Ideal Alk and how slow to raise it.
- Thread starter clamm
- Start date
OP
OP
clamm
Nothing to nobody
ray is correct but my ca was high so I wanted it to come down slightly. like i said im still dialing in the reactor. I already diluted it but i guess I will have to dilute it even more. But it was raising alk and lowering Ca which is what I wanted at that time ...
I guess there was info you needed to know before hand...
I stated with ALK low (5meg/l) im trying to get to 11
I started with CAL high (450+)
I am trying to get the levels as following Ca 425-450 and ALK 11meg/L
Once i get the levels to that in the tank im going to test it daily, adding in the reactor till the point the reactor can compensate and maintain that on its own.
At leasts thast the way I was told to dial it in.
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So the snow was bringing Cal down into the range I wanted and the alk was still going up slightly? Does this seem wrong. I cant imagine how much more I would have to delute it cause one drop equals a snow flake.
Thanks for the help, maybe this will help get an idea of what im doing...or supposed to be doing
I guess there was info you needed to know before hand...
I stated with ALK low (5meg/l) im trying to get to 11
I started with CAL high (450+)
I am trying to get the levels as following Ca 425-450 and ALK 11meg/L
Once i get the levels to that in the tank im going to test it daily, adding in the reactor till the point the reactor can compensate and maintain that on its own.
At leasts thast the way I was told to dial it in.
----------------------------------------------------------------
So the snow was bringing Cal down into the range I wanted and the alk was still going up slightly? Does this seem wrong. I cant imagine how much more I would have to delute it cause one drop equals a snow flake.
Thanks for the help, maybe this will help get an idea of what im doing...or supposed to be doing
Last edited:
NateHanson
Non-member
What solution are you adding that is causing the mini snowstorm? I usually disolve a couple teaspoons of baking soda in a cup of tank water, and when I add that it doesn't cause any problems. Maybe you were getting the snowstorm because you're calcium was so high. (although to be honest, I'm bumping my alkalinity up right now from 3.6 to 4.0, and my Ca is 480).
Personally i'd avoid snowstorms as a method of bringing ca down, because I would fear the mini snowstorm would tip off a major snowstorm in the whole tank, and that would cause ca and alk levels to suddenly drop, and that could stress your corals.
Personally i'd avoid snowstorms as a method of bringing ca down, because I would fear the mini snowstorm would tip off a major snowstorm in the whole tank, and that would cause ca and alk levels to suddenly drop, and that could stress your corals.
NateHanson
Non-member
That could explain the snowstorms Dennis!
AbbeyRoad
is another out of stater.
Casey- How did this go? How fast did you raise your Alk?
I'm in the same situation. I have too high Calcium and too low Alk. I'm trying to raise my Alk but not sure how slow/fast i can/should do it. I have been using the alk part of the two parts and baking soda too.
Thanks
I'm in the same situation. I have too high Calcium and too low Alk. I'm trying to raise my Alk but not sure how slow/fast i can/should do it. I have been using the alk part of the two parts and baking soda too.
Thanks
nunofs
Non-member
Abby, you can safely raise alk at least a couple of dKH each day, keeping an eye on pH to make sure it's not raising too fast. And if your calcium is too high, just let it slowly drop (due to being taken up by corals) by not adding a calcium supplement for a while.
Before I got my calcium reactor (ie, before last week) I was dosing alk+Ca (b-ionic) every other day, and each time I would be dosing enough alk to raise the level about 2 dKh (from around 8 to around 10 dKH).
Btw, if the values of alk and Ca are very unbalanced and you can't seem to reestablish a reasonable equilibrium, you may have an ionic imbalance in the tank, and you'd need to do a few water changes to restore the chemical balance. I don't have personal experience with this specific issue, just passing along what I've read as it may be the cause of your high calcium / low alk.
Nuno
Before I got my calcium reactor (ie, before last week
) I was dosing alk+Ca (b-ionic) every other day, and each time I would be dosing enough alk to raise the level about 2 dKh (from around 8 to around 10 dKH).Btw, if the values of alk and Ca are very unbalanced and you can't seem to reestablish a reasonable equilibrium, you may have an ionic imbalance in the tank, and you'd need to do a few water changes to restore the chemical balance. I don't have personal experience with this specific issue, just passing along what I've read as it may be the cause of your high calcium / low alk.
Nuno
dedfish
That's Mr.Murphy to you!
Randy has some great articles on this.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=102605
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=102605
AbbeyRoad
is another out of stater.
Yeah, thanks, i think i have read all his articles on this. My head was hurting the other day afterwards
All I'm worried about is my fish...all my corals look horrible if not dead already. I'm just wondering if a quick rise would help save the last corals...cause obviously the levels now are killing them. But i dont want to kill any fish.
I've been adding enough alk additives to raise it 1-2 dKH a day. Usually more like 1 dKH, so i will try for 2 now. The tank doesnt seem to show that much improvement, but i also havent been home except for a 1/2 hr or so a day.
Hopefully i can check levels tonight.
Last i checked they were
Cal- 500
Alk 3 meq/L
thanks
All I'm worried about is my fish...all my corals look horrible if not dead already. I'm just wondering if a quick rise would help save the last corals...cause obviously the levels now are killing them. But i dont want to kill any fish.
I've been adding enough alk additives to raise it 1-2 dKH a day. Usually more like 1 dKH, so i will try for 2 now. The tank doesnt seem to show that much improvement, but i also havent been home except for a 1/2 hr or so a day.
Hopefully i can check levels tonight.
Last i checked they were
Cal- 500
Alk 3 meq/L
thanks
dedfish
That's Mr.Murphy to you!
Abbey, for what it's worth. I am/was in the same zone. I haven't checked recently, but my alk was real low and my calcium was good if not high. I added some washing soda slowly to raise my alk.
Here is a conversion chart:
http://ozreef.org/content/view/5/2/
Here is a conversion chart:
http://ozreef.org/content/view/5/2/
OP
OP
clamm
Nothing to nobody
are you using oceanic salt, i have heard that it keeps calc in the low 500's
but really your numbers dont look that bad, I wouldn't add any more and see what it does...perhaps get alk in the correct range and let the tank consume the calcium.
Everything I have read says calc of around 500 wont hurt anything..
but really your numbers dont look that bad, I wouldn't add any more and see what it does...perhaps get alk in the correct range and let the tank consume the calcium.
Everything I have read says calc of around 500 wont hurt anything..
Hmmm...I have the opposite problem. My Alk is 15dkh, calcium is 500 and my ph won't stay above 8.2 unless I dose kalk. I'm not sure what's going on but I shut off my CA reactor thinking that too much CO2 is getting in the water and preventing the PH from being stable. Funny, just started happening when I switched from IO to Oceanic salt!
