Started dosing kalkwasser but alk dropping

[Reef-_-Noob]

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[disaster999]

I have a similar issue with Alk dropping while dosing Kalk. I have a ~110gal system and recently started dosing Kalk since I heard a lot of good things. It takes care of both Calc and Alk with 1 solution, it can double as top off water, and able to keep my pH up. I was dosing 3 part previously (Calc, Alk, Mag) and was pretty fed up with baking baking soda to make soda ash and weighing and mixing Calc, Alk and Mag solution every 2 weeks or so. I was so annoyed I basically just stopped dosing all together and neglected my tank for a while.

Currently I am using calcium oxide to mix my Kalk solution and dosing 2L (to match evaporation) over a 24hr period. Calc and Mag levels are pretty much rock solid, but alk is constantly dropping. I have to supplement my tank with baking soda every few days just to bring the dkh levels back up. Corals in my tank is doing pretty good. Im seeing some good growth on some of my SPS. Colors arent exactly the best tho but thats probably due to me neglecting my tank for so long and just need time to heal.

To give you an idea how much and how fast Alk drops, I would bring the Alk up to 9.5dkh, and with the Kalk dosing 2L each day, Alk would drop to 7.4dkh after 2 days. Calc is staying steady at 450ppm, Mag is 1350ppm. So Im just wondering if its normal or not for only Alk to be dropping so much in such a short period.

Also, winter months in my area is pretty dry so I have a higher evaporation rate allowing me to up my kalk dosage. Summer months are much more humid thus it will reduce the amount of Kalk I could add and possibly dropping my Alk overtime even more

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Calc and Mag levels are pretty much rock solid, but alk is constantly dropping.

That's exactly what you observe when it is not meeting demand for alk and calcium. Alk always shows first.

 

[disaster999]

here I am thinking Kalk is some sort of magic solution to my laziness All for Reef is looking more and more promising.

 

[Reef-_-Noob]

Okay got back from vacation and of course alk was 12.5
Torch bailed one head but the other heads are hanging in there. Tentacles look deflated tho still long but not filled with water. Turned off doser , everything else is fine hammer and frogspawn not bailing.

Alk was around 9 before I left been about 2 weeks.
Don't want to swing at this point by doing water change. What would you do to save this indo gold torch?????

 

[Reef-_-Noob]

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[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'm not sure alk is the issue, but if it were me, I'd stop dosing and let it come down on its own.

 

[BigMonkeyBrain]

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