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Help!! Advice? Alk and calcium problems

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Fred, Dec 8, 2017.

  1. Fred

    147
    Johnston, IA
    Ratings:
    +37 / 0 / -0
  2. blackx-runner Administrator Website Team Leadership Team

    Cedar Rapids, IA
    Ratings:
    +738 / 5 / -0
    Looks like your salt mix runs pretty high on the calcium and alk according to BRS.
    I'd test some of your freshly mixed salt water and see what you are getting.

    With a new tank and what sounds like a small amount of hard corals right now I would go back to just the basics and get things nice and stable. 10% weekly water changes. No two part dosing, no kalk in the ATO, just plain water changes and monitoring your parameters. Let things stabilize where they stabilize. IMO husbandry and stability will get you more success than chasing a particular set of parameters. Especially at this point in the game.

    As the corals grow and you add more you should see, with testing, the point where water changes aren't keeping up with corals needs. At that point I would start with the kalk again. That is a good balanced approach and one you have already had success with.

    Once you get to the point that isn't keeping up with demand you're doing pretty good. Now it's the time to slowly bring the 2 part online. Slow is better and quit adjusting so much. Set a dose based on the general guidelines. test alk every day or two and see what happens. Don't make any adjustments until several days of testing and you get an idea of what is happening. If needed adjust your dose a little bit and monitor again for several days.
    Here is some good procedure from Randy holmes Farley - Dosing instructions
    If you haven't read some of his papers and articles I would strongly recommend them. Great information on the science and necessary balance of elements in the reef tank.
     
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  3. Fred

    147
    Johnston, IA
    Ratings:
    +37 / 0 / -0
    @blackx-runner@blackx-runner that’s the plan I’m going with now. Thanks for your help. I have read some of his articles. I just got caught up in chasing numbers even though everything I’ve ever read said not to do that but just didn’t put everything Ive read through out the years into my actions and instead went rouge.
     
  4. ShaneP Well Known Hawkfish

    473
    Williamsburg, IA
    Ratings:
    +126 / 0 / -0
    Were you dosing manually? If so, when added to the water, was it in a high flow area and done very slowly? If done correctly it will just be clear, but if done too quickly it looks like flakes. Then it’s just a moot point because it’s precipitated. Then it wouldn’t matter how much you added, it isn’t available.
     
  5. Fred

    147
    Johnston, IA
    Ratings:
    +37 / 0 / -0
    @ShaneP@ShaneP no I was using jeboa doser but I did dose a couple times manually but always did it right in front of wave makers
     
  6. blackx-runner Administrator Website Team Leadership Team

    Cedar Rapids, IA
    Ratings:
    +738 / 5 / -0
    I'm pretty sure most of us have been there with one thing or anther in this hobby. I know I have.
     
  7. sjones

    54
    Marshalltown, IA
    Ratings:
    +22 / 0 / -0
    Did you calibrate your dosing pump? I have the 2 head model and pump 1 was really close but pump 2 was way off had to set it more than double even after calibrating to get the dose I wanted.
     
  8. Fred

    147
    Johnston, IA
    Ratings:
    +37 / 0 / -0
    @sjones@sjones yeah I did then did like 5 practice runs on both pumps at different ml to make sure it was good.
     

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