Extreme Water Clarity and Cyano Eradication, Made Easy!

Tathamet

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 28, 2019
Messages
385
Reaction score
325
Location
Durham region, Ontario
Rating - 0%
0   0   0

BanjoBandito

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 24, 2018
Messages
2,301
Reaction score
2,940
Location
Butler County, PA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thanks, That’s what I thought too. I was trying to read it earlier today but I couldn’t understand it lol.
This is how I read Randy's articles -

blinking trailer park boys GIF
 

BanjoBandito

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 24, 2018
Messages
2,301
Reaction score
2,940
Location
Butler County, PA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I think the GIST of that article is that calcium carbonate CAN BE SOLUBLE in saltwater but it takes a lot of special scenarios and setups. So if it is indeed raising the ALK, then there's another issue going on. I think it means low calcium or ions or gremlins or something. Where's @Randy Holmes-Farley ? Randy - how can calcium carbonate increase ALK and/or be absorbed into seawater. Give us the 10 cent tour answer. Could it really raise ALK in reef tanks or is this pretty much impossible?
 

Tathamet

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 28, 2019
Messages
385
Reaction score
325
Location
Durham region, Ontario
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I think the GIST of that article is that calcium carbonate CAN BE SOLUBLE in saltwater but it takes a lot of special scenarios and setups. So if it is indeed raising the ALK, then there's another issue going on. I think it means low calcium or ions or gremlins or something. Where's @Randy Holmes-Farley ? Randy - how can calcium carbonate increase ALK and/or be absorbed into seawater. Give us the 10 cent tour answer. Could it really raise ALK in reef tanks or is this pretty much impossible?
Yeah it’s weird. From trying to understand it, everything I’ve been reading seems to say it would actually slowly lower dkh. But I could totally be misunderstanding what im reading.
 

NEFFx

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 8, 2016
Messages
197
Reaction score
98
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I dosed my first batch of caco3 and will say that, either placebo or not, It certainly seemed clearer.

after fixing autocorrect thanks chip. Airport texting not always the best.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
SunnyX

SunnyX

ReefSite.com
View Badges
Joined
Jul 16, 2009
Messages
1,380
Reaction score
2,899
Location
Michigan
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hi, I think I made an uh oh lol.

Question. how much should this raise alkalinity at the recommended 1ml per 10 gal?

been using this almost daily to help clear up some Cyano at 1ml per 10g (10tbs in a 500ml bottle of RODI water) and my alk went up from 8 to 10.9 in my weekly testing. One of my $5 tester acros rtn’d over night in the middle of the week and the others definitely aren’t happy. Getting some thin skin and bleached tips on a couple. No polyp extension on any.

Do you think daily 25% water changes are safe to bring it back in range or should I do a lower percentage? The first water change says it should bring it down to 10.175 from 10.9dkh (see chart below). Base water should be around 8dkh

9D2C3585-AD55-4D57-A28E-C56B8BC83771.jpeg


On the plus side Im learning from the mistake and at least my water and sand bed has never looked better lol.

Any tips are appreciated.
Thanks


Hello,

Were you using any sort of bacteria product before dosing this mixture? The only conceivable way that the solution would increase your DKH is by reducing your nitrates. But, given your increase in DKH we're talking something on the order of a reduction of 50-65 PPM of Nitrates which is an absurd amount but not inconceivable. Did you happen to measure nitrates during this same time period, before or after the dosing?

Perhaps @Randy Holmes-Farley has some thoughts on the matter and whether or not a reduction in organics and acids would have such a large scale impact on DKH. I know that from my experience using the coral solution I have rock solid PH and DKH but I have been dosing it continually for years now.

-Sonny
 

Tathamet

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 28, 2019
Messages
385
Reaction score
325
Location
Durham region, Ontario
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hello,

Were you using any sort of bacteria product before dosing this mixture? The only conceivable way that the solution would increase your DKH is by reducing your nitrates. But, given your increase in DKH we're talking something on the order of a reduction of 50-65 PPM of Nitrates which is an absurd amount but not inconceivable. Did you happen to measure nitrates during this same time period, before or after the dosing?

Perhaps @Randy Holmes-Farley has some thoughts on the matter and whether or not a reduction in organics and acids would have such a large scale impact on DKH. I know that from my experience using the coral solution I have rock solid PH and DKH but I have been dosing it continually for years now.

-Sonny
Hi Sonny,

No I don’t use bacteria too often at all. I may crack a vial of biodigest in there every 6 months or so but that’s about it. Though this time I had put another vial in about 3 or 4 weeks before that with no ill effect.

Ok so I just got home from work and am confused now. Mind you I did a quick 25% water change this morning before work. But it shouldn’t have affected it this much.

