Maintaining CA & Alk Levels?

[wolffam]

What do you do to maintain levels? What supplements if any do you use and how often?

 

[arkman]

just taggin in and since user CP isn't working...
ARKMAN ARKMAN ARKMAN
I'll just search for ARKMAN.

 

[thomas712]

There are a ton of suppliments out there. I use both B-ionic (a two part liquid) and Kent Turbo Calcium and Supper Buffer.
You can add these manually, or use kalk aka..Limewater and drip it over several hours. or you can use an expensive calcium reactors.
I add these two components every day.
Are you having a problem with these two, Cal & Alk ?
Thomas

 

[justinx]

I like seachem's reef advantage calcium, and their reef complete. I drip these on alternating days, and my levels stay in the same general range. Alk around 430ppm, and alk around 3.4meq/l

 

[xxchris060]

what does the alk do for a reef tank??

 

[xxchris060]

and what will happen if it is too high(alk)

 

[barracuda]

what does the alk do for a reef tank??
Alkalinity represents amount of carbonates in water column. In other words, alkalinity is a buffering capacity of the water, responsible for PH stability. Alkalinity also responsible for Ca saturation in water.
and what will happen if it is too high(alk)
High alkalinity may cause Ca to precipitate from water instead of saturate in it. In this case Ca level in water will drop.
What if i will add Ca suppliment without monitoring the level with Ca test kit?
Adding Ca suppliment without monitoring its level will cause Alkalinity to drop and finally cause PH drop.
That's why Ca and Alkalinity are very important water parameters and MUST be monitored and maintained on regular basis.

 

[quazi]

I use kalk and Tropic Marin's Bio-Calcium. They work great.

 

[cmack]

I use B-Ionic 2 part, the tank is only about 6 months old with only a couple corals, so i only need to dose about once a week.

 

[josh]

B-Ionic and Kalk ( less than I used to though ). If you are going with a sps tank, do yourself a favor and get a reactor.