Time to give me a refresher course on alkalinity
- Thread starter mrdc
- Start date
slice
Active Member
I have recently gone through the same thing. For over a year, my alk, cal and mag maintained the desired level with daily 10ml of Seachem Reef Fusion 2 part and a tsp of Seachem Advantage Magnesium every other day. My alk stayed ~8.3 dKH, cal ~450 and mag ~1400.
I now have to add Seachem Reef Builder to my top off water to keep the alk from dropping rapidly. Cal and mag levels have remained the same as always with the additions I've always done.
I now have to add Seachem Reef Builder to my top off water to keep the alk from dropping rapidly. Cal and mag levels have remained the same as always with the additions I've always done.
E
eric b 125
Guest
Isn't there a "snakes guide" for this?
snakeblitz33
Well-Known Member
Make sure your test kit is accurate. Test at home and then get it tested at your Lfs.
What test kit are you using?
Calcium is harder to drop because corals tend to use a little less calcium than alkalinity. Alkalinity is nothing more than the resistance to a change in pH. Typically, this is measured in dKH. So, test both places and then post all of your results.
Also post accurate mg levels. It's hard to balance ca and alk if your mg is too low or too high.
Are you using any pH buffers?
What test kit are you using?
Calcium is harder to drop because corals tend to use a little less calcium than alkalinity. Alkalinity is nothing more than the resistance to a change in pH. Typically, this is measured in dKH. So, test both places and then post all of your results.
Also post accurate mg levels. It's hard to balance ca and alk if your mg is too low or too high.
Are you using any pH buffers?
bang guy
Moderator
If youo have balanced ALK & Calcium levels that are not too high then the Magnesium gets recycled over & over so it's consumed very slowly.
Calcium and Alkalinity are consumed at almost the same rate, Alkalinity on very slightly faster.
The issue is that Alkalinity levels (mostly Carbonate, Bicarbonate, and Borate) are typically less than a third of Calcium levels.
Let's look at a typical tank with Alkalinity near 150ppm (3.0Meq/L) and Calcium near 450ppm as an example. Say a high Coral load might consume 25ppm a day of each in perfectly equal amounts. After a couple of days Calcium is still 375 - 400ppm which is still acceptable but Alkalinity has dropped to 1.5 - 2.0 Meq/L whis is way too low.
So, these two parameter still should be maintained in equal amounts. But if they are not maintained for a while then Alkalinity will be the first parameter to drop to unacceptable levels. This is why reactors and limewater drips are so popular because they have the ability to maintain levels 24/7.
Calcium and Alkalinity are consumed at almost the same rate, Alkalinity on very slightly faster.
The issue is that Alkalinity levels (mostly Carbonate, Bicarbonate, and Borate) are typically less than a third of Calcium levels.
Let's look at a typical tank with Alkalinity near 150ppm (3.0Meq/L) and Calcium near 450ppm as an example. Say a high Coral load might consume 25ppm a day of each in perfectly equal amounts. After a couple of days Calcium is still 375 - 400ppm which is still acceptable but Alkalinity has dropped to 1.5 - 2.0 Meq/L whis is way too low.
So, these two parameter still should be maintained in equal amounts. But if they are not maintained for a while then Alkalinity will be the first parameter to drop to unacceptable levels. This is why reactors and limewater drips are so popular because they have the ability to maintain levels 24/7.
snakeblitz33
Well-Known Member
Yeah, what he said.
mrdc
Active Member
Thanks for the replies. I have a somewhat high coral load and and based on what I see here, I think my problem may be trying to always get the alk up and then test ca and say its ok. Maybe I need to dose alk one day and ca the next and repeat for awhile and then start testing.
Snake, I have seachem, api and salifert alk test kits because I was wondering if my API test kit was faulty.
Snake, I have seachem, api and salifert alk test kits because I was wondering if my API test kit was faulty.
snakeblitz33
Well-Known Member
I thought that I could do well with two part dosing but I quit and I am doin a kalk drip and using my two parts to adjust it up as necessary.
deejeff442
Active Member
sometimes i just dont understand ? i never test alk? i hardly ever test calcium ,mag or much else for that matter. i test ph and nitrates every couple weeks thats it.all my corals and fish grow like crazy.am i missing something? actually i think i am a bit affraid to test anything .if they are not what the standards are i might dose and kill something
S
siptang
Guest
Lol I feel the same way jeff. Except that I have killed things due to my incompetence. So I check every Sunday and started dosing with. Im keeping kalk for sps corals... I'm keeping my finger crossed that I don't kill anything.. :/
slice
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by deejeff442 http:///t/390970/time-to-give-me-a-refresher-course-on-alkalinity#post_3465115
sometimes i just dont understand ? i never test alk? i hardly ever test calcium ,mag or much else for that matter. i test ph and nitrates every couple weeks thats it.all my corals and fish grow like crazy.am i missing something? actually i think i am a bit affraid to test anything .if they are not what the standards are i might dose and kill something
My SPS act as "passive" test kits. When they start to look different, I use my "active" test kits (Salifert, API) to pinpoint the chemistry issue.
Whatever you are doing, keep doing it...I guess...
Originally Posted by deejeff442 http:///t/390970/time-to-give-me-a-refresher-course-on-alkalinity#post_3465115
sometimes i just dont understand ? i never test alk? i hardly ever test calcium ,mag or much else for that matter. i test ph and nitrates every couple weeks thats it.all my corals and fish grow like crazy.am i missing something? actually i think i am a bit affraid to test anything .if they are not what the standards are i might dose and kill something
My SPS act as "passive" test kits. When they start to look different, I use my "active" test kits (Salifert, API) to pinpoint the chemistry issue.
Whatever you are doing, keep doing it...I guess...