first measure of alkalnity

kolosy · 06/29/2008, 06:02 PM

i'm getting 9dKH / 3.20meq/L. that seems a bit higher than what's shown as typical naturally occurring of 7/2.6, but is listed as within norm for a tank. what do you guys see/recommend?

thanks.

D to the P · 06/29/2008, 06:10 PM

I think 9 is fine. What is your pH and calcium and magnesium at (assuming you have these tests)?

kolosy · 06/29/2008, 06:14 PM

pH is between an 8 and and 8.3 (yay salifert for resolution!) and Ca is yet to be tested. bought the kit, haven't done it yet. no magnesium kit.

D to the P · 06/29/2008, 06:19 PM

well your pH is good, which I would expect because your alk is good. Hopefully this also means your calcium is in check and magnesium is balanced too. Isn't chemistry fun! haha, it is cool how so many things can effect one another like that though... or maybe I'm just a nerd.

Mikey Donuts · 06/29/2008, 06:47 PM

Nine is a great number to shoot for. 8-10 is the ideal range. One thing it took me a while to learn is your alk is the key to stable water chemistry. If your alk is good (like D to the P wrote), then your PH and Ca should be good as well. If your Alk is bad, it's likely your other parameters are off as well.

kolosy · 06/29/2008, 10:44 PM

Ca is 260. i added 3ml of the kent stuff. i bought kalk and a doser, but haven't had a chance to set those up yet. that'll be tomorrow night.

D to the P · 06/29/2008, 11:50 PM

Whoa, that is a low calcium level. Did you check your magnesium? I would have bought a magnesium test kit before getting the kalk and a doser. If you dose incorrectly with the kalk you could really mess up your tank. If you pH is fine, and your alk is fine, but your calcium is low, than there is a chance that your magnesium is low which would allow the calcium to bond to itself and fall out of solution.

IMO, you should return the kalk doser because unless your tank is heavily sps dominant or you have a lot of clams, it is unnecessary. You would probably be better off getting something less dramatic like kent's tech cb part A and B, or the two little fishes equivalent, or the one by brightwell aquatics etc.
These chemical additives are balanced so your magnesium, alk, ph, and calcium all stay where they need to be instead of one just raising up and adversely effecting the others.
But your situation might be as simple as fixing the calcium with just a liquid additive, or the magnesium that way, and then just using the two part additives if your tank has a decent bit of hard corals. Kalk dosing is a delicate process. It's not that you can't do it or that I'm saying you're not experienced or smart enough. It's just that it is something that is not always necessary, especially if it just a quick fix.

kolosy · 06/30/2008, 06:44 AM

haven't added the kalk, and the doser is a $20 iv-style drip unit. i certainly appreciate the feedback and will hold off on the kalk until i test the magnesium. i'm at the beginning of the process and just picked up my first coral a few days ago. LFS told me to start dosing Ca, and i didn't wat to do it blindly, plus read that kalk keeps the Ca level stable...

D to the P · 06/30/2008, 09:40 AM

Yeah kalk will keep your Ca levels stable, but if your magnesium isn't right then the Ca won't be usable, and if your overdose the kalk you will have pH and alk problems.

I would seriously look into the two part solutions. They are simple to use, and usually keep everything balanced.

kolosy · 06/30/2008, 11:20 AM

okay, so is this in line with the situation you suspect?

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1421825

06/29/2008, 06:02 PM	#1
kolosy Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: chicago Posts: 655	first measure of alkalnity i'm getting 9dKH / 3.20meq/L. that seems a bit higher than what's shown as typical naturally occurring of 7/2.6, but is listed as within norm for a tank. what do you guys see/recommend? thanks. __________________ not yet. maybe someday. Current Tank Info: 90L RR mixed reef, panworld 150ps external pump, t5/mh/led, 20g under-tank sump, 27g above tank sump, 27g fuge with 4" dsb, macro and lr rubble.

06/29/2008, 06:10 PM	#2
D to the P Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Amishville, USA Posts: 2,047	I think 9 is fine. What is your pH and calcium and magnesium at (assuming you have these tests)? __________________ Nature V.S. Nurture: Nature Always Wins. Current Tank Info: 12 gallon Aquapod reef with LED's, multiple nano's at work.

06/29/2008, 06:14 PM	#3
kolosy Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: chicago Posts: 655	pH is between an 8 and and 8.3 (yay salifert for resolution!) and Ca is yet to be tested. bought the kit, haven't done it yet. no magnesium kit. __________________ not yet. maybe someday. Current Tank Info: 90L RR mixed reef, panworld 150ps external pump, t5/mh/led, 20g under-tank sump, 27g above tank sump, 27g fuge with 4" dsb, macro and lr rubble.

