RichV
Well-known member
Since I now have SPS I'm trying to get my levels in line. My ca is 380; alk 12.8dKH; and mg 1450. How bad is this, and are water changes the only way to get the levels better?
how do you fix high alk?
- Thread starter RichV
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gas4544
Montipora Keeper
Your calcium only looks a bit low. You could shoot for 410 PPM or so. Alkilinity is a bit high - a range of 7-11 dKH would be good. Your magnesium is elevated. Have you been supplementing magnesium?
Here is a good link to an article about those three levels: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-04/rhf/index.php
Gary
Here is a good link to an article about those three levels: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-04/rhf/index.php
Gary
Its not the end of the world. Id guess that your ionic balance is off and a couple WC's are needed to get things back in check.
Or the slower way, let the higher levels deplete via coral consumption. While you do your best to keep the calcium up.
What is your salinity?
Are you dosing a two part or have reactors?
With dkh and mg so high a your Ca should be closer to the upper 400s for a better balance.
Here is a calculator that will tell you how much of what to dose and what the balanced counter part should be after youve reached your desired level. IMO you should always try to keep your Mg near 1350
Or the slower way, let the higher levels deplete via coral consumption. While you do your best to keep the calcium up.
What is your salinity?
Are you dosing a two part or have reactors?
With dkh and mg so high a your Ca should be closer to the upper 400s for a better balance.
Here is a calculator that will tell you how much of what to dose and what the balanced counter part should be after youve reached your desired level. IMO you should always try to keep your Mg near 1350
What I would do, is dose some calcium and leave the rest of it alone for a short while.
How are you suplimenting Ca and Alk.
Mag I would not worry about to much, but if you are dosing something for mag, I would stop.
Kim
How are you suplimenting Ca and Alk.
Mag I would not worry about to much, but if you are dosing something for mag, I would stop.
Kim
I went to the Reef Calculator, which is linked in my signature, and input your numbers into it. Then you can click on the graph and it'll show you what "zone" you are in. Below the graph, is an explanation of how you probably ended up in this zone and the proper procedure for "fixing" it. I've cut and pasted the results into this response. This is not my knowledge, but that of the Reef Calculator...lol. Just wanted to give credit where due.
"Magnesium: Magnesium is HIGH. Just wait and let it drop by itself to about 1300 ppm. For more information consult this article.
Calcium and Alkalinity: Zone 3
Zone 3 problems are a little harder to correct, and are fairly common. This problem is typically caused by overdosing alkalinity RELATIVE to calcium, but does not necessarily imply that calcium is either too high or too low (though it is almost always too low). To correct problems in this zone, monitoring of calcium and alkalinity values during correction is especially important.
One more word about this zone before getting to solutions: Many tanks end up here because aquarists are trying to correct pH problems by adding “buffer.”In my opinion, one should not try to correct any pH problem by simply adding an alkalinity supplement. If you are low on alkalinity, it is a fine course of action to raise the alkalinity. But if alkalinity is OK, or even high, adding an alkalinity supplement to alter the pH may simply create a worse problem. Better solutions to pH problems are discussed in this article.
If this problem is extreme (i.e., you are far from the line at the right hand edge of zone 3), then water changes may be the best way to correct to the problem.In most cases, however, water changes aren’t necessary.
I would advise correcting this problem by adding a calcium chloride supplement until you have moved into the target zone (or zones 1 or 2 that you can then treat as described in their respective sections) as shown in Figure for Zone 3 below. Almost any brand of calcium chloride will do (Kent Turbo Calcium, Kent Liquid Calcium, ESV, etc.). Certain other calcium supplements may also be OK (such as just the calcium component of the two-part calcium and alkalinity additive systems), but you do not want to add any alkalinity. You CANNOT use limewater or a calcium carbonate/carbon dioxide reactor to correct this problem. Any of the balanced calcium and alkalinity additive systems will move you parallel to the line at the edge of the zone, while you want to move over to it, and cross it.
Figure Zone 3: A graph showing how to correct values within zone 3 by adding a calcium additive, such as calcium chloride (the blue arrow).
