SaltwaterTeen
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I kinda want to get into the hard corals like brains, and other hard corals, I heard that the lps and sps require calcium reactors, is that true? If it is should I just stay soft corals?
I have sea chem calcium buffer, and an alkalinity buffer
I dont want to buy sps or lps and have them dead because of kalk.
Look at my signature see if my lights are good enough for a clam
Is kalk mixed with water when u do the evaporation drop method, and also how do u do it? I have a 55gal (dont want to mess anything up) is it a powder that mixes with water or anything?
Biggen said:You need to use a balanced additive eventually when keeping corals. Adding unbalanced chemicals like these to the tank can lead to problems down the road.
Moreover, the easiest way to ensure that things do not go seriously wrong in adding these to the tank is to use additives that have balanced amounts of calcium and alkalinity. 3, 4 For purposes of this article, a balanced calcium and alkalinity additive is one that provides calcium and alkalinity in proportions that match that used in calcification to form calcium carbonate. Using this type of additive typically prevents overdosing (or underdosing) of either of these two relative to the other.
Independent (unbalanced) additions of calcium and alkalinity do have significant uses in reef tanks. These uses include correcting existing imbalances5 between calcium and alkalinity and in “fixing” a starting salt mix that might not fit the calcium and alkalinity values that an aquarist desires. While the regular use of such additives can work well, it frequently results in substantial imbalances between calcium and alkalinity. In a perfect world, with perfect test kits used perfectly and frequently by every aquarist, such additions would work out fine. More typically, however, they lead to imbalances.
Sound great! My alk stays around 3-3.5 but I can never seem to get my CA levels above 375. I'll have to pick up some 2 part today or tomorrow.
If the oceanic salt provides enough calcium will I just need to get the alk b-ionic?
I heard b-ionic is better than kalk and its easier than dri method cuz if u do the drip method some things an seriously go wrong
I also dont know my levels so will I need to buy tests or will the b-ionic not require it
ok, and if i get both ca and alk b-ionics dont I add every other day?
I"m considerint getting a pH monitor. I"m worried that my pH might be fluctuating too much when dripping kalk or using other additives.
Biggen said:Getting a pH monitor is never a bad idea. They are much more accurate than those darn test kits and much easier to use. Dare I say its fun to test the pH with a pH pin or monitor?
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