Ca, ALK I cant get it right!

Shawnts106

Shawnts106

New member
Hey, Ive been haveing such a problem with keeping my Ca, and Alk where I want it

It has been dropping down to like Ca 350ppm and the Alk around 2 ppm

I have tried useing B-Ionics, but that didnt do a THING!

so I switched to Seachems Reef Complete? not the one that maintains, but the one that Raises Ca and maintains Sr and Mb...

I would keep it good for a few days and then again, DROP!

I have been buffing ALK with Seachems reef Builder?...

anyway!...

I even thought maybe its a Magnesium problem... so I got some Kent TECH M and did that a few times..
still no


Whats up!!!!!!!!!

Tell me how I can achieve a consistent Ca and Alk ballance

I want my Ca to be at 500ppm and Alk ... wherever it needs to be at that Point

Please use only ppm for Ca and meq/l for Alk for me in discussion

thank so much everyone that helps!
 
I just tested

TESTED with REDSEA kit
Ca is around 350ppm

TESTED with Aquarium Systems FasTEST
Alk is at 3 meq/L

Last night around 12 I put 2 capfuls (100gallons worth) of Purple Up to help with Ca... it didnt do a thing

I also Topped off and added Reef Builder for ALK too...

I do NOT UNDERSTAND why I cant get that Ca and Alk where I want it

the purple up hasnt seemed to do a THING!

Seachem Reef Ca or whatever its called... that Liquid that Raises Ca and maintains Sr and Mb does seem to work quite well... but I have to use ALOT of it to get where I want...

what am I doing wrong?

just did a 30gallon WC with Instant Ocean a week ago today
I know 30gallons is alot, but I felt it needed it, no adverse reactions with corals to report, or fish./inverts

AHHh this is DRIVING ME MADDDNESSSSS!
 
I wouldn't bother adding Purple Up at all.

B-ionic, on the other hand, can always maintain calcium and alkalinity if you are adding enough, and the same is true of most other additives.
let's stick to just the B-ionic for a while.

Boost the calcium to 420 ppm with just the calcium part. There is no need or reason to have it at 500 ppm. Natural levels are fine,and I usually recommend 380-450 ppm. This calculator shows how much to use:

Reef Chemicals Calculator
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html


Then we will dose daily with equal parts of B-ionic to maintain the alkalinity between 2.5 and 4 meq/L (7-11 dKH). The calcium will follow along just fine. IT may take a while of trial and error dosing to get a daily dose that maintain alkalinity. Let's start at 1 mL per 2 gallons of tank water, and adjust up or down after a few days based on whether the alkalinity is high enough, too high, or not high enough.

I even thought maybe its a Magnesium problem... so I got some Kent TECH M and did that a few times..
still no

Did you ever measure magnesium? if it is low, it takes a ton to raise it. The recommended doses are not useful for raising low levels. If it is not low, then it is not part of the problem.
 
Last edited:
I would try Randy's two part formula and dose it with a dosing unit.I am using his formula and the Aqua Medic doser.My calcium is always 460 and my alk is 9.6.I find is the cheapest way to maintain the levels at a norm.If you want to raise levels you increase dosage.Once its dialed you leave it alone.I dose with kalk water to maintain ph.
 
Ok... I ran out of B-Ionics and Reef Complete you guys... so heres the NEW SCOOP!

Im really really tired of dealing with a CA / ALK problem!

heres whats going on


I have since added a KALK drip... its been on for about a day
I used 2 gallons with 2 teaspoons of Kalk...

my pH is stable at 8.4

Ca has really gotten lower...

I tested ALK this afternoon and it was between 3.0meq/L and 3.5meq/L... YEAH!! ok.. so!

but MY Ca was only around 300ppm!!! AHHHH IM ABOUT TO GO CRAZY!!!!

So this is what I was thinking...
Getting some more Reef Complete... getting the Level where I wish .. around 500ppm... and then just continue with normal Kalk...

what do you guys think???

Has anyone used Kent TURBO CAL?

I have got some Kent Superbuffer DKH but havent used it yet..

Will the KALK drip keep my Ca where I want it after I dose to get it there???

I am not familiar with Randys... and Probably cant get it...

I just want to get this thing SOLVED!!!

Here are some Pics of the Homemade Drip I made...

80197000_1830.JPG


80197000_1832.JPG
 
I probably wouldn't target as high as 500 ppm, and I might get a better calcium kit since it seems noisy, but otherwise, raising the calcium and then using limewater is a good plan. :)
 
and I might get a better calcium kit since it seems noisy,
Click to expand...

??? Duno what your talking about?


Ok, so today I got some more reef completly, dosed 100ml to raise it up to 500... it "snowed" slightly... ?!!! :(...

I will test again tomorow..
I just made up 2 more gallons of Kalkwasser and used 4teaspoons instead of 2.. like I did last time

My ALK was 3.5 as of before the Ca doseing... and my Ca was still 300ppm... errrrrr


Im useing a redsea testkit ... I like it..
 
I would not target 500 ppm calcium, but 380-450 ppm.
How and when are you measuring pH?
Ever measure magnesium?

One suggestion is to get a different brand of calcium test kit. I'm not convinced that the fluctuations that you are seeing is real and not testing noise.
 
Im messureing my pH with a liquid color change test.. I belive Aquarium Pharm. High Range pH

I test it often... 2 or 3 times a day depending...

No, I have never tested for Mg, however I have thought about buying a seachem testkit...

I have redsea Ca testkit..

