Need help with Top off formula

[Hudzon]

OK I know most just say use Kalk it's a gift from the gods
But my tank does not seem to live by the same standards as most.

My Mg stays at 1400 or very close and never have to dose

My Ca stays high around 450 - 480 without dosing

Alk now that's my main issue, my alk will not stay up for very long at all, I would like to try to keep it around 8 or 9 but it seems to drop by almost .5 a day without dosing.

I have a 60gal. system, and top off about 1gal. a day.

My coral load is low right now.

Small birds nest frag, - 2"
1 med hairy mushroom - 5"
2 small acro's 3 "
3 small zoa frags 2"
small xenia 4"
1 med sunset monti 4"

 

[jmccoya]

Same question here. Following along on this one.

 

[thegrun]

Interesting, I would think you could dissolve baking soda in your top-off to meet your alkalinity demand. I've never heard of anyone doing this, but I don't see why it would not work. Randy, if you're out there chime in!

 

[dzhuo]

OK I know most just say use Kalk it's a gift from the gods

It's just another way to maintain cal & alk but yes it's fairly easy to make and use. It works best in small-ish tank when demand of cal & alk is lower. For larger tank, kalk is seldom enough for heavy SPS grow.

My Mg stays at 1400 or very close and never have to dose

That might be normal. Mg isn't being used very fast in a typical reef tank.

My Ca stays high around 450 - 480 without dosing

How much water change do you do and what salt do you use? Have you been adding anything other than kalk to the tank?

Alk now that's my main issue, my alk will not stay up for very long at all, I would like to try to keep it around 8 or 9 but it seems to drop by almost .5 a day without dosing.

That might be normal depends on grow. Are you seeing lots of SPS grow? Have you consider switching to a 2-part so you can maintain alk & cal separately and more precisely? Have you ruled out a testing error?

 

[Hudzon]

How much water change do you do and what salt do you use? Have you been adding anything other than kalk to the tank??

I change 10 gals a week in a 60 gal system using the New Red Sea Coral Pro salt, I do not dose anything but Alkalin8.3

That might be normal depends on grow. Are you seeing lots of SPS grow? Have you consider switching to a 2-part so you can maintain alk & cal separately and more precisely? Have you ruled out a testing error?

I am just dosing Alk at this time, and have three brands of test kits all test the same.

 

[Uncle Salty 05]

Have you tried kalk?
Try it, you'll like it.

 

[dzhuo]

10g weekly will give you roughly 40g monthly. In a 60g tank, you are changing 67% of water every month. Red Sea Coral Pro is high in cal (490) and low in alk (7) from this sticky. I would not be surprise to see you are having high cal and low alk. Given your stocking list, I would guess the drop in alk is not coral consumption; it's from your water change.

Have you check alk & cal in fresh mix to verify these numbers?

 

[tkeracer619]

use baking soda for alk. WAY cheaper then any bottles additive. All they are anyways is baking soda dissolved in ro and put in a pretty bottle.

You might consider a small dosing pump on a timer to dose it to the tank.

look at www.bulkreefsupply.com

I would try kalk. It is just ms wages pickling lime. Much cheaper then aquarium specific stuff.

 

[Hudzon]

I was considering Kalk but was worried it would drive ca levels even higher?

The new Red Sea Coral Pro has a much higher ALK now listed at 12, I mix at 35ppt and mine reads 10 with ca being 470 in a new day old mix.

would baking soda work mixed in the top off resovior and would it effect PH ? my PH runs a little low 7.9 - 8.1