Calcium and Alkalinity

[Scubajoe1]

Ok I know I will get a slue of messages telling me if it's not broke don't fix it but just curious what most people are running their tanks at in regards to alkalinity and Ca. Currently my calcium is about 415-420 and alkalinity is 8.85 and both steady with doing about 200 mils each of the BRS solutions daily for my 185 gallon tank. I have upped it from about 170 a month ago to what it is not and no major change. Mg is about 1350.

SPS corals are looking decent and tips are growing and eventually coloring up. I was not sure if this was ever going to happen in regards to coloring up but it is a slow process compared to the new growth. Phosphates about .04 ppm and nitrates are .5 ppm. Have to feed a lot to get these up from 0.00.

Was wondering if a higher alkalinity and slightly higher Ca would be better? Always looking to improve.

Thanks

Joe

 

[markalot]

Hi Joe,

not an expert, just parroting what I have learned from others.

With lower nutrients Acros do better with alk between 7 and 8 KH and calcium wherever it decided to fall as long as it's better than 400. I would look to slowly lowering your Alk.

Do you have large colonies? 200ml sounds very high but I'm not familiar with the BRS two part.

 

[Scubajoe1]

I know low alkalinity is good when running biopellets when running ULNS but I don't think I am at the ULNS state anymore since I removed my bio-pellets. my phosphates are typically 0.04-0.05 unless I decrease the feeding then they drop to 0.00 in a couple days. Again nitrates were about 3 ppm which is a good level for SPS but I went on vacation for a week and my house sitter did not feed any oyster feast, phyto or reef roads so hence the drop in nutrients.

I know all tanks are different but I believe for SPS people strive for < 0.1 ppm for phosphates and < 10 for nitrates but I heard people having luck with higher levels as well.

I have 1 colony the size of my open hand and about 4 others the size of my closed fist. Remaining four are small frags. Also have LPS and one large clam.

Will take a pic tomorrow.

 

[BryanS4]

Are you sure its staying steady? 200 ml is a ton.

I have a 125 and 40 sump and a lot of sps and I'm at 40 ml of brs 2 part per day.

What did you add to up it from 170 to 200? You may be good, but man that sounds like a ton unless your tanked is packed.

 

[Scubajoe1]

Test measurements

Test measurements

I am certain regarding the measurements. Analytical chemist here for 20+ years. I have even made standard Ca solutions to test the Hanna kit and usually am +/- 1-2%. Take my measurements about the same time each evening and also took samples to the LFS to have them measure as well and both were in decent agreement.

http://s87.photobucket.com/user/Scuba_joe/media/calcium_zpsqdghf0ni.jpg.html

http://s87.photobucket.com/user/Scuba_joe/media/coral-4_zpszjlovnpg.jpg.html

http://s87.photobucket.com/user/Scuba_joe/media/coral-10_zpswg6zaib5.jpg.html

 

[Scubajoe1]

According to BRS the amount of Ca and Alkalinity added should be about the same. So I am adding 200 of each /day

Mg if dosed daily should be about 1/6 of that so about 33 mils/day

 

[Scubajoe1]

I will call and ask them tomorrow. I see their starting daily dose for a tank with many SPS coral is 0.3 ml/gallon

I am about 3 times that so not sure where it would be going.

Going to test now actually with current kit and new reagents.

 

[Scubajoe1]

OK I just measured again and got 433 with old reagents and 430 with new reagents using the Hanna checker. it did seem to increase about about 13 ppm in two days going from 170 mils to 200 mls. Will follow the next couple days and maybe drop it again if it keeps increasing. Seems that 170 mLs keeps me at a steady state.

 

[markalot]

I am certain regarding the measurements. Analytical chemist here for 20+ years. I have even made standard Ca solutions to test the Hanna kit and usually am +/- 1-2%. Take my measurements about the same time each evening and also took samples to the LFS to have them measure as well and both were in decent agreement.

http://s87.photobucket.com/user/Scuba_joe/media/calcium_zpsqdghf0ni.jpg.html

http://s87.photobucket.com/user/Scuba_joe/media/coral-4_zpszjlovnpg.jpg.html

http://s87.photobucket.com/user/Scuba_joe/media/coral-10_zpswg6zaib5.jpg.html

Very nice. Those colonies look pretty large so you may be fine, or Mag is low and it's precipitating somewhere? Anyway you're way beyond my knowledge, that exquisita is gorgeous, mine is a brown turd.

Zoom the picture, right click to copy the image URL and strip the ~original from the end so it ends in .jpg

So I will now say. DON'T CHANGE ANYTHING. :lol:

 

[JB NY]

So here are my thoughts on alk.

You can get some stronger growth with alk in the 9-10 dKh range, Coloration IME will not suffer at all, in many cases some corals will do slightly better with alk at this range.

But I have found that SPS, specifically acropora, do better health wise, meaning less random acts of self destruction, STN, RTN at a lower alk of 8-9 dkH.

The only time you need to go lower is if your tank suffers from burning tips on your acros. If you start to see that, drop the alk to below 8 and it generally goes away.

CA and mag, I bump mine to 450 and 1400. I find that for me those are the optimum places for those two for growth.

 

[Scubajoe1]

Thanks JB. I am pretty much there right now. maybe a little higher on Ca (430) and Mg (1350)

Joe

 

[reefmutt]

You're getting good advice here, imo..
I second 'don't change a thing'..

 

[M007]

Things look pretty good to me, why tinker?

 

[Scubajoe1]

ummm, it's in my nature...I'm a scientist.