I just got a Aquarium Pharm. test kit.. I will compare results...


Ill post later.
 
Some folks have had issues with the Red Sea calcium kit, IIRC. You might get a different brands (Salifert, Hach, Seachem etc.). If it is higher than you think, that might be part of the problem.

Getting a magnesium kit is another good idea.
 
I am having a similer problem as this chap and also am useing red sea kit. Is bionic a good product? I have been thinking of trying it or c balence which is quite similer except I think it contains mag. Right now I use kalk water once a day. 1 tsp per gallon and dose over 1 week period also adding 1 tsp of kent liqued calcium a day. I can't get over 350ppm. Got to buy something soon, please help. Thank you. i should add my ph is around 8.4 and alk is 3.5mq and /or kh 5dkh.I have been using kent super buffer 1 time per week as well but just ran out and used some red sea reef sucess buff I hasd kicking around untill I can get one of these 2 part sups. Should all of my top off water be kalk water. I top approx 2 gal. in my 75 of only 1 gal. is kalk water. Thanks again
 
One thing to keep in mind when bringing Ca and Mg up is that it takes a lot. My calcium was around 300ppm to get it up to 380 I had to add 21 tsp of Turbo calcium. To bring Mg up 100ppm it took almost a whole bottle of Kent tech M. This is for my 125 gallon tank.
 
Is bionic a good product?

Yes, B-ionic is a fine two part calcium and alkalinity system. I do not know the relative amounts of magnesium in C-balance and B-ionic, but B-ionic contains magnesium. :)

and dose over 1 week period also adding 1 tsp of kent liqued calcium a day. I can't get over 350ppm.

More calcium chloride (Kent calcium products) or just the calcium part of the B-ionic will do the trick if you add enough. Equal parts addition of B-ionic or C-balance will not serve to raise the calcium much as the alkalinity and pH get too high.

This calculator shows how much to use:

Reef chemicals calculator
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html
 
I'm noticing that you have posted all of this in a matter of just less than a week, in my opinion, you never want to make such radical changes so quickly. In my 75 gal system (prior to making DIY Calcium Reactor ) I found it takes at least a couple of weeks of steady dosing to gradually bring up the levels. I've used both seachem, and kent products to do so (both seemed to work equally well). One interesting thing I found was that if I tested newly made salt water prior to doing a water change, the type of salt I used was consistently part of the problem. My batches of "instant ocean" salt water always had low calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium levels. I would have to dose the makeup water before I even did the water change. I purchased it because it was "cheaper" than better salt. When you add up how much additives cost to bring it up to NSW conditions, it actually cost much more than the good salt. Now I use "oceanic" salt, and have had no problems, the calcium is usually 425, and magnesium 1500 in a new batch for a water change. It's interesting, but more water changes, or large water changes with low chemical levels just makes your situation harder to remedy.

Damon
 
I'm noticing that you have posted all of this in a matter of just less than a week, in my opinion, you never want to make such radical changes so quickly.

Calcium boosts? Why not? IMO, it is fine to boost calcium and magnesium by 100 ppm per day if using appropriate methods. :)

When you add up how much additives cost to bring it up to NSW conditions, it actually cost much more than the good salt.

Calcium and magnesium are dirt cheap if you use Dowflake and MAG Flake.

Now I use "oceanic" salt, and have had no problems, the calcium is usually 425, and magnesium 1500 in a new batch for a water change.

I don't care for Oceanic salt mix, or their philosophy of adding excessive calcium and magnesium, or intentionally leaving out other things they decided we must not want (strontium, borate, maybe others).
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6677470#post6677470 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
I'm noticing that you have posted all of this in a matter of just less than a week, in my opinion, you never want to make such radical changes so quickly.

Calcium boosts? Why not? IMO, it is fine to boost calcium and magnesium by 100 ppm per day if using appropriate methods. :)

When you add up how much additives cost to bring it up to NSW conditions, it actually cost much more than the good salt.

Calcium and magnesium are dirt cheap if you use Dowflake and MAG Flake.

Now I use "oceanic" salt, and have had no problems, the calcium is usually 425, and magnesium 1500 in a new batch for a water change.

I don't care for Oceanic salt mix, or their philosophy of adding excessive calcium and magnesium, or intentionally leaving out other things they decided we must not want (strontium, borate, maybe others).
Click to expand...

Which salt mixes do you prefer?

Damon
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6677970#post6677970 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
There are a number that are likely fine. Instant Ocean, Tropic Marin, Kent, etc. I use Instant Ocean. :)
Click to expand...
Really? Could I have gotten a few bad batches? Or is the other chemical makeup ( chemicals I can't easily measure due to limited test kits) of instant ocean make it worthwhile? I guess when I started this hobby, I wasn't familiar with your two part additive program (which is brilliant and cheap BTW) and used primarily commercial supplements because that was "safe" for me. It was terribly expensive however when compared to good calcium reactors. I guess that if you can supplement as inexpensively as you can with your program, why not? I wasn't aware you could raise levels in tanks that fast.....I was always taught slow go...but in the ocean, things don't go slow.......hmmmm.....

Damon
 
Could I have gotten a few bad batches?

Could be, I'm not sure what values you got. There have been comments about some low alk batches of Kent around.

which is brilliant and cheap BTW

Thanks. :)
 
Just as an aside...

I don't believe RH-F actually uses his 2 part in his own reef tank. He uses kalkwasser. (Or maybe I was just reading an old article.) :eek1:

He just created the 2-part because he's an altruist!:D
 
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