Alakalinity Spikes

[exnisstech]

My calcium has a slight drop after a few weeks. Around 10ppm so I dose a little calcium to bring it back up. If I raise my AFR dose my alkalinity raises

Not sure 10pm calcium drop is even worth worrying about.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

using a calcium ion vs organic calcium would help keep calcium more stable unless your would prefer organic calcium due to corals

A few comments:

1. There's no reason to think the polygluconate stays on the calcium once added.
2. There's no reason to think a coral would more readily take up organically bound calcium.
3. The problem with organically bound calcium is not lack of calcium stability (it may, in fact, be more stable if chelated strongly enough to retain it in the aquarium), but that if the organic is metabolized, it will add alkalinity.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

My calcium has a slight drop after a few weeks. Around 10ppm so I dose a little calcium to bring it back up. If I raise my AFR dose my alkalinity raises

I expect that is test error if alkalinity is being maintained.

AFR actually adds slightly more calcium than alkalinity, and so will maintain calcium if you are adding enough to maintain alkalinity (and are not adding alk some other way).

 

[jordanrb]

I expect that is test error if alkalinity is being maintained.

AFR actually adds slightly more calcium than alkalinity, and so will maintain calcium if you are adding enough to maintain alkalinity (and are not adding alk some other way).

Ok that is good to know. I am using salifert so being off 10ppm isnt hard to do.