Hello,
I have a 180 gallon mixed reef tank. Stable for about three years. I began by simply using Kalk in my ato to keep up with my calcium and alkalinity requirements. Eventually, I started to supplement with 2 part as well to keep up with continued growth.
I now have an increasing salinity problem and am asking for any suggestions as to how to deal with this. I still fully saturate my ato with Kalk and I add about a half gallon a day of calcium and soda ash via dosing pumps with divided doses.
(I dose the soda ash when the lights are out beginning at 11 and start my calcium in the am around 6)
My parameters are as follows:
Alk stable at around 11- I test in the am generally
My calcium remains on the low side at 310-330
I keep my magnesium up to around 1500-1600 with water changes and brs mix supplement as necessary.
My ph ranges from 8- 8.3
The problem is that I am always chasing the salinity. I check my salinity after letting things run for a couple days and I am up to 1.028 but yet the calcium does not rise as I would expect.
I try to take out some water everyday to compensate but then my calcium drops.
Should I just do more frequent water changes with lower salinity water?
Continue to take water out daily and just let the ato fill up the tank with the Kalk?
Abandon everything and get a calcium reactor?
Any problem with running the ato with the Kalk and also using 2 part?
Any suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks!
I have a 180 gallon mixed reef tank. Stable for about three years. I began by simply using Kalk in my ato to keep up with my calcium and alkalinity requirements. Eventually, I started to supplement with 2 part as well to keep up with continued growth.
I now have an increasing salinity problem and am asking for any suggestions as to how to deal with this. I still fully saturate my ato with Kalk and I add about a half gallon a day of calcium and soda ash via dosing pumps with divided doses.
(I dose the soda ash when the lights are out beginning at 11 and start my calcium in the am around 6)
My parameters are as follows:
Alk stable at around 11- I test in the am generally
My calcium remains on the low side at 310-330
I keep my magnesium up to around 1500-1600 with water changes and brs mix supplement as necessary.
My ph ranges from 8- 8.3
The problem is that I am always chasing the salinity. I check my salinity after letting things run for a couple days and I am up to 1.028 but yet the calcium does not rise as I would expect.
I try to take out some water everyday to compensate but then my calcium drops.
Should I just do more frequent water changes with lower salinity water?
Continue to take water out daily and just let the ato fill up the tank with the Kalk?
Abandon everything and get a calcium reactor?
Any problem with running the ato with the Kalk and also using 2 part?
Any suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks!