What's the weekly main. formula?

[Trandall]

I can never remember? Dennis told me to add- 3 to 1 weekly of Calcium and Buffer. But is it 3 parts buffer and 1 part calcium or the other way around?
I don't mean to mix them together. I mean if I add 3 TBL buffer to my 210 then do I add 1 TBL Calcium?
Or is it 3 TBL Calcium to 1 TBL. buffer?
Thanks~

 

[Trandall]

Meant to add that today my Calcium
was at 520 in the big tank < mainly bigger aggressive fish with some softies> and my KH was at 250.
So... I know it's not in balance as the sheet I go off of says if your calcium is at 520, your buffer should be around, 400! but that sounds really high to me!
Any input would be appreciated.

I lost a few things in my 210 due to adding salt right to the main tank without diluting in water first. That won't happen again! Lost < just melted> a few shrooms, my Sally lightfoot, some nassaurious snails, and I think that's what messed up my Bluechin Trigger so bad to. His equilibrium got all screwed up right after that and he died in a few days :0(.
Ya live, ya learn.

 

[Natclanwy]

Terri, you don't want to add any additives too your tank. Your levels are too high, its not a critical situation so you can just let them return to normal on there own by allowing the tank to utilize the excess calcium and alkalinity and doing your regular water changes until your levels return to normal.

The dosing requirements for each tank is different, you well need to test your tank weekly and then once you have a good idea what the average usage is in your tank from week to week you can determine what you should be adding on a weekly basis and skip testing your tank every week and go to once every couple of weeks or once a month. You will have to adjust your dosing as your tank changes it's consumption rate which is why you will continue to test your tank.

I use this calculator to determine how much additive I need to add to my tank: 'Reef Chemistry Calculator FV'

You can enter your calcium, alkalinity, and mag tests results and then enter your desired levels and it will calculate how much of whatever additive you are using you need to dose to your tank. It also has information about your particular levels and what you need to do to correct a problem, and it also has links to several Randy Holmes Farley articles on reef chemistry that are excellent.

 

[Trandall]

Thanks John. Good info. My levels were always really stable before in the 210 g., calcium, etc consumed at a steady rate. then... the last water change etc is when things really went south! I wasn't going to add anything at this point. Was just trying to remember the *rule of thumb* Dennis told me about 3 to 1 as it relates to calcium and buffer.
I used to religiously test the big tank weekly. but it was so stable that I got lax. more like once a month or right before or after a water change.
Thanks for that link John. I appreciate it.

Now that the shattered glass top thing is over < was removing my glass top to clean overflows and it shattered into millions of tiny pieces which all fell into the tank, behind the LR, took several days and a long handled forcepts to get that out!> I'd like to re-do my rockwork in that tank as I'm going to add 2 fish into the mix, a Red-Tailed Trigger < love my Triggers!> and a Harliqun Tusk. all the other fish have been there for clsoe to two years so I'd really like to rearrange right before adding the new additions.
Any things? Would I do it immediately before adding fish as in the same day they arrive? Or perhaps a day or so before? Don't want the current inhabitants to get too comfy before the new ones arrive. Oh... as far as what I have now in the big tank...
Regal Angel
Flame Angel
Purple Tang
Lemonpeel mimic Tang
Maroon Clown
Porky Puffer
Snowflake eel

I really want to replace my <R.I.P> Bluechin and love the Red-Tailed Triggers and have always wanted a Harlequin so I figgured I'd add them at the same time.
Any thoughts? I have not really moved any rock in there at all since setting the tank up 2 years ago. Might there be issues of me releasing nutrients from the substraight into the tank?
Thanks~

 

[Natclanwy]

If your worried about your current fish being territorial then I would rearrange your rockwork a few days before you add the new fish. There is a risk of releasing nutrients into the water column but as long as you have water on hand for water changes and have your skimmer running you should be fine.