I would love some advice.

normanqt

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I have had a 90 gallon tank for just over a year now. I bought it on Craigslist and have really enjoyed learning about the animals and watching everything grow. I have been monitoring the parameters for quite a while. There is never any nitrates or nitrites or ammonia - even after something dies in the tank. For the most part the corals are growing and the fish seem happy. Every once in a while something will mysteriously disappear never to be seen again, but I fear that is just a part of it. I have had some issues with red slime algea on the sand bed, and there are usually a few spots of diatoms as well. I just added a bunch of crabs and snails a week ago and that seems to be helping a bit.
The big problem that I have is my calcium is always around 360ppm, my ph stays around 7.9, and my alk is only about 4 kh. I have tried topping of the water with kalk water, adding ph buffers and pouring in liquid calcium. But nothing seems to make a difference in the long run. I do a 7 gallon water change every 1.5 - 2 weeks. But that is about it. What do you guys think I should do?
Thanks a bunch for any advice, I really love this hobby and would like to make things do as well as possible:)
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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When you say liquid calcium, I presume that is some brand of calcium chloride, and that is the thing to use to boost calcium. I presume you got it higher and it didn't stay higher?

If it never got high enough, then you just didn't add enough.

Water changes with a lower calcium mix or demand in the tank for calcium and alkalinity (most likely the former in your case) will drop calcium.

What salt mix are you using and what is the salinity?

Once you get calcium about where you want it, then I'd suggest you pick a balanced calcium and alkalinity additive system, such as a two/three part system, or limewater/kalkwasser for top off.
 

jt17

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With alk at 4 you might be ready for the 2 part now. If you've only recently begun dosing then you will have some ground to make up. I wouldn't try to raise your parameters too quickly. The 2 part products will tell you the max you can add per day. Nothing good happens fast in the hobby :) You will want to keep your alk and Ca in a balanced ratio so you don't want to raise one too much without increasing the other. Here's a calculator I use to help figure out the ideal balance of Ca and alk.

Calcium/Alkalinity Balance Calculator
 
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normanqt

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interesting, according to that calculator, I have a good balance right now. I also just read about mixing vinegar with kalk water, That will increase both right? I might try consistently using that in the top off for a month or two and see if that changes, previously I have tried things for a bit and then stopped.
 

jt17

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interesting, according to that calculator, I have a good balance right now. I also just read about mixing vinegar with kalk water, That will increase both right? I might try consistently using that in the top off for a month or two and see if that changes, previously I have tried things for a bit and then stopped.

You may have the right balance, but you are still deficient in both Ca and alk. My point was to raise both at the same time so they stay in the right balance. What corals you are growing will determine what parameters you want to maintain. BTW, what corals are you growing? And just curious what has disappeared in your tank?
 
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wrimda

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With alk at 4 you might be ready for the 2 part now. If you've only recently begun dosing then you will have some ground to make up. I wouldn't try to raise your parameters too quickly. The 2 part products will tell you the max you can add per day. Nothing good happens fast in the hobby :) You will want to keep your alk and Ca in a balanced ratio so you don't want to raise one too much without increasing the other. Here's a calculator I use to help figure out the ideal balance of Ca and alk.

Calcium/Alkalinity Balance Calculator

Thanks for the link on the calculator. Bookmarked, very helpfull.
 
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normanqt

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I have been using reef crystals, but I think I am going to try kents this time around. Is there any problem switching salts?
 
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normanqt

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I have a lot of lsp corals right not. Leathers, mushrooms, candy canes, elegance, zoas, and a handful of random sps corals that I traded for.
In the last year I have had 2 gobys, 2 shrimp, and a few hermit crabs totally disappear. And a few sps corals have met their demise when the turbo snail decided it would be funny to knock them into the elegance coral :/
 

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Do the diy two part method.

all and all it seems that your tank is doing well with only usual problems.
 

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