my alkilinity is at 5.14 meg/L and calcium at 275 ppm...

[ticker]

i bought a "carbonate hardness/alkalinity" test....to see were i was...i
tested a couple times to see if i was doing it right, and...with the syringe
i was at .1, which is at 5.14 meg/L in alkalinity, 15.0 KH value in
dKH...says i'm expose to be 8 dKH or 2.9 meg/L, 3.0-4.0 on the alk,
right....so i'm high, and all i can read is how to raise it....and i'm
already high.

all my test today read:
[email protected] (which i think i'm going to calibrate the probe, just to make
surethe monitor is reading right)
[email protected]
nitrite@zero
nitrate@20-40
calcium@275
[email protected]

ive also did a 20% water change last week (sat,june 26)...i check the
[email protected]; nitrite @ zero; and nitrate@ 5-10; and [email protected] was all done the day after the water change...

i'm putting in iodine, strontium & molybdenum, coral-vital, liquid calcuim,
and starting micro-vert today....

my help i need is :
1) am i expose to adding all the dosing (iodine, strontium & molybdenum, coral-vital, liquid calcuim,and micro-vert) to the 5 gal. bucket that has my kalkwash in it that is going thew a leter meter, or are there ones that sould be going in my sump on the dose day and not in the kalkwashbucket?? asking this 'cause as the bucket gets low of kalkwash at the end of the week i'm still putting in the different doses, and the bucket is not so deluted with kalkwash so i'm worried i'm not doing it right, as in adding these doses to where they need to be put in at...thanks.
2)i was going to add turbo-calcium and turn on or off my kalkwash till i get the calcium level (425ish)??? should i turn my kalkwash off while i'm using the turbo-calcium??? i'm going to use the turbo-calcium 'cause it does not raise the alkilinity, which is at 5.14 meg/l....
3)by raising the calcium will it bring down my alkilinity or is it just going to come down on it's own????
4)after this all works any suggestions on maintaining the alkalinity and calcuim, like should i use the turbo-calcium with the kalkwash???

thanks for all your given help, rick

 

[hdtran]

Hey, ticker,

First,

Next:

Do not add Moly, Sr, I, etc. unless you're testing for them. A regime of water changes will take care of your trace elements.

As you've noticed, you're high on alkalinity (5 meq/L) and low on calcium (275 ppm). You want to be closer to 3-4 meq/L and 350-450 ppm on the calcium. The calcium and alkalinity fight each other (it's almost impossible to have both high alkalinity and calcium). The alkalinity will slowly dissipate with time, but the best way to lower it is to just do a plain old water change. That will also raise your calcium and bring your system back towards your desired equilibrium point.

Let me add: Don't add calcium to raise your calcium--you may wind up precipitating the calcium because of the alkalinity (carbonate) .

There's a great series of articles in "Advanced Aquarist Online" (check the button near the top of the screen for a link), in the archives, by Randy Holmes-Farley, on pH, alkalinity, and calcium; and how to keep them balanced. Don't be put off by the "Advanced" part of the title.

Best of luck!

Hy

 

[ticker]

hdtran...
i did a 20% (20 gal. in 100 gal tank) water change a week ago, and used R.O. water...i had read artical that said to add turbo calcium, cause it won't raise the alkalinity...

how are you to test the iodine and strontium & molybdenum when your tank and protein skimmer are using them up??

thanks for your time, rick

 

[hdtran]

Rick,

I don't believe in adding iodine, strontium, moly, etc. I believe in doing 10-20% changes reasonably frequently, which will replenish the trace elements.

Calcium chloride won't raise alkalinity. My concern is that adding calcium ions to a tank with high carbonate ions will cause the calcium to precipitate as calcium carbonate.

Hy

 

[Kevin1000]

My 02

Your alk level is a little high but nothing to be overly concerned with - adding a little calc supplement will bring your calc level back in line and you s/b in like flint. Just add the calcium slowly over the next week or so.

I agree with Hdtran about the use of all those additives - your normal water changes should give you all you need - for the most part those additives are a great marketing ploy and won't help but may hurt your tank.

