pH, Calcium Alkalinity and Magnesium.

You should adjust your calcium and alkalinity so that they are at proportionate levels, then dose daily/weekly/whatever with a 2 part mix that is in the correct ratio.

It may be that the products you are dosing with do not balance out and you end up with higher calcium levels than Alk levels.

If you balance the two with additives, then dose equal amounts of both, you should stay on track.

Calcium carbonate that precipitates on heaters and pumps is equal parts calcium and alkalinity. Coral also uses these two in balance. This is why using the two part system with both in balance with one another works.

Kalk has the same balanced ratio of Calcium/ Alkalinity, and when using it, you will not be adding chloride ions that the two-part solutions contain. It's the best, cheapest method by far for low-medium demand systems, but will not keep up with a high demand... it can also be messy, as the solution will harden the lines in peristaltic pumps and can easily raise pH to dangerous levels if added too quickly.

 

I'm loving this thread already. I only got through page two on my lunch and only part of the second article. I'm gonna give this a re-read later.

I have tester related questions though. I'm looking to start to get into dosing seriously. Is the Pinpoint Calcium probe up to par at this point? I'm asking for people who have one and not theory. My main concern is reliability, consistency and ease of calibration? And I know about the Hanna phosphate tester. When are more direct hand held testers coming out? I understand that the Reefkeeper systems and others do PH, ORP and temp but how about other probes that read ALK, Cal and Mag directly working with those systems? I think I should start a different thread. ??

More later. Gotta roll.

 

This is exactly what I'm doing. I'll keep my ALK where it's at and bring up CAL to the proportionate level (which isn't that far off from this morning's test). Now I just have to decide which route to go from here on out....2-part or Kalk? I'm thinking 2-part only b/c my tank's demand will consistently be increasing over time as I plan to add many more corals.

 

Probably a good move. My kalk setup I mentioned worked great for my lps/softie tank.

 

So are you dosing by hand? You really should spread your dosing out. If you are dosing by hand, BRS has a cheap driper that I used for a while. Better than just dumping it in or standing there forever.

 

I dump it into a high flow area every other night... just before the lights go off... I haven't had any problems doing this. I had considered dosing pumps once upon a time, but after I set up my calcium reactor tonight, I don't believe I will need them! ;D I may be starting a thread on the calcium reactor... we'll see how it goes...

 

Yep, that will take care of that.