calcium problem

[bigmatt1992]

ok ive tryed everything to lower my alk. but no sucess. its still at 13 or 12 on a good day will go no lower at all. tryed 2 part and kalk. drip. what should i do plss help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[Tswifty]

Calcium and alkalinity will fall on there own. Don't add anything until your levels fall back into check.

Then once they do... use only 2-part, and start with 1/2 the recommended daily amount of each part.

Check levels every 3-5 days, and adjust dosage amount accordingly.

 

[bigmatt1992]

so i shouldnt do anything for like a week or so

 

[IamBIGGUN]

Randy's article

Randy's article

Here's Randy's article on calcium and alk......great piece to bookmark!

Randy's Article

Good reading. Let them lower until your alk is between 9-11 then get your calcium to match, around 400. After that dose 2 part regularly and keep checking every few days until you find the perfect dose. Then check at least monthly because as you add or have growth the numbers will change and need adjusted.

Kevin

 

[bigmatt1992]

o i sorta understand but i what i dont understand i why would i wait for it to drop by itself and why would it do this ...i guess i dont get it

 

[cloakerpoked]

Your sps and lps will use it up. Without adding more, you're all set.

 

[Misled]

Matt, take it slow. When you add things to change one thing it affects other things. Quick changes aren't good for the animals in your tank. Just let the levels come down on their own.

 

[bigmatt1992]

allrite ill let the water go with out adding any thing for a while and ill see what happens

 

[IamBIGGUN]

What is your calcium level?

 

[bigmatt1992]

not sure havent tested but my alk is 13 so just from that i know its low

 

[Tswifty]

You can't assume that since your alk is high, your calcium is low... especially if you are dosing. Get a test kit. It is a bit of a balancing act, but I often find that I am having trouble keeping everything stable, I need to check my Magnesium.

Also, 13 dKH isn't that high, or well not enough to seriously be concerned about. Especially if you are using Instant Ocean or Reef Crystals salt. The published alkalinity at 1.0265 is 12 dKH although a lot of people end up reporting batches of 14 dKH.

As stated above, your Alkalinity will gradually fall as your corals use it. The rate at which it falls all depends on the demand in your tank. You're demand is probably fairly low, so it may take a few days... even a week before it falls into an "acceptable" range.

 

[bigmatt1992]

ok tswifty once agin you cleared everything up for me. hey you got a pm to quick question lol