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Originally posted by jimi: <STRONG>Adam you may not be leaving it sit long enough. A film should form on the top that actually breaks into chunks like thin ice.</STRONG> The film on top will only form if it's exposed to the air. If you are mixing in tightly sealed containeers you may have...

Are you testing your tank water for calcium and alk levels? This should give you the answers for when to add supplements and which ones. As for kalkwasser, I dose it 24/7 to replace all evaporated water. You may be able to do this also but again, you need to monitor your calcium and alk, and...

One thing not addressed here is with the addition of that much "make-up" water you'd have a rather significant swing in salinity (especially in the smaller tanks). I use a dosing pump to keep my water levels constant, it doses kalkwasser 24/7. They are a good investment and once you've used one...

A certain well known online bookstore has it for $59.46 right now.

Originally posted by @knight: <STRONG>ok so let my ignorance talk for a second... i have a 30 gal tank. of which, I estimate 20 gal is water. would I put 40 teaspoons in? sounds like a lot? or am I understanding the directions all wrong? is there any harm with using kalk to raise the ph of...

Natural Reef Aquariums by John TullockThe Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert Fenner The Reef Aquarium Vols. 1 and 2 by Charles Delbeek and Julian Sprung Aquarium Corals: Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History by Eric Borneman. All of these books are very informative and packed with...

Originally posted by vince: <STRONG>whats the difference between kalkwasser and liquid calcium? aren't they the same thing?</STRONG> Kalkwasser is a saturated solution of calcium hydroxide. Liquid calcium supplements are usually a solution of calcium chloride.

Kalkwasser is, in my opinion, the best way to maintain calcium levels in a reef tank. It adds NOTHING that is not used by, and beneficial to, the system. Kalkwasser is made by adding 1-2 teaspoons of calcium hydroxide per gallon of fresh (preferably RO) water. Mix and let settle for several...

When stressed, feather dusters can drop their crown. The stress could have been any number of things, from water quality to being harassed by another animal to changes in water flow. Don't remove the tube from the tank, wait a few weeks to see if it grows back. IMHO you'll probably see some tiny...

I use a LiterMeter to dose kalkwasser 24/7 and replace all my evaporated water with it. As you can see, there are many different methods people use, all work well but it MUST be added slowly. Depending on how much kalkwasser you add, you may still need liquid calcium supplements from time to...

Originally posted by blenny boy: <STRONG>If reef builder does not increase calcium will reef advantage? (basically I am looking for a way to avoid Kalk. as it sounds complicated)</STRONG> Kalwasser isn't at all complicated, but it is a bit more work than other methods. To make it, add 1-2...

I've also noticed this board is incredibly slow lately. It seems it just started in the last week or 2.

Most mandarins don't last long because most people don't know what their feeding requirements are. They require well established tanks with plenty of pods. Feeding is indeed the most difficult aspect of keeping these beautiful fish.

Most LFS will sell them and tell you they'll do fine in a tropical tank. But just try to find a hobbyist that's kept them alive in those warm temps for more than a few months. Don't get the Catalina Goby. [ July 19, 2001: Message edited by: slash7 ]

"The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" by Robert Fenner and Christopher Turk."Natural Reef Aquariums" by John Tullock. The Reef Aquarium, Vols. One and Two" by Charles Delbeek and Julian Sprung. "Aquarium Corals: Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History" by Eric Borneman. You can't go wrong with...

Are you dosing any of the 2 part calcium/alk products? They will increase your SG over time although if it's rising as fast as you seem to indicate I'm not totally convinced that would be the cause.

You are talking about 2 different methods of measurement. The metric measurement is in meq/l and it is usually kept in the range of 2.5 to 5.0 meq/l. The higher number the LFS told you about is the German degrees of carbonate hardness, or dKH. An alk level of 2.5 meq/l is equal to 7 dKH. There...

Liquid calcium by itself shouldn't raise your pH. You didn't mention what your alk levels are, you may be adding too much buffer and that will raise your pH. What are you using to test your pH? A lot of the chemical test kits out there aren't really that accurate. Most are high biased. A lot of...

Feather Dusters will drop their "feathers" every once in a while. Takes a few weeks for them to grow back. Just leave it alone and be patient. Most likely it's just fine.

I think for someone new to the hobby that Natural Reef Aquarium by Tullock is by far the easiest to read and understand. It's full of useful step by step information and is well illustrated. All the other books suggested here are excellent also. I have all the books that have been mentioned here...