Help balancing my chemistry

I found a link for water parameters- which was very helpful (Reef Aquarium Water Parameters by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com), however, I'm having trouble figuring out which to adjust first. I've lost a finger leather, colt, and 1/2 of a frogspawn.
9-18-08 Temp 78 9-25-08 Temp 78
Salinity 1.026 Salinity 1.026
ALK 10.9 dKH ALK 16.0 dKH
pH 7.8 pH 8.2
Ammonia 0.0 Ammonia 0.0
Nitrite 0.0 Nitrite 0.0
Nitrate 10 Nitrate 10
Phosphate .05mg/L
Calcium 345 mg/L
9-21-08 I lost the corals. 9-23-08 I did a 20% water change.
Now, I understand the calcium needs to be higher, the ALK lower, and I have superbuffer and calcium which I was adding on alternating days M-F, but stopped doing that on 9-18-08 (for reasons I didn't write down!). So, do I buffer first day, and add calcium second day? Or, should I do everything at once?
Thanks for any help.

 

Don't buffer at all until your alkalinity drops

 

And my alk will drop....? Naturally, water change...? And, no calcium either?

 

In certain circumstances (which rarely occur) Calcium can be limiting below 380 ppm. The reasons it's rare is because Strontium and Magnesium can act as stand-ins for Calcium.

With that said, it's still a very good idea to mimic NSW so getting your alk down and your Ca up would be a good idea. Coralline algae, stony corals, LPS corals will take both Ca and alk out of your water so continue watching both parameters.

 

You need to make alk changes slowly because quick changes in that can be deadly to corals. Like the others said get the alk down over the next few days. Then I would raise the calc up to 400 or so. Keep up with Randys information he is really helpfull. He posts on reef central almost daily.

 

Hello, you have not listed your Magnesium. Mag and Calc work synergisticly. If Mag is low (under 1200 ppm) Calk will be hard to raise and keep stable. Word of advice, too many aquarists get hung up on or fixated on a number. They will read/hear Calc should be 450 ppm for example, not only is that not true, it is unnecessary. The ocean is in a range (depending on which ocean and area of ) between 380-420 ppm. Our goal with any parameter is to get within that range and keep it stable. Let's take Calc. Mine is at 400 ppm. This is within the said range so once I got it to that level I have kept it there. We don't want swings as this stresses the tank inhabitants. So to address the high Alk I would let things settle down for a couple of weeks and only add your "top off" water and do your testing every other day or every three days and watch your readings. If your calc starts to fall off, add enough to get back to where you are now. It is important though to know your Mag level.

 

I just purchased the calcium and phosphate tests, I will go get the magnesium. To make sure I have this correct, I add nothing, no buffer, no calcium. I watch my chemistry, add top off water, and wait. If calcium drops below where it is now, add just enough to bring it back to this level. I assume if this is right, that means my ALK will drop naturally. Second, what would cause the spike in ALK from 9-18 to 9-25?

 

Yes, you have it correct. It is unusual for the Alk to spike like that. Don't panic though, the Alk will level down and where it is, although outside the range it should be, shouldn't harm anything short term. It is uncertain as to cause until we find out Mag. Also, whenever you add Calc you should at the same time buffer. The popular method is a 2 part additive like Kent Marine; Tech CB Part A and B where the "A" is Calc and "B" is the buffer. The high Alk reading can be from; Tester error, false reading or it actually is high. I always do 2 additional tests from different areas of my tank if I think my reading is off.
All this reading is indicating is that the water is more alkaline than acidic and it's better that way than the other so don't be too alarmed.

 

I completely agree

I completely disagree. In fact, I just told him NOT to add any buffer to let the alk drop slowly.

Two-parters are awesome if you are balanced. Bbsbliss is not balanced yet so the two-parters should not be used yet except as a way to get balanced.

 

Inwall, those comments were for in the future, I think bliss got it but in case not........after things are balanced out "whenever you add Calc you should at the same time buffer. The popular method is a 2 part additive like Kent Marine; Tech CB Part A and B where the "A" is Calc and "B" is the buffer".