Red Sea Coral Salt

[Djplus1]

Does anyone use this stuff? I'm having issues with my Ca staying above 380-390 and I'm trying not to dose. I'm currently using IO Reef Crystals. I also picked up a couple buckets of d&d h20 today from a WAMAS member , so that may be an option if it works. Opinions?

[Cliff Puckstable]

If your corals are consuming that much ca, than I don't think changing salts is going to be your solution. Are you currently using kalk or anything?

[miggs76]

Red sea coral pro mixes out at a really high alkalinity. That's why I stopped. I currently used H2Ocean and like it a lot. Which test kit are you using for calcium?

[Djplus1]

If your corals are consuming that much ca, than I don't think changing salts is going to be your solution. Are you currently using kalk or anything?

I'm running a kalk stirrer.

Red sea coral pro mixes out at a really high alkalinity. That's why I stopped. I currently used H2Ocean and like it a lot. Which test kit are you using for calcium?

I use the Red Sea test for Ca

[jaddc]

I use it. I love it. 

 

That said, salt mix won't cure the problem. If your alkalinity and calcium are not balanced, then the levels will go haywire and precipitation can lower levels.

 

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/2/chemistry

 

 

 

[ridetheducati]

I'm running a kalk stirrer.

I use the Red Sea test for Ca

 Add more kalk to the stirrer.  As previously mentioned, changing salt is not going to solve the problem.

[miggs76]

Salifert is great for calcium testing.

[BowieReefer84]

After seeing your tank kalk may not be able to keep up.  His rock is COVERED in corraline (looks great).  I am interested in what your mag and alk levels are at right now?

 

My guess is all the corraline is using you alk/calc/mag up.  With those two large colonies you added it's just going to get worse.

 

I would test your levels and log them for a few days to see the rate they drop at.  Test some freshly mixed water and make those levels your goal.  Get it where you can add a little two part to keep them up if you don't want to dose daily.

 

Determine what Alk you want and aim to keep that steady.  Calc will fall in place.

 

Good luck

Edited July 31, 2013 by BowieReefer84

[Djplus1]

Just tested (Red Sea) right before the water change to see what levels were like after exactly one week for mg,kh and ca.

mg- 1360

kh-6.7

ca-400

 

I will retest after 17 gallon water change to compare numbers and post. Using Reef Crystals.

[steveoutlaw]

Ok, I have a 220g tank and 40g sump, use instant ocean (not reef crystals), and run a kalk reactor.  1/2 my tank is loaded with SPS and it's loaded with corraline and I'm able to keep my calcium in the 450 range.  Something doesn't seem right here.......are you sure your test kit is good?

[BowieReefer84]

Just tested (Red Sea) right before the water change to see what levels were like after exactly one week for mg,kh and ca.

mg- 1360

kh-6.7

ca-400

 

I will retest after 17 gallon water change to compare numbers and post. Using Reef Crystals.

 

Test the 17 gallons of new salt water before doing a water change.  Measure the salinity as well at alk/calc/mag and post those numbers.  RC should mix pretty high...

 

If you are getting weird numbers on fresh mixed water it could be your test kits.  If not, you may need to use the two part to get numbers where you want them then rely on kalk to keep them steady.

 

I wouldn't worry about calc at 400 as much as I would Alk below 7.5-8...  You need to reach "ionic balance."

Edited August 2, 2013 by BowieReefer84

[Djplus1]

Ok, I have a 220g tank and 40g sump, use instant ocean (not reef crystals), and run a kalk reactor.  1/2 my tank is loaded with SPS and it's loaded with corraline and I'm able to keep my calcium in the 450 range.  Something doesn't seem right here.......are you sure your test kit is good?

Anything is possible, but these are new kits. Maybe 2 months old. BTW, shipped out today.

[Djplus1]

Ok, results of tank after 15 gallon water change.

Sg- 1.026

mg- 1360

kh- 7.8

ca- 425

 

Results of fresh reef crystals mix

Sg- 1.026

mg- 1440

kh-11.9

ca-470

 

So where do I go from here? I change between 15-17 gallons weekly on this tank.

[Origami]

Dimitri, your levels are really not that bad as they are right now. I might bump the alkalinity up just a tad with a little baking soda, but the level that you have is actually almost right in line with what is "balanced." Balanced calcium for 7.8 dKH is 416 ppm. Balanced alk for 425 ppm calcium is right about 9 dKH.

 

Unless you want to run the high levels that you get from Reef Crystals, you're doing just fine.

[Djplus1]

Dimitri, your levels are really not that bad as they are right now. I might bump the alkalinity up just a tad with a little baking soda, but the level that you have is actually almost right in line with what is "balanced." Balanced calcium for 7.8 dKH is 416 ppm. Balanced alk for 425 ppm calcium is right about 9 dKH.

