Could someone please help the chemically chalanged.

[Mark Bianco]

Lets start off with the basics. DT 210gl, sump 100gl, I use RODI water 110tds incoming and 000 outgoing, Salinty 10.25 Temp 78, NO2 and No3 0, PH 8, GH 150 and KH 180. I do 30gl a week waterchange using Instant ocean reef salt. I have a but not impressed with AquaC calcium reactor, I use 6 AI sol blues with 2 80w T5 purple plus for lighting.

My problem is even after a year I can not get any coral line alage to grow however my corals do great. The calcium reactor has been thru 2 ten pound tanks of CO2 but I am still on the orignal supply of ARM media I originaly filled the reactor with an it has only gone down about in inch.

I was reading the articles about dosing lime or quick lime and although the articles contained excellent documentation it's about as clear as mud to me.

I do have a couple of aqualifter pumps sitting around and I can control them with my Apex, but I am still unclear about few things.

1. What ratio of Mrs Wages pickling lime to rodi water do I use?
2. How much of the above mixture should I add over a 24 hour period?
3. I also read in the article that some mix vinager with this mixture. Is this a good idea, if so how much?
4. Airate / stir or not?

Thank You for your time.

Mark

 

[Dr. Reef]

try buying a small piece of rock with lots of coralline algae on it. bring it to the highest flow area in tank scrape some and leave the rock in front of a power head or closed loop.

 

[Mark Bianco]

I had some excellent coral line alage when the live rock was new but slowly it has all parrished. Never tried scraping it though perhaps I will give that a try.

 

[daido]

calcium level?
mag level?
do you have corals?
Did you add the live rock before the cycle?

 

[downbeach]

As far as the kalk question is concerned, 2 tsp. per gallon of RO/DI water is considered saturation, use it in your top off water to make up for evaporation. You can go up to 3 tsp. per gallon if you add 45 mL of vinegar per gallon. But, keep in mind that the vinegar is a form of liquid carbon dosing. Do not aerate, just mix it and let it sit overnight for use the next day.
Can you run without the t-5's for a while? It's possible you may have too much light for coraline.

 

[Mark Bianco]

As for turning off the T5's not a problem. I will give that a try. Now my issue is my rodi container is a 55gl plastic drum. I am only home every other weekend so I need a large container. Will it be ok if the solution sits for that long My system evaporates about 2 gallons a day.

 

[bertoni]

I would get a calcium test kit to see what that level is. I haven't heard of that particular type of lighting, but it's probably okay.