CA percipitation - HELP FAST!

[ItsMee]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6613517#post6613517 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bertoni
Sounds odd to me. I'd test some freshly-mixed saltwater and see what it says.

The freshly mixed SW is 10.2 DKH @ 1.026 (same SG as my tank)


Any idea why my system uses so much alkalinity?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Are you sure you are using the kit correctly? Was any supplement well mixed in before testing? Only a very high demand tank would use 3dKH in 6 h. Testing noise may still be part of that. Track trends over days, not hours.

 

[ItsMee]

Sailfert is pretty easy to use. I am putting 4 ml (high resolution test) of tank water into the testing tube, adding two drops of the colored regeant, firmly placing the plastic tip on the syringe, drawing in from the second regeant to the 1.0 mark. I did the test three times to make sure and got the same reading everytime....the piston in the syringe stopped at 0.64 (5.8 DKH) when the liquid turned pink. I added alkalinity according to the calculator to bring it from that 5.8 DKH to 10 DKH by dripping the correct amount of your recipe, but adding about 3 cups of extra water to it so it would drip all night....which it did. If the test were wrong, there would likely be a snow storm in my tank. This morning there is no ca prcipitation on my glass and the water is clear. All of the solution had dripped.



Ill go do a test right now:

 

[ItsMee]

RESULTS:


CA: 405 ppm

ALK: 0.46 on the syringe - 8.6 DKH - 3.09 meq/L

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Those values look fine. Let's see how they are going forward.

 

[ItsMee]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6615779#post6615779 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
Those values look fine. Let's see how they are going forward.

OK...ill test again around 6pm and post the results.

 

[ItsMee]

NEW RESULTS:

ALK: 0.56 on the syringe-7.0 DKH-2.51 meq/L

CA: 405 ppm (same as above!)


So since my last result post @ 8:30, till now @ 5:15 my calcium stayed where it is at and my alkalinity went from 8.6 DKH/3.09 meq to 7.0 DKH/2.51 meq (1.6 DKH of consumption in 8.75 hours) - Does this seem normal, or too fast a rate of consumption? (thank you for all your help!)

Also, what should I do now that this is where my levels are? Use the calculator to make ca go to 420 and alk to 10 DKH?

 

[bertoni]

I've forgotten how much calcification occurs at night, but as a 24-hour total, that amount isn't unbelieveable. I would perhaps dose half the amount you suggest, and watch for signs of a problem, and then perhaps later dose again.

 

[ItsMee]

any comments on he alkalinity?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Let's see how it looks 24 h later.