adding b-ionic and

[jnb]

last week I tested CA it was a little bit beyond 500
alk was 1.26 meg/L

http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

said to add around 302 ml of B-Ionic Calcium buffer system aprt 1 to my 137 gallon system

I felt comfortable with the testing as I tested new makeup kent and its parameters were right on

I added more than 300 ml of the part 1 and now my alk is only at 1.77

Is it possible that the elevated CA sort of takes away some of the effect of the ALK additions such that I need to add more than originally required?
Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

How long after the addition was the measurement?

What test kit? 1.26 meq/L sounds about as low as I've ever heard, and may be a testing error.

 

[jnb]

I have been adding for the past week about 20 ml twice a day and just retested tonight

I am using salifert to expire 9/08 - I tested new kent make up water and it was 3.03, then tested the tank and again in disbelieve - but I had not tested the water for several months as the last time I tested the water it was fine and I have been changing out 10 gallons every week which I thought would keep parameters up and everything (life) looked ok. Oh and I have a litermeter dosing some kalk thru deltech kalk reactor and pinpoint ph shows consistent enough ph (7.8 - 8.2)

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12213582#post12213582 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
How long after the addition was the measurement?

What test kit? 1.26 meq/L sounds about as low as I've ever heard, and may be a testing error.

 

[bertoni]

I would get a second opinion on the alkalinity test kit at some point, but Kent salt at around 3.0 sounds reasonable to me. The additive needs to be added much more rapidly, since many tanks can consume 1.0 meq/L per day of alkalinity.

 

[jnb]

I will get a new test kit

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Sounds good. Let us know what you find.

 

[jnb]

will do

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12216696#post12216696 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
Sounds good. Let us know what you find.

 

[jnb]

update

update

I feel somewhat comfortable with my current test kit - it was showing correct settings for expected new make up water. And did show the increase from 1.26 to 1.77 as I added part 1. I may not have added as much as I thought before the 2nd test and my water system might have been understated when I used the flash player to estimate steps needing to be taken. - So at this point I am adding a bit of MG because it was down a bit, and 20ml per day in the AM of part 1 - and very soon I will get another test kit to confirm this.

does it not make sense that my CA was >500 - that MG and ALK were needed to make it useful to the life?

I just do not know why my alk got so low and will be sure to get a another test kit before I add too much more - and will update the thread accordingly - I did not want to leave you helpful guys hanging.

If you add to much ALK - doesn't the precip show before things are critical? Just read your article to answer that question but left it for others to see.
What is that Precipitate in My Reef Aquarium?
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-07/rhf/index.php

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12216696#post12216696 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
Sounds good. Let us know what you find.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

does it not make sense that my CA was >500 - that MG and ALK were needed to make it useful to the life?

If alkalinity is low, neither calcium nor alkalinity will continue to be used, if that is what you mean. But calcium will not get that high unless somehow it was added, via the salt mix or a supplement.

If you add to much ALK - doesn't the precip show before things are critical? Just read your article to answer that question but left it for others to see.
What is that Precipitate in My Reef Aquarium?

I would not gauge the amount of alkalinity in the tank being OK based on lack of precipitate. You can easily have 5 or 6 or more meq/L, especially if the pH is on the low side, and not have much in the way of apparent abiotic precipitation of calcium carbonate.

 

[jnb]

So I got a Sera test which is less precise in its result giving whole number KH - add drop by drop each drop giving 1 unit of KH and came up with 6 which tells me my salfiet test was ok and alk still too low

going to add 100 ml of Seachem Reef Carbonate a bit at a time watching PH for a couple of days and see.......

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12237874#post12237874 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
does it not make sense that my CA was >500 - that MG and ALK were needed to make it useful to the life?

If alkalinity is low, neither calcium nor alkalinity will continue to be used, if that is what you mean. But calcium will not get that high unless somehow it was added, via the salt mix or a supplement.

If you add to much ALK - doesn't the precip show before things are critical? Just read your article to answer that question but left it for others to see.
What is that Precipitate in My Reef Aquarium?

I would not gauge the amount of alkalinity in the tank being OK based on lack of precipitate. You can easily have 5 or 6 or more meq/L, especially if the pH is on the low side, and not have much in the way of apparent abiotic precipitation of calcium carbonate.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

6 here means 6 dKH? That is more reasonable but still low. The Reef carbonate sounds like a fine plan. Use this calculator to determine how much you might dose:

Reef chemicals calculator
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

 

[jnb]

yes dKH - and yes I am making progree - I did go to that link and following it albiet testing along the way

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12243069#post12243069 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
6 here means 6 dKH? That is more reasonable but still low. The Reef carbonate sounds like a fine plan. Use this calculator to determine how much you might dose:

Reef chemicals calculator
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Sounds good.