Dosing

[ElusiveKumquat]

So I'm just wondering if I need to dose any calcium. My calcium levels seem to stay within an acceptable range with weekly water changes. It's just my alkalinity that drops to low. Would I run into issues but just dosing for alkalinity to keep it at 8-9dkh?

 

[Reeferdood]

Only dose what your testing tells you to do..
tell more about your system and testing methods..

 

[marke]

Your OK doing what you suggested. The question is why is that happening. Corals consume both Kh and Ca at a known ratio; hence most dose both equally. Is your salt Ca coming in super high and Kh low? Hows your mag?

 

[Downbeach]

Its not unusual for this to happen for two reasons. First is the fact that your alk is used at a ratio that is 5 parts alk(50ppm/2.8dKH) to every ~ 2 parts (18-20ppm) of Ca, "There are many good ways to provide a balanced ratio of calcium and alkalinity. Before discussing the methods, let me explain a bit more about what a balanced ratio actually is. Pure calcium carbonate contains one calcium ion for each carbonate ion. That ratio corresponds to 1 meq/L of alkalinity (= 2.8 dKH or 50 ppm calcium carbonate equivalents) for each 20 ppm of calcium. In a real coral skeleton, some magnesium ions get into spaces ordinarily occupied by calcium, so the real ratio in corals and coralline algae is usually closer to 18-20 ppm calcium for each 1 meq/L of alkalinity, and that ratio varies a bit by organism." from this article. Secondly, there is more Ca in reserve in your system from which to draw from, which means your WC schedule can better keep up with the Ca demand. Over time, as your system grows this will change, causing you to start dosing the Ca supplement as well.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

So I'm just wondering if I need to dose any calcium. My calcium levels seem to stay within an acceptable range with weekly water changes. It's just my alkalinity that drops to low. Would I run into issues but just dosing for alkalinity to keep it at 8-9dkh?

Calcium is likely declining too, just much more slowly on a percentage basis and calcium kits are not good enough to see the change.

What is calcium now?

 

[ElusiveKumquat]

System volume is 150 gallons. Soon to be adding 20 more. I've been having issues with my acans and my duncan. Other lps and soft corals are good. I've been testing the water the past few days. I started having issues when I started to raise my alkalinity from 5 dkh. When I got to around 7-8 dkh I started having issues with the corals. I lost 1 acan and the other 2 look rough. Not sure why this happened. I was raising the alk very slow about 1 dkh a day. I stopped raising it and did a water change. Still haven't recovered yet.

Current tank parameters:
Sg- 1.025
Mg- 1400
Ca- 445
Alk- 7.6
Ph-8.25

 

[ElusiveKumquat]

Your OK doing what you suggested. The question is why is that happening. Corals consume both Kh and Ca at a known ratio; hence most dose both equally. Is your salt Ca coming in super high and Kh low? Hows your mag?

Salt mix testes out at about 10 dkh and 500+ calcium. Using reef crystals and RODI.

 

[Dramad1]

When I test, I try to do it at the same time everyday for a week, get a gauge on how much my tank is consuming per week.
Wc and then test again and then again another week. The day of and the day after, I skip dosing on those days......but my tank is not consuming mass amounts of ca or alk so when I do a wc the levels raise just a touch higher than average for the week, usually with in a day after my levels return to normal remain about even till end of week and next wc.
I kinda slack and only test 1 week of the month unless I see a change in the tank, then I'll test everything.
Could be your getting an alk spike when doing your wc's???

 

[ElusiveKumquat]

When I test, I try to do it at the same time everyday for a week, get a gauge on how much my tank is consuming per week.
Wc and then test again and then again another week. The day of and the day after, I skip dosing on those days......but my tank is not consuming mass amounts of ca or alk so when I do a wc the levels raise just a touch higher than average for the week, usually with in a day after my levels return to normal remain about even till end of week and next wc.
I kinda slack and only test 1 week of the month unless I see a change in the tank, then I'll test everything.
Could be your getting an alk spike when doing your wc's???

It only raised about 1dkh. What I don't get is why my alk was so low in the first place if new water is 10 dkh. I do 15 gallons every week

 

[Dramad1]

There it is there^^^,
If you alk is at 5 and your salt mix is at 10, you do a 15g water change and it only raises alk 1 dkh?? Now your at 6.

Or....you
Dose daily and raise alk to 7.6, come wc day, salt mix raises alk up to 8.6 by end of week your at 5? Up the dosages and corals don't like?
Please excuse me, I've had a few or 6 or 9 beers lol

I'd say up your wc' s to 30g here and there, if your set on 15g a week, maybe do 10 on the weekend and 5 mid week.

What kind of salt r u using and what's your nitrate and phosphate looking like?

