My Acro is starting to bleach out!!!

[Jaime_309]

My acro just started to bleach out today, should i frag it or see if it will recover?... i am dripping lime water and i was using a fishing lead weight to hold the plastic end down... i don know if this is the reason of the problem but i have taken the weight out just in case... i dont think the lime water is the problem, i tested the water and my parameters are low, alk 6 kh, and CAl is 300... i drip about a gal to a gal and a half every night and my levels never get to much higher, dont know why...i guess i have to drip more, but i dont want to overkill it neither...

 

[DrBDC]

Lime is only used to MAINTAIN ca/alk levels. You'll never get enough of it in to raise levels. You can replace about 1 to 1 1/2 dKh per day with it, maybe 2 if you really get some evaporation going so you have somewhere to put it but that's it and a tank can use even more depending on it's ca/alk consumption rate.

Get your levels up to a good amount using individual components of a two part or using Randy's homemade formula components. Determine the levels by using the calculator I'll also link at the end.

Choosing a ca/alk supplementation for after you get your levels straight:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm

How to make the homemade 2(3) part for getting levels back to within normal ranges:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

And now the calculator to determine how much to add to get to those levels:

http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

 

[Horace]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7798290#post7798290 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DrBDC
You'll never get enough of it in to raise levels.

There are plenty of people whos tanks dont use 1 - 2 dkh/day and kalk could easily raise thier Alk if they use too much. In fact my 75g used to raise alk if I dosed too much.

 

[Jaime_309]

well, what i am finding is tha i can raise the alk with no prob but man i cant raise my calcium for nothing... i have been dosing for the last 2 nights about 120ml a night, 60 at night and 60 in the morning before the light's turn on of WM calmax part A... my calcium dosnt want to budge from 320... any suggestions???

 

[NewSchool04]

bump both your Ca and Alk to where you want it to be and then start your kalk drip. There are many different products to do this, I use Kent Turbo Calcium and baking soda. Use the calculator DrBDC posted and get your levels to where you want and then start your kalk drip.

 

[RichConley]

You can definitely raise parameters with limewater. Adding both baking soda and turbocal is the exact same thing as using kalk. Dont forget, you dont have to just add kalk topoff, you can also do the super saturated kalk slurry method Calfo reccomends.

Its just balanced, so you can't raise one parameter, you raise them both.

I THINK its 1dkh:20ppm calcium. look the number up before you trust me though.

 

[DrBDC]

It would take a little over 3 gallons saturated limewater or 6 teaspoons kalk to raise the dKh of 70 gallons from 6-11. I'm not sure you'd like the pH results doing it with just limewater.

 

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7808702#post7808702 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DrBDC
It would take a little over 3 gallons saturated limewater or 6 teaspoons kalk to raise the dKh of 70 gallons from 6-11. I'm not sure you'd like the pH results doing it with just limewater.

The PH results would be exactly the same as doing it with baking soda, and turbocal.

I'm not saying do it all at one go, but I have definitely raised both things with Kalkwasser.

 

[NewSchool04]

No, baking soda would lower the pH slightly and turbo calcium would have no real effect on the pH. Now the Kalk on the other hand, through the roof!

 

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7808938#post7808938 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NewSchool04
No, baking soda would lower the pH slightly and turbo calcium would have no real effect on the pH. Now the Kalk on the other hand, through the roof!

Baking soda lowering the pH is a temporary thing, as CO2 is outgassed. In the end, you get the same pH increase. Any rise in Alk raises pH. That being said, if kalk is dripped slowly, you dont really see any pH changes (or atleast I dont in my tank).

 

[Jaime_309]

since my alk is fine, i think the turbo cal is prob the best way... i will look for the product since my Clamax WM part A isnt doing the job by its self... then i will continue to drip limewater and check up on my level to see wheni have to supplement my tank accordingly. I appreciate all this input you guy's!!!

 

[DrBDC]

I do know 10 gallons of kalk over 6 hours on a total system volume of 200+ gallons will raise the pH to 9.8, a very cloudy tank and a very panicy tank owner looking for a bottle of vinegar!

 

[Jaime_309]

I will keep you guy's posted with the results!!!

 

[DrBDC]

BTW watch the litermeters if the power goes on/off a half a dozen times close togather.

 

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7808966#post7808966 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Jaime_309
since my alk is fine, i think the turbo cal is prob the best way... i will look for the product since my Clamax WM part A isnt doing the job by its self... then i will continue to drip limewater and check up on my level to see wheni have to supplement my tank accordingly. I appreciate all this input you guy's!!!

Jaime, your Alk isnt fine. Its not REAL low, but it still needs to come up. 6 is too low. Get it up into the 7-10 range, and dont let it fall below 7.

 

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7808979#post7808979 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DrBDC
I do know 10 gallons of kalk over 6 hours on a total system volume of 200+ gallons will raise the pH to 9.8, a very cloudy tank and a very panicy tank owner looking for a bottle of vinegar!

Lol.

And adding the equivalent amount of baking soda wont cause similar issues? My point was, you can most certainly raise parameters with Kalk. You just can't raise 1 parameter.

 

[Jaime_309]

my alk is at 8-9 now... like i said i can rais the alk no prob, but my Ca is the Prob...is stay's at 320.

 

[NewSchool04]

Jaime, you need to raise both your Alk and your Ca. Both of these need to be balanced, having you Alk low and Ca high does you absolutely no good.
Figure out how much aprox. water volume you have for your system and then plug that into the calculator and what product you want to use. I would choose baking soda for your Alk and either Turbo Calc or if you can find it Prestone Driveway Heat (melts snow and is cheap!) for the calcium.
If your volume is 150 gallons you'll need 31 tsps of Ca and 8 tsps of baking soda. I wouldn't do it all at once. That will bring you to 420 ppm Ca and 9 dKH of Alk, very balanced. Once you get there, use your Kalk to maintain.

The Alk is based on yours being 6 dKH and the Calcium 320 ppm.

 

[NewSchool04]

No it won't Rich. You are talking about two totally different things here. Adding 8 tsps of baking soda will have a minimal effect on the tank and pH, especially if you cut it in half and do 4 and then the next day another 4. Adding the same amount of Kalk to boost your Ca from 320 to 420 will raise your pH to the roof, possibly with terrible consequenses. Even if you cut the dosage in half.
Kalk should not be used to boost your alkalinity or calcium, it should be used to maintain balanced levels!!!!!!!

 

[Jaime_309]

thank's i will keep thin in mind, but like i said my Alk is at 8-9 now and my Ca is what need to be brought up...