 

Unless you want to run the high levels that you get from Reef Crystals, you're doing just fine.

What about the 6.7 kh and <400 I was running just before the WC, is that also not really a problem?

[Origami]

6.7 dKH is a bit low as is 400 in my opinion. It probably got that low because of consumption. Most of us, I think, like to keep alk at least at 8 dKH. I typically run mine between 8-10 dKH.

 

If you haven't read this article, it's worth doing so.

[Djplus1]

yeah Tom, I've read all of that stuff. It just seems like there is something always off in my tank that I can't seem to solve through normal methods, whether its the Ca, Alk, ph, Aiptasia, the list goes on and on. It seems like the only paths that work for my problems are always the most extreme, cost prohibitive one. I'm sure, that I will try everything under the sun, but will have to end up with a calcium reactor, kalk stirrer (which I already use), two part dosing, and do daily water changes with some salt that's only available in the Ukraine for $250 a box or some garbage, where someone else just opens their bedroom door and somehow the problem goes away.

Edited August 3, 2013 by Djplus1

[BowieReefer84]

You can add two part by hand to try and keep more stable between water changes.

[Djplus1]

Ok, just did a test 2 days after my WC for this week

 

Mg 1280

kH 6.2 Red Sea 6.4 Salifert

Ca 410

 

It does appear that Alk is more of an issue for me. Is my only way out of this dosing 2 part? Or will using Red Sea salt or H2Ocean help this?

 

If baking soda alone works, how much do I add? How often?

[BowieReefer84]

what was it before water change?  You need to get it up...

[Djplus1]

what was it before water change?  You need to get it up...

I did the change at about 1-2pm on Friday. Test results from right before were.

Mg 1360

kh 6.2

ca 420

All Red Sea tests

[Origami]

DJ, both your calcium and alkalinity are comparatively low and, believe it or not, pretty balanced. You can actually make up the difference in both by adding a little kalk slurry but if added too quickly, your pH will spike. You can bring each up using both the calcium and alkalinity parts of two-part if you wish.

 

Here's a reef chemistry calculator page that I've always found helpful. Just input your tank volume and current level, pick the supplement, and it'll tell you how much of it to add.

[Origami]

Actually, your current alk is about a half dKH below balanced. For 410 ppm calcium, balanced alk is 6.9 dKH. For 420 ppm calcium, balanced alkalnity is 1.4 dKH higher, or 8.3 dKH.

[Djplus1]

DJ, both your calcium and alkalinity are comparatively low and, believe it or not, pretty balanced. You can actually make up the difference in both by adding a little kalk slurry but if added too quickly, your pH will spike. You can bring each up using both the calcium and alkalinity parts of two-part if you wish.

 

Here's a reef chemistry calculator page that I've always found helpful. Just input your tank volume and current level, pick the supplement, and it'll tell you how much of it to add.

That is a neat tool. I will have to check it out. I did just clean out my kalk stirrer on Friday and put about a cup of kalk in. I made sure my tank had extra water so the milky water wouldn't dump in immediately with the ATO. Perhaps, I should have let that happen after all? 

 

If I'm "balanced" and kalk raises alk and Ca simultaneously, should I just add more kalk more often and not worry about 2 part? And if so, how do I judge that? Should I just dump in a 1/2 cup every week into the stirrer? I was planning on cleaning it out only once a month. Should I start with a fresh stirrer with new kalk every week now?

[Origami]

A kalk stirrer can only replace as much as tank evaporation under normal circumstances (when clear kalkwasser is being dosed) because the kalkwasser is saturated with as much as it can hold. Ways to increase how much kalk is being held in the kalkwasser include adding a little acid (normally vinegar) to the freshwater reservoir. (See this article for information. Specifically, scroll down to Vinegar and Limewater to Boost Limewater Potency.) Another method is to add vinegar directly to the kalk to produce some CO2 to offset that which the kalk will otherwise immediately consume causing the pH to rise suddenly. This is mentioned in the paragraph preceding the one that I referenced above. If you choose to do this to bring things back into line, please be careful about how quickly you add the slurry and monitor your pH continuously.

 

Most folks are not advised to dump in the milky kalk solution unless you really understand what the effects could be. I've dosed the kalk+water slurry from time to time (Anthony Calfo has done the same) to make corrections, but don't do it regularly, because it can cause your pH to skyrocket very easily.

 

Replenish your stirrer as needed. Wisdom dictates that you don't put more than that which your tank consumes in, say, about a week's time. This helps to mitigate the bad things that could happen in case of a top off accident or kalk spill.

 

The easiest way to balance your tank is going to be to use two part solutions and that's what I recommend. You'll be able to tweak things since they're a little unbalanced. However, you can get pretty close to balance with kalk, too. Just be careful.