Tank restart but using allot of additives?

[Dhalterman1984]

I used rock from my previous system to start up a 25 cube.
But this tank has nothing in it yet. No fish no coral.
It is cycled from day one pretty much. Now about 2 months old.

I did seed Coraline from a bottle from brs.

But this tank is sucking alk and calcium around 1 dkh or more a day and I have no idea why I'm dosing so hard to keep my levels up?
Is this normal? Will it level out?

Thanks in advance.

 

[mattdg]

The alk and cal are likely precipitating out of the water. You do not need to dose any alk or calcium until you have coral in the tank that are consuming it. By dosing now, with no demand, you are throwing the chemistry off, which is why it seems something is taking up alk / cal.

IMO, you should do a few large water changes, stop dosing anything and let the tank stabilize (reflect the alk / cal / mag levels of the salt you are mixing). Then add easy LPS / Leathers / SPS and start testing 3x per week. Once you notice levels fluctuating, start to dose a little at a time until you understand the demand. Aim for matching and maintaining the levels of your chosen salt mix.

You will need to continue to test and adjust your input, especially as you begin to add more coral. Testing and adjusting never really ends, if you are successful.

 

[Dhalterman1984]

The alk and cal are likely precipitating out of the water. You do not need to dose any alk or calcium until you have coral in the tank that are consuming it. By dosing now, with no demand, you are throwing the chemistry off, which is why it seems something is taking up alk / cal.

IMO, you should do a few large water changes, stop dosing anything and let the tank stabilize (reflect the alk / cal / mag levels of the salt you are mixing). Then add easy LPS / Leathers / SPS and start testing 3x per week. Once you notice levels fluctuating, start to dose a little at a time until you understand the demand. Aim for matching and maintaining the levels of your chosen salt mix.

You will need to continue to test and adjust your input, especially as you begin to add more coral. Testing and adjusting never really ends, if you are successful.

I can totally get behind that.
follow-up question, wouldn't I be be able to see the precipitate?

 

[mattdg]

I can totally get behind that.
follow-up question, wouldn't I be be able to see the precipitate?

It seems that there are times where it is not entirely obvious, where the precipitate is collecting. Either way, can't hurt to follow the above steps. Water changes and dosing less stuff, is never a bad idea.