Salinity rising with 2 part but not keeping up with requirements

Msalcone · 09/09/2017, 05:59 PM

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!

bertoni · 09/09/2017, 07:03 PM

To Reef Central

For the time being, water changes with a lower SG salt will be fine. Taking out a bit of water each is okay, up to a limit. On the other hand, that rate of supplementation seems far too high. What is the concentration of the solutions that you are using?

Msalcone · 09/09/2017, 07:23 PM

Thanks for your reply.
I use the brs 2 part products and mix with ro/di as they recommend.
It really seems high to me too...it seems like no matter how much I increase the calcium it never rises much. When I increase the calcium I increase the soda ash accordingly.
Maybe I'll dial back the amount of 2 part I'm adding slowly and keep an eye on the parameters and continue to take some water out daily.

mako61 · 09/09/2017, 08:14 PM

Im no means an expert, but your 2-part dose seems very high. .5 gallons a day is 1800ml.

I have a 110g tank + 30g sump 5 months old. It uses 110ml of BRS 2-part a day and no Kalk water. I actually consider that a high dose, it was 80ml till recently. I keep my ALK is around 8.

outssider · 09/10/2017, 04:11 PM

first off, there is no need to run your alk at 11, 8 should work fine. The ocean is at 7 ish.
Are you getting any precipitation ? kalk combined with dumping all that soda ash in at night could be driving up your ph and this will create precipitation. This would explain the low calcium readings. It is normal to have your salinity rise when dosing, yours is rising a lot because you're dosing a lot.

09/09/2017, 05:59 PM	#1
Msalcone Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Posts: 2	Salinity rising with 2 part but not keeping up with requirements 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!

09/09/2017, 07:03 PM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	*To Reef Central* For the time being, water changes with a lower SG salt will be fine. Taking out a bit of water each is okay, up to a limit. On the other hand, that rate of supplementation seems far too high. What is the concentration of the solutions that you are using? __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

09/09/2017, 08:14 PM	#4
mako61 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: Dallas Posts: 359	Im no means an expert, but your 2-part dose seems very high. .5 gallons a day is 1800ml. I have a 110g tank + 30g sump 5 months old. It uses 110ml of BRS 2-part a day and no Kalk water. I actually consider that a high dose, it was 80ml till recently. I keep my ALK is around 8. __________________ Thanks, Mako Current Tank Info: Returning Reefer - Red Sea 525XL, Mitras LX7s, Apex, check homepage for vids of tank

09/09/2017, 07:23 PM	#3
Msalcone Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Posts: 2	Thanks for your reply. I use the brs 2 part products and mix with ro/di as they recommend. It really seems high to me too...it seems like no matter how much I increase the calcium it never rises much. When I increase the calcium I increase the soda ash accordingly. Maybe I'll dial back the amount of 2 part I'm adding slowly and keep an eye on the parameters and continue to take some water out daily.

09/10/2017, 04:11 PM	#5
outssider Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Reseda, Ca. Posts: 1,717	first off, there is no need to run your alk at 11, 8 should work fine. The ocean is at 7 ish. Are you getting any precipitation ? kalk combined with dumping all that soda ash in at night could be driving up your ph and this will create precipitation. This would explain the low calcium readings. It is normal to have your salinity rise when dosing, yours is rising a lot because you're dosing a lot.