Ca and KH additives

dacia

dacia

Active Member
When using a 2 part additive to raise alkalinity and calcium, how long does it normally take for the additives to work properly and attain the goal levels?
My water is fine otherwise, and I want to get those levels right before I add fish because I don't want to mess with additives more than I need to once they are in there.
Right now my alk level is around 5 and Ca is at 300, but I want them to be at or around 10 and 440 or so. Any suggestions?
 
dacia

dacia

Active Member
One more thing---would changing the Ca and KH levels stress out fish if I had any in the tank? I'm sure that the levels would have to be adjusted at some time, but how are fish affected by that? Hopefully after Christmas I will be ready to add my corals...:cool:
 
dacia

dacia

Active Member
I've only used the additives one time so far, and the KH is now 10 with the Ca at 360. I am going to stop using the alk buffer for now but keep adding small doses of the turbo calcium...
Is it normal that the Ca went up by 60 after only 1 dose? I don't have any corals yet, so could it be that increase is more dramatic in my system since the Ca really has nowhere to go as of yet?
I hope to get my first fish next week. If my LFS ever gets a firefish shipment...or if they ever are available here...anyway, will adding a fish to the system alter the Ca readings? I know that corals need it more, but how much do fish need it?
I plan to have only softies and low-light LPS corals...so should I be looking at a weekly dose of Ca to keep levels normal?
 
escape2thewater

escape2thewater

Active Member
I have had excellent results using Kent Tech CB. Its a 2 part liquid additive thats ionically balanced to dose CA & Alk at the same time. I was using powderd versions from kent & seachem at first and Nothing would ever stabilize. Every other day I would have to dose one or the other, and of course you couldnt dose both at the same time. The tech CB has been great so far. I just dose the part A then wait a few minutes and add part B then perfection! Ca is maintained at 440/450 & alk @ 11.2 dkh. I dose the tech cb once or twice a week. I have several softies in there with one LT plate and 2 acropora frags & of course lots of coraline. Good luck!
KYle
:cool:
BTW - "B-ionic" does the same thing I think.
 
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