kalk/limewater?

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ryan0292002ca

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jul 7, 2004
Messages
23
Location
North Bay, ON, Canada
I am clueless when it comes to the use of supplements since I have just started out. I have a 30 Gallon tank FOWLR right now that I am going to start adding corals to soon. I have heard of using kalkwasser to raise calcium and alkilinity, by using a drip method. I made a DIY drip dispencer out of a 2 litre bottle. I've heard of people using "pickled lime" I think its called instead of kalkwasser that you get at the LSF, is this safe to use, and if so how much would I add or mix in my dispenser and what drip rate would I have it at?
 
First things first, what are your levels for ca/alk?
 
The Ca is a little low but to be honest until you start adding some hard corals you will be able to maintain the levels with just water changes.

What kind of corals were you planning to add?
 
I'd like to get some soft and LPS corals. As for the levels being maintained with waterchanges, I haven't had to do any since my tank cycled, (month and a half ago) my paramiters have been excellent, nitrites are undetectable. If I don't need waterchanges often will these levels still be maintained. thanks
 
Well this is actually part of the reason for doing water changes. Exporting wastes is only half of it. Aswell as calcium, the saltmix has many different trace elements in it that will get depleted in a reef tank over time. The simplest way to replenish these at a safe level is with regular water changes. Otherwise you would have to get test kits for each one and then buy suppliments.

I think you will be fine without adding any chemicals for a while yet.

BTW - What kind of lighting do you have?
 
Even if you just do a small water change every few weeks you will still be able to maintain good levels until you build up your stock.

Try some softies and see how everything goes (y)
 
Maybe it was a typo, but you said that you can't detect any "nitrites" and that is why you haven't needed any water changes.

Of course, what you should be watching for is "nitrates". Nitrites will pretty much always be zero once you've successfully cycled. It's the nitrates that tend to build up, and you'll have to watch those if you're planning on keeping corals.
 
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