Calcium and Alkalinity. How do I bring them up?

Ok Here are my params now.
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
PH 8.4

Calcium 350pp
Alkalinity 80ppm

How do you guys recommend I bring both Calcium and Alkalinity up in a blanced fashion. I have kalkwasser, should i just drip this? I figure if I bring Calc up with the Kalkwasser I'll be dropping my Alk... Is this so?

Do I need a 2 part Calcium/Alkalinity suppliment to bring them both up first and then start dripping the Kalk? Help I think this is the reason I can't keep snails.

 

Well K/W is good but once started there is no stopping ..And its not a magic bullet or a use and forget deal either and lots of trouble unless you use a reactor. With average load and demand I'd use a simple buffer and Calcium additive.. Make your own buffer if you want and use Dow flakes also or you can use Kent's turbo Calcium and reef buffer.

To make a good high quality buffer just mix 4 parts Arm and Hammer bicarbonate to 1 part boraxo Laundry booster and you can get a large bag of Dow flakes for a lot less then turbo ca.

Unless you have a really high demand for these additives I'd not mess with the K/W and even then you have to kick the K/W up every once in awhile when the demand is high . I slurry Kalk and still have to help it out with Ca and Buffer I'm going to get a dual chamber reactor in the next few days I have a CO'2 tank now on the truck to get this morning. We have such a huge demand I can't keep it nearly as stable as I'd like with Kalk and boosters ..

I can test it at say 8:00 AM and the Ca will be at 500 and the Carbonates at 15 DK and that evening at 8:00 Pm the C will be at 380 and DK at 12 or less. Thats what you need to do is find out the total demand for a few weeks to see what you need.

 

Read this article and it will explain some of the chemistry of Alk, Cal, Mg & PH Chemistry and the Aquarium I am by no means a marine biologist so this article cleared up some gray area I had with the relationship of all the chemicals.

 

Otty that's the guide I've been using. I'm in "Corrections for Zone 2" I see the guy say that one of the ways to move into the red zone are by adding limewater (kalkwasser). I have this. My question is can I just drip the kalkwasser alone?

What I'm really asking is if the Kalkwasser will raise me alkalinity as well as calcium?

 

AHhhhhh finally found the missing piece of this argument. That link you gave Otty and this one come together to make the big picture.

Calcium and Alkalinity: Methods to Achieve Proper Levels

 

you could use esv bionic. it's a 2 part additive. I have used this and it works and it's easy. Kalk intimidates me so I prefer the liquid additives.