How much 2pt. is too much? Something has to be wrong.

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PowermanKW

New member
I have a 90g with some softies and a few LPS 120# LR and not a lot of coraline. Galaxy, Frog, Candy cane. All small. A pipe organ... I use BRS 2 pt. recipe #2 with dosing pumps.

My Mg is at 1300
SG 1.026
temp 77.7-80F

I can't keep my Ca and Alk up. I switched to BRS about 2 months ago, and keep having to catch up.

Right now I am at 180ml per day Alk. My Ca fell off and I'm at 180ml of that too, but I put 3 cups into a gallon instead of the two. I tested this morning and I'm at

Alk 4.25
Ca 450
PH 8.3

That is where I want it, I just feel like I am adding a lot. Hell, it's 3 times what BRS gives as a guideline for my tank. Two of my pumps recently calcified and I had to clean them. Is something wrong?
 
don't you want your alk higher?

I am going for around 10 for mine-i could be wrong-It hgas happened in the past.

3 cups on purpose??

I believe I do mine in oz not mil-have you used the online calculater for such additives?
 
4.5 meq/l is around 12.5 DK I believe. I have used the calculators and started off at the recommended ml/gallon I have. That was way low. Ca and Alk dropped like a rock. I'm using as much as a heavy SPS dominate tank. I'm nowhere near that. I don't think my quarter size frag of Monti qualifies.
 
Manual dose it over a couple of days to get it to 8ish dkh. Then watch how much it falls over 24 hours while auto-dosing.

Have you stirred up the Baking Soda to make sure you don't have any clumps?
 
My Alk isn't too bad. Its been around 4. I want 4.5 Bumped it up. My Ca fell off dosing equal parts. Got to 350. Had to dose 300 ml for 4 days just to get it back up.

My gallons were done so I needed a new batch. I made the Ca up with 3 cups instead of two. Dosed equal parts for 4 days and my Ca has stayed there. So that would be like 180 ml/day fro alk, and 270 ml/day of Ca. It just seems like I am dosing a lot in a tank that should not have that high of a demand.
 
make sure to dose them at different time and don'tuse same dosing equioment as their interaction will lead to a solid that will decrease the efficieny of the additive. 180 ml is too much for a LPS tank of that size. I'm only dosing 35-40 ml for a 150 G with LPS and a few SPS. also i would double check your test kit against another kit or maybe have the LFS test your water.
 
Also make sure your'dripping very slowly with an area with increased flow to avoid increased concentration where you are dripping which will lead to particles of Calcium settling.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15032587#post15032587 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by maroun.c
make sure to dose them at different time and don'tuse same dosing equioment as their interaction will lead to a solid that will decrease the efficieny of the additive. 180 ml is too much for a LPS tank of that size. I'm only dosing 35-40 ml for a 150 G with LPS and a few SPS. also i would double check your test kit against another kit or maybe have the LFS test your water.
Click to expand...

See, that's what I'm talking about.

I use Drews dosing pumps. I dose Alk 14 min every hour for 10 hours through the night to keep PH up. (AC Jr.) I dose Ca for 3 hours in the morning. I dose into the return section of my sump, at opposite sides.

I have used the reference in the test kit and it comes out right. I should have my LFS do a separate test.
 
I have a similar problem in a 100G. I am going to check my PH meter calibration tonight, if the PH is high it will cause calcification causing your levels to drop. I am currently reading 8.2-8.3. I am currently adding 90ml of each, & i do not have a loaded tank!
 
Are you adding any Mag. to keep the level at 1300?

I don't think you should have to add any where near that much. Much of it is probably precipitating out of solution.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15033451#post15033451 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by luther1200
Are you adding any Mag. to keep the level at 1300?

I don't think you should have to add any where near that much. Much of it is probably precipitating out of solution.
Click to expand...

Yes I am. That has stay OK though. I originally got it up to 1250. It was time for the 20 oz., but I did it about 3 times to bump it up to a solid 1300.

And I can understand if it is precipitating... but where? I made a snow storm when I first got my tank, so I know what that is.

I was using Sea Chem stuff. Decided to go to BRS. My numbers were low. When I got my 2 part, I did all the calculations per BRS. How much total water I actually have, where I started, what I wanted to got to. Figured out how much to get there. Made sure it was not too much in one day. Even that took much more that the calculations said.

Now I am where I am. I calibrated my pumps. Every time I think I'm good, my numbers are low, then I have to catch up. I keep having to catch up. Now after my new amounts, my stuff has stayed the same for the last 4 days, but I'm dosing so much. I don't get it.
 
It is strange. I have a 65 with SPS and LPS and I only add 10ml of each and I am good. And I am actually getting some pretty decent growth rates. But I do drip kalk 24/7 so I'm sure that is also a major factor.

Something has to be using the Ca/Alk. Do you have a lot of snails, or clams? Has your substrate started to clump? When I first started dosing 2 part I was adding to much and my substrate started to stick together like cement. I had to manually break it up before it got out of hand.
 
My DT sand is good, but my fuge is a little stiff. I do have a lot of snails. Like 10-15 large ones. 20 small. With the fuge, there are babies in there growing. I actually think I have too many. Just added some turbos and now I regret it. I just want a strong CUC. It isn't like I like snails.

I was wondering if I was going to have to go to kalk. I figured with my tank 2 part would do me for quite a while.
 
Even with the snails, I still think something else is going on. Have you got a second reading on a different test kit. Maybe the LFS can do some tests to verify if your test kits are still good.
 
Well, it was time for a call to BRS. They said I was way off and all I'm doing is dosing calcium carbonate into my tank. They have me on a rest schedule of no dosing for 3 days and then get me back to something much more reasonable.

When everything seems wrong.... it probably is. I calcified my chiller pump and my skimmer. I'll be taking apart my return pump tomorrow to see what that looks like.
 
Well sort of. I was trying to maintain a 12.6 DKH (4.5 meq/l) Now I see from others that is quite hard to maintain. I thought 4.5 was reasonable.

I just did a test. My PH is 8.03 and my Alk is 7 dkh (2.5 meq/l) That sort of freaks me out. I have not tested Ca. I'm going to do a round of tests when I get up tomorrow.

I stopped dosing for the three days. I have been dosing equal parts of 26ml. I'm doing my best to calm down and let the numbers work them selves out. I will do very small infrequent changes to bring them up.

I now want to get to 3-3.5 meq/l (8.4-9.8 dkh) and Ca to 420. I have no idea what my PH will land at.

I have been on a Alk/Ca roller coaster for the last 3 months. I'm ready to get off. I'm sure my tank is.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15082871#post15082871 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PowermanKW


I now want to get to 3-3.5 meq/l (8.4-9.8 dkh) and Ca to 420. I have no idea what my PH will land at.
Click to expand...
That is a good plan.
 
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