’t “simple” either just FYI lol dosing 2 part is more controllable. I’m sure there’s much smarter people on here that can explain it better.

like these guys.

 

[RobertTheNurse]

Never used it before, I don’t trust “all in ones”, limewater isn’t “simple” either just FYI lol dosing 2 part is more controllable. I’m sure there’s much smarter people on here that can explain it better.

like these guys.

High School Feels

 

[saltybees]

Don’t stress about chasing ph either, it changes throughout to potentially .5ish daily. As long as you’re not using buffers or anything the tank should generally balance itself

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Never used it before, I don’t trust “all in ones”, limewater isn’t “simple” either just FYI lol dosing 2 part is more controllable. I’m sure there’s much smarter people on here that can explain it better.

like these guys.

Limewater may not be as controllable since it is an all in one product but it doses equally and is a trusted and time tested method. Can you give specifics on why you don't like it? My 112g mixed reef has been going strong on kalk alone for 10 years and I have no plans of changing anytime soon.

Oh and it's cheap. $4 at walmart lasts me forever

 

[saltybees]

Sorry that Red Sea abc is good if that’s the 3 bottles, there’s instructions in the box that explains how to do it all too.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

And as for controllability I do keep some 2 part on hand in case something is out of wack and I need to adjust cal or alk alone. But I have only ever needed it a couple of times (when I hadn't realized my tank was ready for extra kalk)

 

[RobertTheNurse]

Limewater may not be as controllable since it is an all in one product but it doses equally and is a trusted and time tested method. Can you give specifics on why you don't like it? My 112g mixed reef has been going strong on kalk alone for 10 years and I have no plans of changing anytime soon.

Oh and it's cheap. $4 at walmart lasts me forever

Canadian Walmart sucks. We don't have guarenteed lol. Only store I shop at that carries Kalkwasser is Seachem. Thanks tho!

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Never used it before, I don’t trust “all in ones”, limewater isn’t “simple” either just FYI lol

Oh and yes, it is extremely simple.

As aatter of fact this whole hobby is simple, people just like to over complicate things with unnecessary gadgets and additives.

KISS.....

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Canadian Walmart sucks. We don't have guarenteed lol. Only store I shop at that carries Kalkwasser is Seachem. Thanks tho!

This is the product I am referring too. It can be found at supermarkets in the canning section. Or the rebranded more expensive seachem stuff works too if that all that is available to you

 

[RobertTheNurse]

And as for controllability I do keep some 2 part on hand in case something is out of wack and I need to adjust cal or alk alone. But I have only ever needed it a couple of times (when I hadn't realized my tank was ready for extra kalk)

So in my case...since I'm looking to raise my Dkh...and not calcium...would focusing on just DKh (for dosing) be thr plan...and use a product like Red Sea that has a good starter kit with CA, mg, and alk suffice?

That video was great! But BRS was obv talking about their product...which we don't have in Canada (wah wah wah)

 

[RobertTheNurse]

This is the product I am referring too. It can be found at supermarkets in the canning section. Or the rebranded more expensive seachem stuff works too if that all that is available to you

Oh I believe you. At the beginning I'd rather get gorged by manufacturers that make it sound REAL simple, and do everything for me

 

[saltybees]

Limewater may not be as controllable since it is an all in one product but it doses equally and is a trusted and time tested method. Can you give specifics on why you don't like it? My 112g mixed reef has been going strong on kalk alone for 10 years and I have no plans of changing anytime soon.

Oh and it's cheap. $4 at walmart lasts me forever

I’m in Canada so I can’t even get it without paying with my first borns soul.

I’m not sure how big his tank is or if he’s using a doser etc, I manually dose and my alk usage is much higher compared to what I need to dose for calk (assuming my wcs make up for the difference currently) so to use limewater would most likely throw my tank off balance. Just my personal experience.

i personally would prefer to just use kalk, but there’s more to using it then just mixing a batch and saying it’ll sort out his dosing.

 

[Gtinnel]

I dont have Magnesium...or pH...test kit (PH) I have a left over API, but really why bother (lol).

Not to get off topic but I don't think the API pH test kit is that bad. I often use it when I test pH.