Dosing Kalkwasser

[Sharkey18]

If my alkalinity (10) and pH (8.2) are consistently stable is there any reason to dose kalkwasser?

 

If the levels are stable and I do dose (with top off water for example) will I do any damage?

 

Laura

[Sharkey18]

Hey LOOK! I'm a hatchling.... with the number of questions I have i'll be "all growed up" soon.

 

Laura

[jamesbuf]

How do you keep your pH that high without Kalk in the first place?

[Sharkey18]

Back several months ago when I first set up the tank, before I added any livestock, I added 2 teaspoons of Kent Superbuffer-dKH.

That was like 8 months ago. Since then my pH has been stable at 8.4 and dKH at 12. They have JUST recently (last two weeks) started to adjust down.

pH is now 8.2 and dKH is 10. So it got me thinking maybe I should dose Kalkwasser. I was also adding calcium almost everyday and my Ca levels were at like 800! I stopped adding calcium and my levels are still at 500.

 

Laura

[Origami]

Laura, you may want to do a little reading. Here's a great link with a lot of other links to articles that will teach you a little bit about aquarium chemistry:

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/show...threadid=102605

 

And, particularly, here's a good article that's on that page linked to up above that gets into just what you're asking about: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm

 

BTW, my advice to you is: Don't dose if you're not going to test as it leads to situations like what happened with your calcium.

 

As for your question: Corals use both calcium and alkalinity (bicarbonate) to build their calcium carbonate skeletons. Without any additives or water changes, if you were to monitor them, you would find that your calcium and alkalinity levels would fall as they were used this way. The rate at which they would fall depends upon how fast things are growing in your tank. If you perform regular water changes, you are probably constantly replenishing these ions. If the demand is high enough, it could become expensive to try to maintain your calcium and alkalinity levels through water changes, however. This is when hobbyists begin to dose these ions back into their tank. Some use two part to start, moving to kalkwasser when demand becomes high enough to make two part expensive or inconvenient, ultimately moving up to calcium reactors (with or without kalkwasser supplementation) later on. The approach you take depends upon the demand your tank has - it's a balanced situation; you don't just dose for dosing's sake. Because both calcium and alkalinity (and magnesium, as well) are used in the formation of coral skeletons, there's a BALANCE that we strive for between these ions. For example, with an alk level of 10 dKH, the balanced calcium level is closer to 430 ppm than the 800 ppm that you had in your tank. And, balance for 500 ppm of calcium is upwards of 20 dKH (which I wouldn't recommend). Please understand that these are just average numbers and there is some flexibility (a range) that you can call a practical balance.

 

To address your question, stability, though desirable, is not the only thing you need to strive for. You need to strive for the right levels and an appropriate balance in the chemistry of your system. Once you get things where they need to be, if supplementation is required (because of demand), then balanced additives such as 2-part, kalkwasser, or calcium reactors are they way to go.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited January 11, 2009 by Origami2547

[Sharkey18]

Thanks so much!!

 

I have read several of the reef keeping articles but it looks like there are a few more to get to!

I have been dosing a lot of stuff and I have stopped it all until i figure out what I need and what to test for.

I do understand the connection between alk and calcium and Mg and I have a good idea of what and how to dose if I ever want to.

My tank is mostly softies and a few LPS so comparatively, my calcium needs are lower than a sps dominated tank.

I do 5 gallon water changes every 2 weeks.

My goal is to optimize the conditions for growth. My tank is finally doing well but my corals are not really growing at all. I have green coralline but no growing purple coralline. I think you're probably going to tell me the usual refrain..... PATIENCE!

 

My question is what do I do now? Wait?

I have not been testing Mg and have been to 2 LFS looking for a test kit with no luck. LFS 3 is on the list for today

 

I guess my next step is NO dosing, and wait for the Ca and Alk to get in balance on their own?

 

Thanks!

[Highland Reefer]

Which salt mix are you using? What are you using to test your pH with?

 

If for water changes, you are using a high calcium/high alk. salt mix, then your levels may just stay where they are at.

