Low Alk Blues

[Reefaholic1980]

Ok here is the deal. I have a 20H that has about 30lbs of live rock ect. The tank is about 8months old. I had not been really testing much accept nitrate in the tank, since everything seemed fine.

So I test my ph and it says that it is 7.8 and 7.6. I thought this was a little low so i started to ask questions on my MARSH. (my other local forum.) To sum it up i purchased some good cal and alk test kits. (salifert and Lamotte)

By the way I have been using Oceanic salt, which from what i have experienced it has a low alk and high high cal content.

Keep in mind that i do 5 gal waterchanges every week& 1\2 (with my RO-DI.

Here is what my readings were folowing directions exactly.
Alk 64ppm
Cal above 500 ppm (Salifert test ran out of Ca-3 solution in syringe)

These are crazy misbalanced parameters for never dosing anything.

Ok so i got some B-ionic 2 part that i have purchased via Marine Depot. (came to this conclusion ,after reading many chemistry articles everywhere including here , and thought this was a good way to balance since my tank is smaller, .)

I used one recommended dose of it for 18 gal at 1milliliter per 4 gal. I noticed that it was somewhat cloudy, but also flakey as well.
I read that flakey was bad.
Am I on the right track here?
Any help would be appreciated a lot.

O BTW I got some esv kalk as well to drip or put with toppoff once all of this gets sorted.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

i would not dose any of the calcium part until it drops to 450 ppm or less. I'd dose enough of the alkalinity part to raise and maintain the alkalinity at 2.5-4 meq/L (7-11 dKH, 125-200 ppm CaCO3 equivalents).

This calculator shows how much is needed for the initial boost, and the article describes the process:

Solving Calcium and Alkalinity Problems
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

Reef Chemicals Calculator
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

 

[Reefaholic1980]

Randy I tried using the calculator. When I put in 18 gal for water vol, 64ppm for alk starting, and say for ex 66ppm for expected. The calculator says that it is substantially higher and to dose slowly( along B-ionic amount given).

I really dont get this, I understand to dose slowly, but at that kind of increase it would take over 2 months to get where i need to be at 120ppm.

I read your articles before and they have helped me decide on what my plan of action is, but now that im at the dosing part the calculator is what threw me off.

Whats going on with people talking about flaking when they put in the alk part? I noticed that if i add any more than a drop at a time that it will flake when i add it.

Ok what i have been doing is taking the recommended(for my tank) 5ml of what B-ionic recommends, and cutting that in half and dosing 2.5 in a syringe slowly into the tank 2x day once miday and once in evening.
(at least thats the plan so far.)

I did however retest alk today and it rose to 76ppm from yesterday. I guess the dose had an positive effect.

I cant believe what a PITA that using this salt is being. I have been using oceanic since I started the tank, but it seems that it didnt give me as many problems then. (at least any that i could see)

I believe that im going to take the suggestions that i have been given and mix my salt half IO and half Oceanic, to balance the alk and cal more.

Thanks for the reply Randy, just please let me know what is going on with the calculator part. It seems like a really good tool, but it is kinda scaring me with the suggestions that it is giving with such a small dose.

Julian

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The calculator does not say how slow to dose it, it is jsut a warning about pH effects. I'd dose that amount over 1-2 days or so, as long as the pH does not top 8.5.

Whats going on with people talking about flaking when they put in the alk part? I noticed that if i add any more than a drop at a time that it will flake when i add it.

Flakes that settle out and never dissolve, or cloudiness that always initially forms, but redissolves as it mixes in? This, for example, is normal:


What is that Precipitate in My Reef Aquarium?
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-07/rhf/index.htm

 

[Reefaholic1980]

Ok thanks a lot you have been a big help. I really have a good understanding on how to controll my water parameters. I do however have one more quick question.

Given the imbalance of my salt mix, once i get my main tank where i want it(alk and cal, and ph), do i have to use my test kits every time i make up a water change. Or can i just test for ph after i have added the recommended dose of alk to my water change. (or whatever i have pre-determined will bring alk to where i need it)

Of course I will test the first few water changes of doing this to make sure that im adding the right amount of things, but is this how this is normally done?

Again thanks for all of your help.
Julian

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

How much and how often are you changing water?

 

[Reefaholic1980]

I have been doing a 20% around 5 gal every week 1/2 to 2 weeks. I really dont know if it is as needed as often, if I am dosing now. What do you think?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You can probably back off to 30% per month, but it is hard to say exactly what water change amounts of optimal/cost effective.

I adjust my IO upward in calcium and magnesium (without testing) by determining once how much is needed to get where I want, then always add that same amount.

Calcium can be tested a lot less frequently than alkalinity as it changes more slowly.