Just tested twice. The first time i shot the first .5 ml (8ish dkh range) in right away because I was expecting it to be higher. It was purple (not orange, red or pink yet but it starts blue) so I figured I overshot it a little and did a retest starting with %40 this time and dripped it the rest of the way in to 8.6 dkh at 5:00pm. Though I also tested twice last night around 8:00 pm (my normal testing time) and it was in the 10.9 range on both.

also a few days before, when I noticed the rtn happened I had a reading of 9.6-9.9 dkh. I normally sit around 8 dkh so I’m pretty confused. It’s like it was raising steadily and dropped all the sudden. Kind of in line with stopping the use of the snow though. I think I stopped using it on Thursday, when I noticed it climbing.

the diy coral snow was my only addition to the tank around the time my high dkh readings happened so it had me wondering if that was it.

Now, I was more expecting my acro issues to be due to me trying to raise my nutrients but the alk steadily and quickly raising threw me off.

I initially had nitrates sitting around 0.5 ppm (Red Sea nitrate pro) and my phosphates were at 0.03ppm (Red Sea phosphate pro and Hanna ulr). I wanted to raise my nitrates a bit so i decided to up my feeding some. After the first week of extra feeding, my nitrates went up to 1 and po4 0.04 so i continued feeding for the next few weeks and slowed when I hit 5ppm nitrate and po4 at 0.06. it kept rising though even after severely reducing my feeding back down. last night was showing nitrate at 16 and po4 at 0.11. The po4 is starting to go back down now at least. It was at 0.13 on the night of the rtn.

I don’t think any of my nutrient changes happened too fast but I’m thinking it could possibly have been hitting some of the acros limits.

Appreciate your help!
Al
 

Freddy0144

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 5, 2017
Messages
217
Reaction score
192
Location
Littleton Colorado
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
@SunnyX Great article, I enjoyed the read looking forward to additional content.

I have a couple of questions. In reading the thread I read that the Calcium Bicarbonate will bond to phosphate and will therefore lower the phosphate levels of the tank. That being said what are the phosphate levels of your tank?

Keeping the phosphate comment in mind, you also stated that you carbon dose for nitrate. Therefore, you are addressing the nitrate levels in the tank. Exporting both nitrate and phosphate. I think that the system you have developed works well because you are addressing both phosphate and nitrate.

So for those that are not carbon dosing vodka are only addressing 1/2 the issue. So in your experience what happens when the tank becomes unbalanced with a low phosphate level and a higher nitrate level?

Or am I over thinking this?
 

Matrig

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 31, 2021
Messages
35
Reaction score
78
Location
Perth Western Australia
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Just picked up some calcium carbonate this afternoon. It was an absolute mission to find it here locally and not on line.. eventually found it at a brewing shop which brought back some great memories!
if anyone is in Perth Australia and needs some hit me up. I have plenty. We’ll have to be careful about the transaction of a white powder in a plastic baggy though.

looking forward to seeing how this goes.
 

G Santana

Hospitality Elf
View Badges
Joined
May 20, 2020
Messages
8,352
Reaction score
45,556
Location
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/this-little-pigg
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
After 16 hours I can see a difference, whatever was free floating in the tank is pretty much gone.
You can see from the b4 and after there is a marked improvement.
The pictures below are from end to end on my 130 gallon tank.
Now it isn't as pristine as the OPs tank but I can see an improvement!!!

It worked lol

20220620_184114.jpg
20220621_104032.jpg
 
OP
OP
SunnyX

SunnyX

ReefSite.com
View Badges
Joined
Jul 16, 2009
Messages
1,380
Reaction score
2,899
Location
Michigan
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hello,

Great to see that this is working well for many of you. Note that with weekly use things will only get better and stability in the system will be increased. I dose it once per week, Saturday, after conducting a water change.
 

Lavey29

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 29, 2021
Messages
10,844
Reaction score
11,299
Location
United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hello,

Great to see that this is working well for many of you. Note that with weekly use things will only get better and stability in the system will be increased. I dose it once per week, Saturday, after conducting a water change.
Can the container of mixed bicarbonate just sit in the closet no fridge?
 

Raph

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 10, 2021
Messages
109
Reaction score
116
Location
Montréal
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hi! Quick question, does anyone know why my coral snow became really thick, it’s like a paste now
 

Raph

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 10, 2021
Messages
109
Reaction score
116
Location
Montréal
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hi! Quick question, does anyone know why my coral snow became really thick, it’s like a paste now
 

mindme

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 30, 2020
Messages
1,145
Reaction score
1,240
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hi! Quick question, does anyone know why my coral snow became really thick, it’s like a paste now

Is it in a container you can see through? I have to shake mine up everytime before I use it because it collects at the bottom. You may have used it without shaking it up, which I think would cause that.
 

Reefahholic

Acropora Farmer
View Badges
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
7,425
Reaction score
6,221
Location
Houston, TX
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Well here goes, I just received the calcium carbonate and this is what it looks like after mixing.
Going to let it set for 2 hours and then it's go time.

I'll let you folks know how it goes.
20220620_173325.jpg
20220620_175102.jpg
20220620_175300.jpg

What was the dose? 500mL tank water to grams, tsp, tbsp of product?
 
Back
Top