Small tank calcium regimen - please post yours

[this is me]

Yeah, i'm using the tw part bionic as well and have the problem with ALK and CA swinging up and down. Alk is 9-11DKH. and CA is 400-450.
Is that too much of a swing?
looking forward for a reactor also.

 

[Moe_K]

Yeah, i'm using the tw part bionic as well and have the problem with ALK and CA swinging up and down. Alk is 9-11DKH. and CA is 400-450.
Is that too much of a swing?
looking forward for a reactor also.

how long does it take to see this swing?
If it's over a day or more, no big deal. The coral is using the supplements.

 

[this is me]

Yup, i dose twice a day though. 15ml of each part in the morning. 15ml of each part in the evening.
I also somtime forget.....

 

[mantishunter]

I know that you posted w/o Ca reactor, but I too used B Ionic and kalc for two years with mixed results and having to ad more suppliments. I bit the bullett in September and began using a reactor on my 75 total volume 100. No more anything other than perfect levels. I believe I already saved on the cost of the reactor from all I was dosing including trips to the stores. BTW my tank was a calcium pig.

 

[shearwater]

Great responses everybody! It's really useful to see how you're keeping those small tanks stable.

Nate - thanks, it's amazing how much information is available from a little survey like this! My Alk is typically high (I still use the qualitative idiot's Alk test kit -- the low-med-hi scale) but I have noticed that it comes down when I drip more CaCl2. I do get lots of Calcium precipitate. I thought *high* Alkalinity was key to keeping Calcium dissolved - did I get that wrong?

I am thinking of Randy's talk and the 2-part system which is acutually 3 parts when you add Epsom salts / magnesium. I plan to review the details of the system again, and see if I can apply it to make things work a bit more smoothly.

I should add that I have a T. derasa on the bottom of my tank. In addition to hosting my clown fish and sometimes the "hosting" red scooter blenny, the clam is undoubtedly a huge calcium sink, which has added 3/8" of new shell in 2-3 months. And corals are growing steadily. Perhap Ca is just being used up faster than I'm testing for it (the Salifert test is such a pain, I'm unwilling to do it every day!)

 

[Moe_K]

Perhap Ca is just being used up faster than I'm testing for it (the Salifert test is such a pain, I'm unwilling to do it every day!)

Two products that would fly off the shelves: cheap & fairly reliable Ca montior, cheap & reliable alk monitor.

 

[TheUltimateNoob]

how much do these ca and alk monitors usually cost?

 

[NateHanson]

unfortunately they're a figment of moe's imagination.

Peter (shearwater), I think if Alk is too high, it will precipitate and take Ca with it in the form of CaCo3. If your Alk is high, don't dose lime or any alk additive, and let it come down on it's own. That said, your clam is probably plenty of explanation for why you're having trouble keeping levels up. But you should still be able to dose them in a balanced manner, because they are only used in a balanced manner by your critters, and that greedy clam. Maybe you'd just better give me your clam. That would solve your problems.

Mihn, The thing I like about kalk is that it drips all day, so levels (supposedly) stay more constant. That of course depends on whether kalk can keep up with your demands. Since I'm a cheapass with the corals, it works for me, and the price (about $5 for a year's supply of pickling lime) is so very right!

Nate

 

[TheUltimateNoob]

doh. nevermind. "two products that WOULD fly off the shelves." i could make a lot of money if i made one. hmm.

 

[shearwater]

GUILTY of Sucking Calcium!!

Clem the Clam...

 

[KevK]

Clem is obviously worth it.

 

[TheUltimateNoob]

hahaha. you named your clam. nice!

 

[TheUltimateNoob]

i like this thread. let's revive it. how do you guys dose? in your auto top-off? manually each day? i'm trying to figure out a way to make top-offs and dosing (b-ionic) easier.

 

[Moe_K]

i like this thread. let's revive it. how do you guys dose? in your auto top-off? manually each day? i'm trying to figure out a way to make top-offs and dosing (b-ionic) easier.

ESV (makers of B-Ionic) make their own dosing pump thing. Might wanna give it a look.

 

[TheUltimateNoob]

wow. that thing is pretty expensive. maybe i'll just use the kent aquadose. does anyone have experience with this?

 

[NateHanson]

I use a home-made 3 gallon aquadose type aparatus. (my wife stole some IV supplies from the hospital) to drip Kalk. Takes care of my top-off and Ca/Alk for about 3 days.

Nate

 

[TheUltimateNoob]

nate, are you using b-ionic?

*edit*

nevermind, i see you are using kalk. do you drip all day and all night? how do you determine how saturated the solution is?

 

[NateHanson]

I use Kalk. Yeah, it drips all day and all night. Usually I fill the kalk reservoir and it drips (about a gallon a day) and then it sits for about a day before I get around to filling it again. My Ca and Alk stay quite stable around 410-420 and 3.6-3.7. I don't check pH too often, but it's at 8.2 when i do.

As for the level of saturation, if you put in 2 teaspoons per gallon, and shake, you've got a saturated kalk solution. You can tell because some solid settles to the bottom. I've found that my levels are maintained by dripping about 75% saturated kalk. (I just put in a little less lime when making it up).

I spent $3 to put together the dripper, and I have a $3 can of pickling lime from the hardware store, that should last me about 6 months. Can't beat that, as long as my Ca/Alk requirements don't grow beyond what I can provide with kalk.

 

[TheUltimateNoob]

is pickling lime just another name for kalk?

 

[Piscevore]

I have a kent aquadoser that a friend gave me, and I am very interestined kalking.
Why would I use one (kalk) over the other (b-ionic) etc