Let's talk about Alkalinity, Calcium and Magnesium in an SPS Tank
- Thread starter JB NY
- Start date
Syntax1325
Acro Addict
I'm just starting out and only have a few corals: two Seriotopia, frogspawn and some zoo's... All are fine and thriving at KH: 10 PH: 8.1 CA: 430 and I don't know what my Mag is.... I use RSCP for salt..... Should I change salts or stay the course since all is well??
Last edited:
Aquarist007
New member
Alot of reefers don't test for mag as frequently as they do all and cal since it doesn't very that much that quickly. On the systems I service I may test for mag once a month. I should add that I know these systems and have been servicing them for years.
DjScRiBbLe
In Memoriam
Tested today:
Calc 420
Alk 9.0
Mag 1300
I have only some zoas and few LPS and a purple digi so my demand is low atm. Currently i seem to be able to keep these parameters with weekly water changes. Say down the road when i exceed the ability to maintain levels with water changes i want to raise mag up to around 1400 what would be the best way to do that? Then will using calk suffice or is 2 part better? From reading through here mag allows one to have higher calc and alk and products like only effect calc and alk so would mag be maintained with kalk as well?
Thanks
Calc 420
Alk 9.0
Mag 1300
I have only some zoas and few LPS and a purple digi so my demand is low atm. Currently i seem to be able to keep these parameters with weekly water changes. Say down the road when i exceed the ability to maintain levels with water changes i want to raise mag up to around 1400 what would be the best way to do that? Then will using calk suffice or is 2 part better? From reading through here mag allows one to have higher calc and alk and products like only effect calc and alk so would mag be maintained with kalk as well?
Thanks
Ryecoon
New member
i bought a new doser and last night i was adjusting the tubes and accidentally popped one of the tubes out of the socket. About 5ml from the tube dumped in the tank. So i stopped the pump and did a quick water change. I checked my parameters and Calcium was 520. I reprogrammed the doser to dose every other hour instead of every hour until it drops a little bit. What are your thoughts on this besides "You F'd Up" lol
Reefvet
New member
No way of telling you anything else because we don't know how big your tank is, what calcium was before you over dosed it, what else you dose, what the other parameters are, what's in the tank...
Other than that. A calcium level of 520 is no big deal.
Kalkwasser does not contain Magnesium. Kalk will provide alkalinity and calcium in equal ratio/parts. Many people use Kalk and when that no longer provides the alk and CA at the desired level, they dose only what's needed. If the Alk is low and CA is fine, dose only alk...and vice-versa. Kalk tends to be cheaper than 2 part. If you are only wanting to raise Mag to 1400, supplement it with a Mag product such as Kent Tech-M. HTH
Alk can be dosed any way you would like.
Many people dose Alk at night or after the lights are off because it will help the pH from dropping. That will help some in minimizing the swing. Soda ash tends to raise the pH while soda bicarbonate has a temporary lowering effect. HTH
Aquarist007
New member
What are your levels for calcium magnesium and alkalinity
xtlosx
Just Reefin'
I'll add my experiences here...
Primarily SPS 150G, with a LOT of frags, and some mini colonies. I dose via 2 BRS dosers once a day (calc and alk each).
Alk 7.5-8.5 , Calc - 400-440, Mg - 1300-1500 (raised it to fix a bryopsis problem recently).
Not spreading my dosing out over the course of 24hrs, I have seen no adverse reactions, I get excellent colors, great growth, and so far so good.. I've been dosing once daily via the dosers and haven't gone to spreading it out because, well if it ain't broke don't fix it I guess.
Primarily SPS 150G, with a LOT of frags, and some mini colonies. I dose via 2 BRS dosers once a day (calc and alk each).
Alk 7.5-8.5 , Calc - 400-440, Mg - 1300-1500 (raised it to fix a bryopsis problem recently).
Not spreading my dosing out over the course of 24hrs, I have seen no adverse reactions, I get excellent colors, great growth, and so far so good.. I've been dosing once daily via the dosers and haven't gone to spreading it out because, well if it ain't broke don't fix it I guess.
I dose around 100ml of part a and b from BRS. I dose hourly a very small amount (alk on the hour and calcium 30 minutes after). I like dosing hourly because it keeps my PH and alk stable. I use BRS 1.1ml dosers and use the Apex OSC calculator.....makes it very easy to setup and change
SantaMonica
Well-known member
I think that's the same BRS doser I use for kalk. It's the slower of the two available.
REEFconnection
New member
anyone thinks a overloaded fish tank is hard on the coral, i am new to the hobby the sps frags keeps browning up , evenly .. not bleaching .
whats the cause?thanks
whats the cause?thanks
PaleHorse
New member
hows your light/distance
Reef noob_
New member
im at a point in my 29 gallon reef build in which id like to start adding some sps corals. i currently have 300W lights, so i know thats intense enough but i still have no idea what to do with CA and ALK for the corals. in the past i have been good without dosing but ive never kept sps before help please!
