more problems >>> alk and calcium

toddpolish

toddpolish

Member
not that I have to worry about it too too much now being a FO tank, but I want to eventually convert over to a reef.
PROBLEM....
over the past couple months I've noticed that my calcium has gone from in the 300s to 500 and my alk has dropped from (can't remember exact #, my notes are at home) around 6 dKH to 5dKH.
TESTS...
I'm using Salifert tests and now with the calcium test, the test tube never even switches colors when you drip the solution in...so I'm assuming that it's at least 500. (can it be more than 500?) Is this normal?
other parameters I test are amm, nitrite, and nitrite and all are zero. 1.024 salinity. And the only thing I've done in the past couple months is add new fish (waiting weeks in between each). Tank setup was April 2, 2003. I do make water changes 20% every 3-4weeks.
I'm at a loss trying to figure out why there is this shift in my calcium and alk.
So, how do I get to the optimal levels of calc and alk????????
SOLUTION???
I have begun to add only the ALK part of the B-ionic to the tank. (started this about 10 days ago...and I missed a few days in between here and there). Is this the right solution??? Don't Alk and Calcium work kinda like a see-saw? So if I seek to increase the alk, then calcium will decrease?
Then when I'm at the correct levels, I can start to drip KALK.
Am I way off on this or what? need Help from the experts. thanks! bang guy, broomer, kip...???
 
justinx

justinx

Active Member
I too battled with alk and ca for quite some time. The first thing that comes to mind is your test kit. If the water never changes from pink to blue, I would believe that it would be snowing in your tank with such a dense concentration of Ca. You are correct however in that ca and alk are like a see-saw. however a three way one because pH comes into the mix. As does magnesium.
What salt mix are you using and how old is it? Try doing more frequent water changes in smaller amounts. I do 5% weekly and that has significantly helped my levels.
I think that you are on the right track, but there are a few more routes that you haveent thought of yet (ie magnesium and pH).
If it were me, i would stop the addition of all supplements for a while. Not going to hurt anything since there are no corals. Let things settle out and begin doing the more frequent water changes. Check your test kit against one at the LFS and buy a new one if neccessary. Once you start doing regular small water changes then test you ca and alk on a weekly basis. As soon as you start seeing the same numbers for a couple weeks, then things have stabilized. at this point I would begin the addition of supplements once again.
Once you get to that point, post again and I can tell you what I did at that point. The ol guess and check method, and it worked very well and has for over a year now. I get occasional flucuations, but nothing significant.
HTH
Justin
 
toddpolish

toddpolish

Member
I know that the calcium test kit has worked. I've gotten readings of 300, 350, 400, 450 etc. hmmmm....
I am starting to do more smaller water changes more frequently.
 
hondo

hondo

Member
with a fish only tank and no corals I'm not sure why you are dosing the bionic in the first place. Regular water changes will keep your calcium and alk right where it should be since you don't have anything in your tank to really feed off of and reduce the calcium. Stop the dosing and just do water changes and everything will balance out and stay there. Once you start adding corals then you may need to dose but probably not nearly as much as the directions on the bottle says to dose.
 
toddpolish

toddpolish

Member
I hear what you're sayin
some added info...
7/23/03 - Calcium 450, dKH 6.1
8/05/03 - Water Change 20g
8/18/03 - added sixline wrasse
9/1/03 - Calcium color didn't change-assumed over 500, dKH = 4.5
9/5/03 - water change 7-8g
think I started the ALK bionic around here (need to make better notes)
9/8/03 - dKH = 5.1
9/9/03 - water change 7-8g
9/12/03 - added 100 nassarius, 48 cerith, 2 fighting conch, 1 feather duster, 1 royal gramma
9/14/03 - again Calcium color didn't change-assumed over 500, dKH 5.95
 
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