06/29/2008, 06:19 PM	#4
D to the P Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Amishville, USA Posts: 2,047	well your pH is good, which I would expect because your alk is good. Hopefully this also means your calcium is in check and magnesium is balanced too. Isn't chemistry fun! haha, it is cool how so many things can effect one another like that though... or maybe I'm just a nerd. __________________ Nature V.S. Nurture: Nature Always Wins. Current Tank Info: 12 gallon Aquapod reef with LED's, multiple nano's at work.

06/29/2008, 06:47 PM	#5
Mikey Donuts Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Suffolk, UK Posts: 933	Nine is a great number to shoot for. 8-10 is the ideal range. One thing it took me a while to learn is your alk is the key to stable water chemistry. If your alk is good (like D to the P wrote), then your PH and Ca should be good as well. If your Alk is bad, it's likely your other parameters are off as well. __________________ - Mike Current Tank Info: 150g mixed reef, 90g Seahorse

06/29/2008, 10:44 PM	#6
kolosy Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: chicago Posts: 655	Ca is 260. i added 3ml of the kent stuff. i bought kalk and a doser, but haven't had a chance to set those up yet. that'll be tomorrow night. __________________ not yet. maybe someday. Current Tank Info: 90L RR mixed reef, panworld 150ps external pump, t5/mh/led, 20g under-tank sump, 27g above tank sump, 27g fuge with 4" dsb, macro and lr rubble.

06/29/2008, 11:50 PM	#7
D to the P Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Amishville, USA Posts: 2,047	Whoa, that is a low calcium level. Did you check your magnesium? I would have bought a magnesium test kit before getting the kalk and a doser. If you dose incorrectly with the kalk you could really mess up your tank. If you pH is fine, and your alk is fine, but your calcium is low, than there is a chance that your magnesium is low which would allow the calcium to bond to itself and fall out of solution. IMO, you should return the kalk doser because unless your tank is heavily sps dominant or you have a lot of clams, it is unnecessary. You would probably be better off getting something less dramatic like kent's tech cb part A and B, or the two little fishes equivalent, or the one by brightwell aquatics etc. These chemical additives are balanced so your magnesium, alk, ph, and calcium all stay where they need to be instead of one just raising up and adversely effecting the others. But your situation might be as simple as fixing the calcium with just a liquid additive, or the magnesium that way, and then just using the two part additives if your tank has a decent bit of hard corals. Kalk dosing is a delicate process. It's not that you can't do it or that I'm saying you're not experienced or smart enough. It's just that it is something that is not always necessary, especially if it just a quick fix. __________________ Nature V.S. Nurture: Nature Always Wins. Current Tank Info: 12 gallon Aquapod reef with LED's, multiple nano's at work.

06/30/2008, 06:44 AM	#8
kolosy Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: chicago Posts: 655	haven't added the kalk, and the doser is a $20 iv-style drip unit. i certainly appreciate the feedback and will hold off on the kalk until i test the magnesium. i'm at the beginning of the process and just picked up my first coral a few days ago. LFS told me to start dosing Ca, and i didn't wat to do it blindly, plus read that kalk keeps the Ca level stable... __________________ not yet. maybe someday. Current Tank Info: 90L RR mixed reef, panworld 150ps external pump, t5/mh/led, 20g under-tank sump, 27g above tank sump, 27g fuge with 4" dsb, macro and lr rubble.

06/30/2008, 09:40 AM	#9
D to the P Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Amishville, USA Posts: 2,047	Yeah kalk will keep your Ca levels stable, but if your magnesium isn't right then the Ca won't be usable, and if your overdose the kalk you will have pH and alk problems. I would seriously look into the two part solutions. They are simple to use, and usually keep everything balanced. __________________ Nature V.S. Nurture: Nature Always Wins. Current Tank Info: 12 gallon Aquapod reef with LED's, multiple nano's at work.

06/30/2008, 11:20 AM	#10
kolosy Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: chicago Posts: 655	okay, so is this in line with the situation you suspect? http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...readid=1421825 __________________ not yet. maybe someday. Current Tank Info: 90L RR mixed reef, panworld 150ps external pump, t5/mh/led, 20g under-tank sump, 27g above tank sump, 27g fuge with 4" dsb, macro and lr rubble.