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So what then ...I have precipitationOnce it precipitates, it will not redissolve.
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So what then ...I have precipitationOnce it precipitates, it will not redissolve.
If it does plate or form a crust I have not seen it. The socks are not stiff when I take them out for cleaning. I dont dose on a regular basis. I think in 2 years I have added it 3 or 4 times, 100 ml at a time when I had low alk. Maybe thats why.I know that once it plates heaters and pumps, it doesn't dissolve. Ive had it so thick you needed to chisel it off. That stuff wasn't going anywhere. Maybe it would dissolve in a year or longer......idk.
Have you had it plate everything that generates heat?
How did the OP make out? Precipitation was my thought too. If he's dosing alkalinity and it's not rising, it had to be testing error or precipitation, right?
Seems odd that his alk would be so low, but calcium would be just fine. He does have a lot of corals and could conceivably have a tank demanding 1+dkh per day, maybe more if coraline too. Still, just seems odd that the alk number is not budging.
That's a good patch of coraline. I have a number of lps frags as well. Some are visually growing, but I'm pretty sure most of my alkalinity consumption (.9-1.0 dkh/day) is being taken up by coraline and baby snail shells.. lol.
I'm no expert at all. Get queezy though when u see dose, dose, dose and no change. A lot of times those stories end with the OP coming home to a dead tank. Glad your numbers are starting to make sense.
that has been a fear of mine.
FWIW, I have noticed that one of my acans is starting to look a little healthier after I started the dosing, even though I didn't see the numbers change, so maybe its going up and coming right back down after the consumption from the coral and coraline (both existing and new growing).
I think a doser might be in order soon so I can have more accurate dosing to have much more stable parameters.
YOUR ALK IS WAY TOO LOW. also whats your ph? Check your strontium too
Alk at 10 or 11
Strontium at 10-12
Ph at 8.3 to 8.4
You have had a lot of suggestions here on what to do. I am totally convinced that they all come from owners of functioning tanks.
Lets go back to the basics. Instant Ocean is a well merited salt functioning well for many thousands of reefers. It will work for You too.
The values in the sea that the corals are adapted to are about kH 7, Ca 400, Mg 1300.
In tap water normally it is impossible to have kH 7 and 400 in calcium. It will precipitate. But in sea water there is magnesium too and it blocks the precipitation. In my experience at pH 8.0 to 8.2 maximum values are about 8 and 420 for 1350 of magnesium.
If You add more kalcium or kH it will begin to precipitate. In the pumps around the rotor at first.
If You raise the pH with soda ash to 8.2 to 8.5 You have to decrease kH or calcium because it will preicipitate easier in a higher pH.
If you raise kH and/or Calcium and/or pH values You often get a faster coral growth. That is one reason that many have higher levels then those we find in the sea. The other reason is that it gives You a higher safety margin if the valuest start to sink.
For a beginner I recommend the KISS method. Keep it simple stupid.
That means before You change any maintenance or equipment think first: Is this going to make it easier for me.
In this case You have to do something about Your values. A dosing pump will make it much easier for You. But first You must dial in Your values so You know what to dose. Note every thing You add to the tank from now on until You have reached good stable values.
Yes, i'm with you on that, IO reef crystals might be what I am needing to switch to, but I have quite a bit of IO Purple mix that I need to burn through and I don't think me LFS is going to want to work out an exchange. Its ok though cause I am taking this as a learning experience.
Last night I checked my Alk and it was at 6dKH, so its showing improvement, slight but going up none the less.
I added 12 mls when I got home from the baseball game.
Checked this morning and it was at 6.5dKH. My son is scheduled to add in 5mls at 10:00am which by doing so will put me back on the schedule that fits my work schedule. so we are moving in the right direction, and at good pace in my opinion.
I would like to have it up at 9-10 already but thats not reality. little at a time. I will keep you posted on the progress.
I also have not seen any precipitation as of yet, and I have and will continue to monitor that.
Glad you're seeing some positive movement!
I was reading through the post and stopped here.I tested last night and I the parameters are as follows
Alk - 5dKH
Calcium - 400ppm
Mag - 1330ppm
Nitrate - 0-5ppm
Ammonia - 0
PO4 - .02
Salinity - 1.0255
Temp - 78*
I don't have a tester for PH, but I will venture to say its not where it should be.
I dosed 7ml of Alk and will test tonight to see if the increase was t least 1-1.5dKH. 5 mls didn't seem to have any effect on the tank at all. I will also be picking up some baking soda tonight to mix my own stuff.
wasn't sure if I should have dosed any calcium, so I didn't add any. should I have?
Definitely, once we get it up to 9-10dKH we will maintain it there and watch the coral grow out! we were excited when we started to see some growth and then it started to die off cause of the parameter swing and imbalance.
glad we're learning this now so when the 75g is online we will know what path to take.
I was reading through the post and stopped here.
IO had a high alk. Water changes should be raising it but yet you are dosing with no effect.
My questions are, do you skim?
If yes, where do you pull air in from? Outside or inside the house.
And, is your house buttoned up tight with all windows closed ac on?
This sounds to me like you need to pull in some fresh air, oxygenate the water.
Power heads pushing toward the surface.
I'm having this same issue. I'm using instant ocean salt. I picked up a bag of reef crystals today.Ive had success with reef crystals in other tanks..Im going to start doing 10 gallon water changes for the next 4 weeksYes, i'm with you on that, IO reef crystals might be what I am needing to switch to, but I have quite a bit of IO Purple mix that I need to burn through and I don't think me LFS is going to want to work out an exchange. Its ok though cause I am taking this as a learning experience.
Last night I checked my Alk and it was at 6dKH, so its showing improvement, slight but going up none the less.
I added 12 mls when I got home from the baseball game.
Checked this morning and it was at 6.5dKH. My son is scheduled to add in 5mls at 10:00am which by doing so will put me back on the schedule that fits my work schedule. so we are moving in the right direction, and at good pace in my opinion.
I would like to have it up at 9-10 already but thats not reality. little at a time. I will keep you posted on the progress.
I also have not seen any precipitation as of yet, and I have and will continue to monitor that.
just till I get these nitrates under controlI'm having this same issue. I'm using instant ocean salt. I picked up a bag of reef crystals today.Ive had success with reef crystals in other tanks..Im going to start doing 10 gallon water changes for the next 4 weeks
just till I get these nitrates under control