Alk and Ca problems

[Biggen]

Well I checked the Alk this morning and it was back down to ~8.2 DKH. It seems to begin to fall, from the time of the dose, to the next morning. Just doesn't make sense how it can go from ~10.2DKH to ~8.2DKH in a 24 hour period.

So new plan...

As soon as my Kalk resevoir is empty, I am not going to make any more up and will switch to using 100% pure FW for topoffs. The only thing I can come up with is that the Kalk is somehow messing with the chemistry. I don't see how it could cause an Alk problem. If anything it would be putting more in. Steve had suggested I stop with the Kalk before, but my Kalk container was still full then. Now that it is nearly empty, I'll hold off on the Kalk, begin doseing the buffer, and try again.

I looked at my heater in the sump, and while it did have precipitation on it, I don't think it excessive. I did a "spot" check on one of my pumps last week and it showed no signs of precipitation.

BTW, I checked the Mg level, it came out to 1350 according to the Seachem test kit.

 

[reefrunner69]

I wonder if the pump in your kalk resevoir is pulling undissolved CaOH and causing the lowering of the ALK. FWIW, if it's steady at 8.2 and 390 ppm CA, I don't think you have a problem. The need to maintain levels higher than that is caused from infrequent replenishment. Your replenishing it to that levels every time your top off switches on

As your levels are balanced, you may simply try bumping them up by spiking your kalk with vinegar. I add 1 teaspoon, per gallon of water, to dissolve more CaOH. Something also to keep in mind, is that kalk dosing typically calls for buffering the alk on a regular basis, although I think every day is more than anyone could expect.

 

[douggiestyle]

hey biggen hows your Alk/Ca problem going?

 

[Biggen]

hey biggen hows your Alk/Ca problem going?

I was actually going to post again later today about this. Must have read my mind.

I have since stopped dosing the Kalk and now am using plain RO/DI water for my topoff. I did this to see if the Kalk was causing some sort of problem. My Alk still won't stay above 8 DKH for more than 24 hours. Using two tsp of any type of buffer raises it temporarily, but 24 hours later, it has fallen back down to around 8 DKH.

Now I am at the point of giving up. I think I am going to switch back to Kalk so that my Ca level stays ok and will just have to add buffer just about everyday to keep the Alk at least 8 DKH.

The whole situation is weird. But I figure as long as I can hold the Alk at 8 DKH, it should be fine as this is about what NSW is. I'll just have to add a lot of buffer to my system all the time.

:-(

 

[douggiestyle]

i recently (1 week ago) started raising my Alk/Ca levels. first i made sure they were balanced. i dosed with a balanced additive according to instructions. 24 hours later my Alk levels were unchanged at 2.4 (Since i used a balanced additive there is no reason to check the Ca). i dosed again and 24hrs later no change in Alk. so i increased the the amount that i dose by 1/2. 24hrs later my alk levels had increased to 2.8. keep track of all this on a chart. because my level is above 2.5 (a daily fluctuation of 3.5-2.5 is normal) i dosed at half of what i had used previously. if you follow this process, in a week or two you will get a good dose amount for your tank. after that checking of Alk/Ca levels can be dropped to once a week or so. i followed this process before and got great results. i am doing it again to get a higher Alk/Ca level. if your system is balanced then there is no need for a buffer. and from the original test readings you gave, your system is balanced.
always try to test and dose at roughly the same time each day.

 

[reefrunner69]

My tank runs at 9 DKH and 400 CA consistantly, once per week I test and use CaCl to bump the CA up to 420. If the ALK is stable and the CA is balanced...there is no reason to try and maintain anything higher than what you have. CA and ALK are replenished constantly with the Kalk, I wouldn't worry about it unless it bottoms out.

 

[douggiestyle]

If the ALK is stable and the CA is balanced...there is no reason to try and maintain anything higher than what you have. CA and ALK are replenished constantly with the Kalk,

yes but if he wants a higher Alk and the Alk/Ca is balanced then he should raise both Alk and Ca together, correct?

 

[reefrunner69]

yep, but the point is, there is no need to raise them at all. Elevated levels will not increase health or growth rates, elevating levels above NSW is important for people that do not constantly dose. If they dose once per week and experience large level drops due to consumption by the inhabitants, it is important to maintain elevated levels to prevent them from dropping far enough to prevent calcification. These animals grow in the ocean quite well and it has NSW levels of CA and ALK, LOL. When dosing via auto top off with kalk, I have to nudge one or the other once per week or every other week, because alk is not depleted at the same rate as CA, the nudging is to keep the balance, not really to increase levels.

 

[douggiestyle]

These animals grow in the ocean quite well and it has NSW levels of CA and ALK, LOL. When dosing via auto top off with kalk, I have to nudge one or the other once per week or every other week, because alk is not depleted at the same rate as CA, the nudging is to keep the balance, not really to increase levels.

i agree. that is what i have been doing for the last 4mths, maintaining nsw levels. but i was under the impression that higher Alk/Ca levels promoted more growth by facilitating more rapid biotic precipitation?

 

[steve-s]

Higher elevations will not increase calcification rates within CaCO3 animals. The main benefit with a higher alk is it inhibits nuisance algaes in a nutrient rich system (like mine) and also acts as a safeguard against growth spurts causing rapid depletion. It really does not benefit growth rates on the whole.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Biggen]

Good comments here, guys.

Like I said, I will be going back to Kalk. It does keep the Ca level up but doesn't do squat for the Alk. As long as I add buffer everyday, I should be able to keep it around 8DKH or so.

 

[douggiestyle]

The main benefit with a higher alk is it inhibits nuisance algaes in a nutrient rich system (like mine) and also acts as a safeguard against growth spurts causing rapid depletion

well nothing wrong with that for sure.

Higher elevations will not increase calcification rates within CaCO3 animals.

and i thought that having a higher cocentration of Alk/Ca was akin to fertilizing the garden. 8O