[Coral Hind]

Your levels probably didn't drop much the first few months because you didn't have many corals in the tank. As you add stoney corals you will see the numbers drop. The more you have the faster they drop.

[Sharkey18]

Yes, I'll be watching the levels closely to see how they go. I am not planning on keeping many stony's in this tank so I may be ok but my corals do not appear to be thriving, but surviving well. Specifically I would like to see some coralline algae and growth of my zoa's and such.

 

I use Instant Ocean salt. Not sure if it's the best thing to be using but it's what I started with and am afraid to change.

I use API drop type test.

 

Which actually brings me to another question: There has GOT to be a more accurate way to measure levels of elements in water.

I am a scientist and a visual color matching system would NEVER fly. I know I can buy a pH meter easy enough, but what about everything else?

Specifically Nitrate and phosphate. The 0 reading color and the next detectable reading colors are barely any different.

 

Suggestions?

 

Thanks,

Laura

[GaryL]

Yes, I'll be watching the levels closely to see how they go. I am not planning on keeping many stony's in this tank so I may be ok but my corals do not appear to be thriving, but surviving well. Specifically I would like to see some coralline algae and growth of my zoa's and such.

 

I use Instant Ocean salt. Not sure if it's the best thing to be using but it's what I started with and am afraid to change.

I use API drop type test.

 

Which actually brings me to another question: There has GOT to be a more accurate way to measure levels of elements in water.

I am a scientist and a visual color matching system would NEVER fly. I know I can buy a pH meter easy enough, but what about everything else?

Specifically Nitrate and phosphate. The 0 reading color and the next detectable reading colors are barely any different.

 

Suggestions?

 

Thanks,

Laura

 

 

the cheapest...and sometimes not so cheap is the color test. i guess you could use a spectrometer as i have heard some ichthyologist talk about...probly not as practical tho. refractometers are great for salinty just get a good one.

Edited January 12, 2009 by GaryL

[jamal]

iodine will be good for soft corals. alk ca and specific gravity are within range so keep them stable and you will be fine. instant ocean is fine especially if you arent doing many stony corals. though i would watch the alk because it tends to run high in instant ocean.

[Sharkey18]

Thanks so much for everyone's help. My alk and Ca levels are much more balanced now. Alk is at 9 (3.5) and Ca is at 420. pH 8.2.

 

I did a 20 Gal water change and also noticed a lot of little white stuff flying through the water. Under the microscope they look like little shards of glass.... I am guessing I had something precipitating. (I was hoping they were pods....but no..)

 

In any case, things are much better and I know a lot more about maintaining balance.

 

Thanks so much!

Laura

[Origami]

Thanks so much for everyone's help. My alk and Ca levels are much more balanced now. Alk is at 9 (3.5) and Ca is at 420. pH 8.2.

 

I did a 20 Gal water change and also noticed a lot of little white stuff flying through the water. Under the microscope they look like little shards of glass.... I am guessing I had something precipitating. (I was hoping they were pods....but no..)

 

In any case, things are much better and I know a lot more about maintaining balance.

 

Thanks so much!

Laura

 

Much better numbers, Laura. Now, if you stick with using a balanced additive in accordance with demand, you should be fine over the long haul.

[Gatortailale]

1) IMO, there isn't really a problem with having high Alk other than it being hard on your pumps and plumbing. I find it beneficial for a tank as many of the bad types of algae will not grow when your ALK is on the high side. If testing shows it at 10, I would keep it there. Keeping ALK above 8 is far more important than trying to keep calcium at a static number point.

 

2) Time of day you make your test can impact PH and changing up times can cause your numbers to jump around. If your testing at end of your light cycle, I would expect PH to be higher than if you test say 12 hours after your tank has been dark. In the long run, your better off to drop the $75+ and get a PH Monitor for 24 hr testing. You might even find a used monitor or controller here on the for sale area.

 

3) Phosphate testing - unless you want to drop $70+ for a Deltec kit, I have found that most if not all of the kits in the $25 and under price fail to prperly show what levels are in your tank. But IMO you would be better of spending the money on a RO/DI unit if you don't have one, and if you do, timely replacing your filters to keep it running in peak form.