Heres a link about water quality that might be helpful

http://www.petsforum.com/personal/trevo ... ality.html

Hope this helps.

 

[ticker]

so at the most don't add anything, i should test first to see if i need to add anything. so what about the micro-vert it's expose to be feeding the corals??? and also if i'm not adding anything, does that mean i'm to be testing to make sure i'm were i should be?? i've been reading that the proteinskimmer and the tank it's self uses up some of this stuff.

thtran, i could not find those articals....

 

[ticker]

sorry, HDTRAN, i could not find those articals.

 

[ufans]

Ticker,

READ THIS: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

(Your in zone 3)

Once done.... read it again.

I agree with hdtran. One or two large water changes is your best bet. Adding Ca will eventually cause the ALK to fall while also raising the Ca level, but it can take a long time and waste the Ca due to percipitation.

Sometimes a plain old water channge is the best option.

You might consider doing a Ca test on the fresh salt water to determine the level of Ca in you salt mix. Also think about testing the ALK as well.

 

[ticker]

ufans, ya i read that...i used turbo cal. two nights ago, 'cause i read it won't raise the alk, were my local fish store told me to use liquid reactor,"it was the best out there", well it says on the bottle it also raises the alk along with the cal....

i was at 275 and last night i was at 290, so i think i'm on the way to being ok. i'm going to test my alk tonight to see if it's gone down.

back to the dosing i bought the tank off a friend and just following his mantainance...but to find i'm learning alot as i go, so for all you helping me, thanks. i'm going to buy a test for iodine, and moly this weekend.

 

[hdtran]

Ticker,

Two things: (1) Don't buy the Iodine & Moly test kits. Instead, go to amazon.com & buy a copy of John Tullock's "Natural Reef Aquariums" and Bob Fenner's "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist."

(2) No offense meant, but I do enjoy seeing some capitalization in a post. NOT ALL CAPS, but not ee cummings either

 

[Anonymous]

Hey Ticker,
Get the books that HD recs. They should help you out. Also, try not to treat your tank like a science project. When you start dosing things, it could very well knock something else off the charts. Relax! If you follow the book's directions, it's *so* *much* *easier*!
All the best,
~wings~

 

[reefnewb1]

It's always good to get a great recommendation on which literature to actually buy. With all of the info out there, which one is the one to follow?... :roll:

Needless to say I have ordered those books tonight, so thanks again for the info / posts...My lfs has not been incredibly helpful.

 

[Anonymous]

yeah... the problem with LFS's is that most of the time, they just want to make the sale and move on. Tullock's book was very helpful when I started. It fills in all the gaps. I read it on the train on the way to work!
~wings~

 

[ticker]

to all i got my cal/alk right i'm holding at 410-420 ppm on cal and like 3 meg/l...i did a 20 % water change and with the 20% water i brought it up after i did what you all suggested and tested the instant salt which was at 250 for the cal, and my tank was at 210-250..so i brought them both up to 450...and all's good for over a week now...thanks to all but i had to go for it...and i went up over 200 in less than a day, and they say your not...did it with two part solution with only the cal. part...thanks again..

 

[krullulon]

(2) No offense meant, but I do enjoy seeing some capitalization in a post. NOT ALL CAPS, but not ee cummings either

i think capitalization is the hobgoblin of tiny minds. 8)

i <3 stickin' it to grammar! you'll never get caps outta me, hdtran. :twisted:

 

[Anonymous]

(2) No offense meant, but I do enjoy seeing some capitalization in a post. NOT ALL CAPS, but not ee cummings either

i think capitalization is the hobgoblin of tiny minds. 8)

i <3 stickin' it to grammar! you'll never get caps outta me, hdtran. :twisted:

lINUX dUDE, huh? :wink:
~wings~

 

[krullulon]

lINUX dUDE, huh? :wink:
~wings~

<-- 1337 h4X0r

:lol:

 

[Anonymous]

lINUX dUDE, huh? :wink:
~wings~

<-- 1337 h4X0r

:lol:

game hacker?
~wings~