 

[ElusiveKumquat]

There it is there^^^,
If you alk is at 5 and your salt mix is at 10, you do a 15g water change and it only raises alk 1 dkh?? Now your at 6.

Or....you
Dose daily and raise alk to 7.6, come wc day, salt mix raises alk up to 8.6 by end of week your at 5? Up the dosages and corals don't like?
Please excuse me, I've had a few or 6 or 9 beers lol

I'd say up your wc' s to 30g here and there, if your set on 15g a week, maybe do 10 on the weekend and 5 mid week.

What kind of salt r u using and what's your nitrate and phosphate looking like?

I started at 5 dkh when I was able to accurately able to test it. Raised it to 7.6 with caribseas coral up B. Ran out. Waited a few days from last dose it dropped to 7. Then did the water change which brought to 8. Dosed once more which brought it to 8.4. Haven't dosed since which was 3 days ago to see how much it would drop. It has stayed at 7.7 dkh the past 3 days. I will be doing larger water changes of 20 when I add my 20 gallon water change tank. I use reef crystals and nitrates are 0. Phosphates are usually about .25.

 

[Reeferdood]

System volume is 150 gallons. Soon to be adding 20 more. I've been having issues with my acans and my duncan. Other lps and soft corals are good. I've been testing the water the past few days. I started having issues when I started to raise my alkalinity from 5 dkh. When I got to around 7-8 dkh I started having issues with the corals. I lost 1 acan and the other 2 look rough. Not sure why this happened. I was raising the alk very slow about 1 dkh a day. I stopped raising it and did a water change. Still haven't recovered yet.

Current tank parameters:
Sg- 1.025
Mg- 1400
Ca- 445
Alk- 7.6
Ph-8.25

Judging by what I see here I would say your water might not be the issue. I have seen Duncan's and Acans do fine in those parameters..
What critters do you have in there??
Someone might have an appetite for your corals.:eek:

 

[Reeferdood]

I started at 5 dkh when I was able to accurately able to test it. Raised it to 7.6 with caribseas coral up B. Ran out. Waited a few days from last dose it dropped to 7. Then did the water change which brought to 8. Dosed once more which brought it to 8.4. Haven't dosed since which was 3 days ago to see how much it would drop. It has stayed at 7.7 dkh the past 3 days. I will be doing larger water changes of 20 when I add my 20 gallon water change tank. I use reef crystals and nitrates are 0. Phosphates are usually about .25.

Phosphates are high but I doubt this would be a smoking gun unless your tank has lots of algae issues...

 

[ElusiveKumquat]

Judging by what I see here I would say your water might not be the issue. I have seen Duncan's and Acans do fine in those parameters..
What critters do you have in there??
Someone might have an appetite for your corals.:eek:

Tomini tang, square tail tang, chromis, clowns, peppermint shrimp, arrow crab.

 

[Reeferdood]

Tomini tang, square tail tang, chromis, clowns, peppermint shrimp, arrow crab.

Keep an eye on the shrimp, they can be nasty little buggers. I have seen them pick at corals during the nighttime digging for food..

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Salt mix testes out at about 10 dkh and 500+ calcium. Using reef crystals and RODI.

Reef Crystals normally has higher alkalinity than that.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I started at 5 dkh when I was able to accurately able to test it. Raised it to 7.6 with caribseas coral up B. Ran out. Waited a few days from last dose it dropped to 7. Then did the water change which brought to 8. Dosed once more which brought it to 8.4. Haven't dosed since which was 3 days ago to see how much it would drop. It has stayed at 7.7 dkh the past 3 days. I will be doing larger water changes of 20 when I add my 20 gallon water change tank. I use reef crystals and nitrates are 0. Phosphates are usually about .25.

I'm not sure that product is even capable of raising carbonate alkalinity in seawater. Undissolved solids of it will also lead to a false high alk reading. I'd recommend just using baking soda. :)

 

[ElusiveKumquat]

I'm not sure that product is even capable of raising carbonate alkalinity in seawater. Undissolved solids of it will also lead to a false high alk reading. I'd recommend just using baking soda. :)

Is there a particular recipe you use? Should I stop dosing and going back to just doing water changes like I used to? I actually just added my 20 gallon water change tank to the system. Acans and duncan are looking better. And I haven't dosed that stuff in about 4 days I believe

 

[ElusiveKumquat]

Keep an eye on the shrimp, they can be nasty little buggers. I have seen them pick at corals during the nighttime digging for food..

There's also a flame angel I forgot about. But I saw one of the peppermint shrimp eating the acan I lost. It was pretty much done for when he went for it.

 

[Reeferdood]

I'm putting my money on the Flame! Beautiful fish but I would only have one in a tank with fake corals!
Nasty little buggers!o_O