When to use alkalinity booster or switch to calcium reactor?

[rinckemd]

When would you use your alkalinity booster or decide to add a calcium reactor in the mix? I've had high calcium, and I reduced my part 2 dosing until it was back in line. I was just curious when you would dose alkalinity booster instead of just upping the amount of each part.

I've got a 150gal tank, pretty full. I dose 70ml! of each core7 part per day. Seems like a lot, but it keeps the alk stable at 8.

Thanks

 

[Tim@Triton Verified Sponsor]

If you find that both your Calcium and Magnesium are high and your KH is 8 or lower than you would drop the dose of all solutions and then dose the CO3 to raise the Alk whilst maintaining the lower Ca and Mg.

 

[rinckemd]

Yes, my Mg is getting high also. Maybe I'll try getting the CO3 on a doser and then monitor the 4 part based on the calcium/mg. I had largely been just watching the alk, but I get the feeling it's just too much. Thank you!

 

[Motts]

First week of dosing core7 Triton method and crazy spike in magnesium. Please advise

 

[Tim@Triton Verified Sponsor]

First week of dosing core7 Triton method and crazy spike in magnesium. Please advise

What are your other parameters at?

 

[Motts]

calcium raised to 440 from 410 and alk raised 7.5 from 7 but the mag went to 2000 from 1300

 

[Motts]

i was manual dosing with syringe so its not a miss calibrated doser

 

[Tim@Triton Verified Sponsor]

calcium raised to 440 from 410 and alk raised 7.5 from 7 but the mag went to 2000 from 1300

I would double check your testing first as that is a huge jump! What size is your tank?

 

[Motts]

whole system is exactly 26 gallons of water and i double checked the mag test thinking i must have messed up the first time but same results so now i am still waiting on icp results to verify my test kit

 

[Motts]

i started 1ml per day instead of the recommended 2ml since it is a small system and i checked alk daily at the same time of day but at the end of week 1 when i checked all three parameters the mag test was off the charts

 

[Tim@Triton Verified Sponsor]

i started 1ml per day instead of the recommended 2ml since it is a small system and i checked alk daily at the same time of day but at the end of week 1 when i checked all three parameters the mag test was off the charts

In 26g of water a 700+ rise in MG would be the equivalent rise of adding 2 bottles of Mg buffer which is a lot in such a relatively small body of water.

Which test kit are you using?

 

[Motts]

red sea magnesium (not expired) prior to dosing 1300
salifert calcium 410 prior to dosing
hanna alk waited it it dropped to 7dkh prior to dosing

 

[Tim@Triton Verified Sponsor]

Would it be possible for you to cross check with a different test kit, are you sure of your level before you started dosing because there's no way that 7ml of Core7 can raise Magnesium by 700 in 26g, 7ml should effectively raise it by 3 not 700.....

 

[Motts]

Would it be possible for you to cross check with a different test kit, are you sure of your level before you started dosing because there's no way that 7ml of Core7 can raise Magnesium by 700 in 26g, 7ml should effectively raise it by 3 not 700.....

Hey Tim@Triton all sorted out now someone decided to play a practical joke on their father. 5 kids and reefing dont mix all parameters on point and very well balanced for a small system i am very sorry for the mind bending. Thank you and all the best

 

[Tim@Triton Verified Sponsor]

Hey Tim@Triton all sorted out now someone decided to play a practical joke on their father. 5 kids and reefing dont mix all parameters on point and very well balanced for a small system i am very sorry for the mind bending. Thank you and all the best

Phew!! Glad it is all sorted!