no kalk for me, please.
- Thread starter neoreef
- Start date
neoreef
Member
Originally posted by wrassie86
your only using the clear part of the solution right?and not letting the dust on the bottom of the container enter your tank.i'm pretty sure that if this happens it will deplete your alk.
Right, not the stuff on top, Caco3, or the stuff on bottom, CaO or Ca OH, just the stuff in middle in solution
neoreef
Member
I am using Ball pickling lime, 2 teaspoons in 2.5 gallons RO/DI water.
After I do my weekly test, and find the alk slipping, this time from 4 meq/l to 2.75, I change the drip to water with seachem reef builder and that raises the alk back where I like it .
In one week thought, the calcium went from 430 to 500with the above kalk drip!!! Guess I'm not consuming much, but coraline is busting out all over. I only have softies, though.
I'm thinking I should give up kalk permanently. Too bad, it's so inexpensive and virtuous.
After I do my weekly test, and find the alk slipping, this time from 4 meq/l to 2.75, I change the drip to water with seachem reef builder and that raises the alk back where I like it .
In one week thought, the calcium went from 430 to 500with the above kalk drip!!! Guess I'm not consuming much, but coraline is busting out all over. I only have softies, though.
I'm thinking I should give up kalk permanently. Too bad, it's so inexpensive and virtuous.
neoreef
Member
Oh, sorry,
test kits are recent, about a month old Saliferts'
Never tested for magnesium.
I do 10% water changes weekly, except last week when I did a 20%. I don't think Mag is wacky, because I haven't had a precipitation event, and I am replenishing Mag with the water changes, aren't I? I'm using Oceanic salt, RO/DI water.
but I'll see if I have a Magnesium test kit in my stash of fish stuff.
I don't add anything else except fish food. And sparingly, as I'm still fighting the red hair algae. My fish used to be picky about what they would eat, now they suck down anything I offer. I hope I am not being too sparing with the food....
What's happening to my alk, and why doesn't kalk drip maintain it?
test kits are recent, about a month old Saliferts'
Never tested for magnesium.
I do 10% water changes weekly, except last week when I did a 20%. I don't think Mag is wacky, because I haven't had a precipitation event, and I am replenishing Mag with the water changes, aren't I? I'm using Oceanic salt, RO/DI water.
but I'll see if I have a Magnesium test kit in my stash of fish stuff.
I don't add anything else except fish food. And sparingly, as I'm still fighting the red hair algae. My fish used to be picky about what they would eat, now they suck down anything I offer. I hope I am not being too sparing with the food....
What's happening to my alk, and why doesn't kalk drip maintain it?
bang guy
Moderator
That's not it then. There's no way the inside of a skimmer will be deficient in CO2.
My next, less likely guess is that you had a high phosphate level. Hydroxide will react with Phosphate and precipitate out of solution. This would eat up your Carbonate and lower your Phosphate but the symptoms should stop as soon as your PO4 level is low.
My next, less likely guess is that you had a high phosphate level. Hydroxide will react with Phosphate and precipitate out of solution. This would eat up your Carbonate and lower your Phosphate but the symptoms should stop as soon as your PO4 level is low.
neoreef
Member
You might have something there. In the past month I've had 2 crabs and a firefish vaporize with no trace, one small fish expire due to high temps when I was out of town, and a shrimp die of old age I think...lotta death going on, not all of which was I able to remove. Nitrates have been running a tad high as a result, so why shouldn't phosphates? That would do it! Thanks, Guy, mystery solved!