Calcium Kalkwasser

[twisted metal]

Within the last couple months I've been having some calcium(calc), and alkalinity(alk) problems. I've tested my water, and every time my calc, and alk is off. I mean off. I like to keep my calc levels around 420-450. I can test my calc 8:00 one day, dose to were it needs to be and a day later, same time it's 300 or lower Same with my alk levels, if I don't keep up on them every day they seem to drop below 2, and I like to keep it 4-6. Sometimes my ph is a little low, but not much. Mag 1350, Ph 8.3, Iodide 0.6, Phosphate 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 0, Ammonia 0. In my tank, I have a couple diff sps corals, frogspawn, plate coral, etc.. I've been looking into useing kalkwasser. All products i use is Seachem, will not use anything else. With this product I would take it slow, to see how my corals act, and add as I go. I've been thinking about a drip line, of one teaspoon per five gallons to start, and dose higher as needed. After I see how it affects my tank in a week, add some more and go from there. Any thoughts or ideas of doseing kalk, it would be very much helpful. And any formulas for consumption loss or add would be very helpful. Thanks

Note, A saturated solution of kalkwasser is two teaspoons to one gallon of pure water. (RODI) With a PH of about 12, were dripping the solution is best, so the PH is stable 8.3-8.4 in the display tank.

 

[tlkng1]

I was having the same issue in that my Calcium was always a hair low, 20 low. A product one of my LFS' suggested is called B-Ionic. It is similar to the Kent Marine Reef A and B supplement. UsIng this, my Calcium and Alk have remained stable. Here is a link:

E.S.V. B-Ionic 2-Part Calcium Buffer

The important part of this is that the dose is based on available water volume of the tank and not just straight gallons. For example, I have a 14g biocube with 20 pounds of liverock. I don't dose based on 14g but on the level for 10.4g (had to do a little math ) gallons given the displacement of the liverock and the filter chambers.

I do a water chnage, usually early evening due to my schedule, leave the tank overnight and then dose with the B-Ionic system in the morning before the lights in the tank come on.

 

[twisted metal]

Thanks, i'll look it to it.

 

[ccCapt]

Are you saying your calcium is dropping 100-150 ppm per day? If so, that is undoubtly a testing error. That much of a drop is pretty much impossible. What brand test kit are you using and how old is it?
When you say alk at 4-6, are you talking about measurements in meg/l or dKH?
Seachem supplements are somewhat weak. How much of the calcium supplement are you dosing every day to make up for that large of a drop?

 

[twisted metal]

Are you saying your calcium is dropping 100-150 ppm per day? If so, that is undoubtly a testing error. That much of a drop is pretty much impossible. What brand test kit are you using and how old is it?
When you say alk at 4-6, are you talking about measurements in meg/l or dKH?
Seachem supplements are somewhat weak. How much of the calcium supplement are you dosing every day to make up for that large of a drop?

I've been useing red sea, and seachem test kits. They both have been testing the same. At first I did think it was a testing error, so I took a sample of my water to my lfs. They use a test kit called API, and got the same readings. My test kits are no more then a month old. All products I have been useing are seachem, along with the test kits and some others. Also within the last week my calcium has dropped lowest 50ppm and top 100ppm. The salt I have been useing is called aquavitro or something like that, seachem makes it. I have found out that the salt content within the salt mix along with the alk, is a little lower then it should be. Well then what I like, this is why I've also been thinking of switching to the seachem reef salt. That has a higher calc, and alk rate. As far as doseing the calc I have followed the bottle of aquavitro. Somewere around 7ml for 25Gal. That would be 7mlX3 for the size of my tank. I know it's not gonna bring it up were it needs to be, so I have been testing it a day or so latter. And dose more as I need to, this way I hopefully dont shock my corals. It's droping any were from 75-100ppm a day and a half to two days.
With alk I have been doseing 4X5ml every third day to keep it up around 4-5meg/l
I also do a 5 Gal water change every week, out of the total 75Gal in my tank. Prob, 80, if you add the sump. 20 gallons a month give a take

 

[ccCapt]

According to the directions, 7ml will raise calcium 10 mg/l (10 PPM) in 25g of water. If you are using 3x that in a 75, you are only raising it 10 ppm each dosage. If you are losing 100 ppm/day, you would need to dose 10x the amount you are now using. Sound impossible.....it is.
Why are you trying to keep your alk so high? 4 (11.2 dKH) - 5 meq/l(14 dKH) is way too high. You should be more around the 2.5(7dKH)-3.5(10dKH) range.

 

[twisted metal]

According to the directions, 7ml will raise calcium 10 mg/l (10 PPM) in 25g of water. If you are using 3x that in a 75, you are only raising it 10 ppm each dosage. If you are losing 100 ppm/day, you would need to dose 10x the amount you are now using. Sound impossible.....it is.
Why are you trying to keep your alk so high? 4 (11.2 dKH) - 5 meq/l(14 dKH) is way too high. You should be more around the 2.5(7dKH)-3.5(10dKH) range.

I said my calc is dropping 75-100ppm a day and a half, to two days. So about 50ppm a day, give a take. So that 20ppm within those two days still is not enough to up it. I will start doseing some more then. Sorry about all that. I was just following the beginner directions on the bottle, instead of the advanced cause I didn't want to kill everything. To bad a 10 Gal water change won't bring it up were it needs to be all the time. Cause I could do that easy. Lol. I just started doseing some stuff, and you really gotta watch what your doing. This I am not use to.

 

[twisted metal]

O and my alk is four

 

[ccCapt]

I like to keep my calc levels around 420-450. I can test my calc 8:00 one day, dose to were it needs to be and a day later, same time it's 300 or lower

I said my calc is dropping 75-100ppm a day and a half, to two days.

Which is it?
Stop all dosing, get a Salifert calcium test kit and try again.