Alk / Calcium balance- basic help!

[herricka]

I have a new (3month) 25g tall tank with a couple
clowns and a Royal gramma... lots of soft coral...
polps, etc. 2-55w PC one UV3, one 50/50....the problem is: lots of long brown algea, some green
but, the real problem seems to be the balance:

I use B-Ionic 2 part, when I put any amount of
part 1 in... it turns to snow! Does this mean the
alk or is the Calc WAY TO HIGH? My kit shows
around 500plus and all the purple has been slowly
dissolved from the rock. (alk is around 3.0)
Change the 50/50 to 6700??? dump a reef builder
solution, daily??? (to raise carbos?)
Not new to salt but, certainly need help!

 

[Carpentersreef]

Captive,
If you look on the instructions of the B-Ionic, it mentions a cloudiness that will disappear. That's what you are seeing. (isn't it?) You should be putting it into an area of high flow, or even better into your sump.

Mitch

WTTB (welcome to the board!)

 

[herricka]

... I've used this 2part for years on other tanks... when you pour it in... it forms a cloud
yes, true. Now, on this tank... it forms a cloud and then... SNOWS all over the tank in little particles. Doesn't dissolve right away, any ideas?

 

[Carpentersreef]

I've heard that Ca will precipitate out of solution above 525, and I'll bet your test kit doesn't even go that high. I'd back off on adding anymore for a while and test Ca again in a week or 2

Mitch

 

[nick danger]

Yes, well, Fenner says that it takes some doing to create CA fallout, and then everything is horribly coated and takes forever to clean. If this is true (and I for one am not going to try it out of curiosity) than thats not the problem. Maybe it is, though; I have no personal experience.

But your problem is enigmatic, what with coraline death. How much are you putting in? Maybe try going without it a few days and be VERY VERY careful to monitor alkalinity. Also test for CA while youre at it. Keep alkalinity up if necessary with Reef Builder or a buffer (but if you use buffer keep in mind it also affects pH). I know from personal experience that stopping B-Ionic can result in plummeting Alk, which the resultant potential for nightly pH dips.

How quickly has your coraline died? The algae may well be unrelated.

I have been using B-Ionic for some time with no ill effects.

[ December 17, 2001: Message edited by: nick danger ]</p>

 

[herricka]

... this is a new tank... started with bare rock,
trying a do a low-impact reef but, added a large LR to get things going (after a few lbs of grunge from garf)...its been in there for a month and almost all the purple encrusting has disappered.
I started adding calcium to help but, probably hurt it! After getting a test kit... the calc tested over 600-650 counting drops! ...and everybody else is trying to increase calcium???

so, did a water change ...down to around 500
and maybe 3.0 for alk... hard to tell with these test kits, exactly anyhow. PH is also around 8.4
or, higher.
Ive seen the part2 of B-Ionic "snow" before but,
never the part 1 !!!