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chris_h

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I do weekly 6 gallon water changes. Tank is 75 gallons plus a 70 gallon sump. Currently I add only Calcium chloride to my reef. I read in a book if I am adding Calcium chloride I should also add sodium carbonate. Why should I add sodium carbonate? Do I need to add sodium carbonate.

The only thing I test is pH. I have a probe and i like that. I bought a calcium test but I threw it away. It was worthless becouse I can not accuratly tell the difference between blue and almost blue. If my pH is 8.2 and I add calcium and change water do I need to test the alkalinity and calcium.
 

jmeader

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Your going to need to test. You won't know how much to add without knowing what the level is already. You will need to test alk and calcium. Ph is probably the least important of these 3 indicators. A seatest alk kit changes from blue to yellow. A Seachem calcium test changes from pink to blue. The buffering system of your water is basicly a 2 part system, not one.
 

chris_h

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So what should be wrong with my water. I only add Calcium chloride.

I am going to get some more test kits.
 
A

Anonymous

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Chris - Test your ALK. It can become unbalanced with your calcium if you only add Calcium chloride. The corals and coralline need both to build calcium carbonate....
 

jmeader

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I can't tell you what should or may be wrong, there are too many variables. You will just have to test and then take it from there.
 

jdeets

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chris_h--the reason that you shouldn't just keep using CaCl2 is that you're not adding any alkalinity component to your system. Alkalinity is responsible for your system's ability to avoid large swings in pH. If your alkalinity plummets, pretty soon you've got a situation where you can't keep your pH supported. A little extra food or a dead critter, and BAM, your pH drops like a lead balloon, taking your livestock with it.

Also, as mentioned above, in order for corals and other calcifying life to grow, it needs both Calcium ions AND carbonate ions in solution. Without both simultaneously, no calcification can take place.

Hopefully, your water params will be OK. On the long-term, however, it's possible your Ca level will get so high that your alk will plummet, you'll end up with no appreciable growth in any calcifying life forms, and you could also experience a pH crash that could devastate your system. Incidentally, the general consensus is that CaCl2 is not really designed for long-term use, but only for balancing your water chemistry. Once your system is balanced, you should be using balanced supplements like kalk or B-Ionic, or a Ca rxr.

I generally don't recommend CaCl2 and sodium carbonate/bicarbonate on a long-term basis as a supplementation system. Rather, each of these can be used independently if there is an imbalance of your system's biomineral components, but once the desired balance is achieved, a balanced approach is preferred. For an explanation of why CaCl2 and sodium bicarb are not good for long-term supplementation (causing increased SG and ionic imbalances), see this article by Craig Bingman.

Get some test kits. Mess with them until you learn how to read them. Then you might consider supplementing Ca and alk using a balanced approach once you find out where your numbers are.
 

chris_h

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I have been doing this for 2 years. Why cant I infer from my stable correct pH that my alkalinity is correct?

The corals and coraline algea are doing well but I want to make sure everything is perfect so I will get some test kits.
 

jdeets

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You can infer, if you want, based on the fact that everything *looks* OK, that your alk is OK. Personally, I wouldn't. That's about like saying that you can look at a person and tell whether they're healthy--you just don't know by their appearance.

Perhaps your water change schedule has helped to keep your alk in line. If that's the case, there is no reason why water changes shouldn't keep your Ca in line as well.
 

chris_h

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I tested my water today. The dKH is 8.4. That is not to bad. Should i still change the way I dose calcium.
 

jdeets

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What is your Ca level? If you're using a high-quality salt mix, you should probably not need to dose anything. If your alk is at 8.4 dKH with no alk input, then your Ca would probably be fine without dosing Ca as well, based on the fact that you change 1/3 of the water each month.

Don't use it unless you need it--otherwise you're just throwing money away.
 

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