Ca, Mg and Alk Help

Discussion in 'Water Chemistry' started by kcbrad, Mar 11, 2010.

to remove this notice and enjoy 3reef content with less ads. 3reef membership is free.

  1. kcbrad

    kcbrad Giant Squid

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2009
    Messages:
    9,550
    Location:
    Seattle, WA
    Is it a bad thing if the calcium is really high?
     
  2. Click Here!

  3. steve wright

    steve wright Super Moderator

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2009
    Messages:
    11,284
    Location:
    shenzhen Guangdong PRC
    good question kc

    its bad if its really high and supressing your Alk
    I have read often that there are no benefits to running it really high, even if you can do so in balance with Alk - higher mag level = increased ability to keep ions in solution, so yes you can have high calc and acceptable alk

    but
    the higher it is beyond generally accepted target levels, the greater the risk you have of precipitation , you check your DKH , find its low, start making additions and your tank looks like a snowstorm

    Steve
     
  4. yvr

    yvr Skunk Shrimp

    Joined:
    May 22, 2009
    Messages:
    299
    Location:
    Ft. Lauderdale
    Starting with a good quality reef salt mix like Tropic Marin or other popular brands and keeping up with your regular water changes is the best way to maintain with the proper levels of trace elements when you are starting out. Then, you can test your Ca, Hardness, Mg etc. as you progress and dose your tank accordingly if needed. When you add more corals the trace elements may be depleted faster then you can keep up with water changes, so thats when adding supplements is important.
     
    1 person likes this.
  5. pgoodsell

    pgoodsell Horrid Stonefish

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2009
    Messages:
    2,059
    Location:
    Sparks, Nv
    Sorry Im late to this. I agree I would start with a 2 part system. Seems a little easier for me anyway. Also if you read on BRS he suggests you use a mix of both Magnesiums.
     
    1 person likes this.
  6. ReefSparky

    ReefSparky Super Moderator

    Joined:
    Nov 27, 2007
    Messages:
    3,675
    Location:
    South Florida
    Unless he changed his product, the BRS magnesium supplement used to be a 50/50% blend of mag sulfate and mag chloride.

    Some others have alluded to this already, (not to Randy directly, but) Randy Holmes Farley has written that if there is any long term detriment to using only mag. sulfate, he's not aware of it. This suggests to me that you can "probably" use only epsom salts without any long term ill effects. I buy my BRS two part, which comes with mag solution, (50/50) and when it's gone, I use epsom salts until my next BRS purchase. Works so far. . . If you do regular water changes, then I'd think it would be even less of an issue.
     
    2 people like this.
  7. kcbrad

    kcbrad Giant Squid

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2009
    Messages:
    9,550
    Location:
    Seattle, WA
    Thanks for all this wonderful information! I'm writing this all down and trying to sort through it. I have some time before I start really panicking about it, since I only have one hard coral, a hammer, and it is very happy.

    Thank you again!!
     
  8. Click Here!

  9. ReefSparky

    ReefSparky Super Moderator

    Joined:
    Nov 27, 2007
    Messages:
    3,675
    Location:
    South Florida
    For me that would take panicking completely out of the picture.

    I suppose you could worry if you want, but you shouldn't. :)
     
  10. kcbrad

    kcbrad Giant Squid

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2009
    Messages:
    9,550
    Location:
    Seattle, WA
    Haha well I was worrying!! I'm very new to the whole coral thing, so I didn't realize that dosing is really dependent on how many corals you actually have. I was worrying for my lil' hammer! He's so cute.

    But I am very happy to have all this information and I can add all this information to stuff I find on the internet, so by the time I'm buying more coral I will know what I'm doing!
     
  11. ReefSparky

    ReefSparky Super Moderator

    Joined:
    Nov 27, 2007
    Messages:
    3,675
    Location:
    South Florida
    I think you're learning the fact that every tank is different. Your calcium needs pale far in comparison to someone that has a tank full of SPS and clams. There's no "one way" to handle reef tanks. I think in time, everyone who succeeds comes to accept that there's only one way to handle theirs.
     
    1 person likes this.