If calcium is less than 400 ppm, I’d suggest using this handy online calculator to determine how much dry calcium chloride is necessary to move back to the target zone. Note that it is a minimum estimate because it does not know how much alkalinity you have, so it cannot know if you are only raising calcium directly (which it calculates) or are also precipitating calcium carbonate (when alkalinity is high this will probably happen, but is typically not a problem other than that it uses up some of what you add).
If the calcium is above 400 ppm in this zone (unlikely, but it does happen), then you can safely either do nothing until it drops and you need to add more calcium, and treat it as suggested in the previous paragraph, or you can add some calcium immediately, move into zone 1, and then just let it drop on its own."
"Magnesium: Magnesium is HIGH. Just wait and let it drop by itself to about 1300 ppm. For more information consult this article.
Calcium and Alkalinity: Zone 3
Zone 3 problems are a little harder to correct, and are fairly common. This problem is typically caused by overdosing alkalinity RELATIVE to calcium, but does not necessarily imply that calcium is either too high or too low (though it is almost always too low). To correct problems in this zone, monitoring of calcium and alkalinity values during correction is especially important.
One more word about this zone before getting to solutions: Many tanks end up here because aquarists are trying to correct pH problems by adding “buffer.”In my opinion, one should not try to correct any pH problem by simply adding an alkalinity supplement. If you are low on alkalinity, it is a fine course of action to raise the alkalinity. But if alkalinity is OK, or even high, adding an alkalinity supplement to alter the pH may simply create a worse problem. Better solutions to pH problems are discussed in this article.
If this problem is extreme (i.e., you are far from the line at the right hand edge of zone 3), then water changes may be the best way to correct to the problem.In most cases, however, water changes aren’t necessary.
I would advise correcting this problem by adding a calcium chloride supplement until you have moved into the target zone (or zones 1 or 2 that you can then treat as described in their respective sections) as shown in Figure for Zone 3 below. Almost any brand of calcium chloride will do (Kent Turbo Calcium, Kent Liquid Calcium, ESV, etc.). Certain other calcium supplements may also be OK (such as just the calcium component of the two-part calcium and alkalinity additive systems), but you do not want to add any alkalinity. You CANNOT use limewater or a calcium carbonate/carbon dioxide reactor to correct this problem. Any of the balanced calcium and alkalinity additive systems will move you parallel to the line at the edge of the zone, while you want to move over to it, and cross it.
Figure Zone 3: A graph showing how to correct values within zone 3 by adding a calcium additive, such as calcium chloride (the blue arrow).
If calcium is less than 400 ppm, I’d suggest using this handy online calculator to determine how much dry calcium chloride is necessary to move back to the target zone. Note that it is a minimum estimate because it does not know how much alkalinity you have, so it cannot know if you are only raising calcium directly (which it calculates) or are also precipitating calcium carbonate (when alkalinity is high this will probably happen, but is typically not a problem other than that it uses up some of what you add).
If the calcium is above 400 ppm in this zone (unlikely, but it does happen), then you can safely either do nothing until it drops and you need to add more calcium, and treat it as suggested in the previous paragraph, or you can add some calcium immediately, move into zone 1, and then just let it drop on its own."
RichV
Well-known member
Thanks all,
My salinity is a little higher than I thought 1.025. Duane, why do you ask? The story goes that for years I had only softies and had been told to keep alk up. I didn't pay any attention to ca and never dosed it. When I started monitoring ca and raising it, I found out that the alk went up too. About that time I also found that mag is needed to keep everything in solution and I started dosing that. I'm not sure how I missed the mark on that one, but I'm not dosing that anymore. At that point I didn't know if it was more important to continuing raising the ca to ideal and ignore the alk or not.
Rich
My salinity is a little higher than I thought 1.025. Duane, why do you ask? The story goes that for years I had only softies and had been told to keep alk up. I didn't pay any attention to ca and never dosed it. When I started monitoring ca and raising it, I found out that the alk went up too. About that time I also found that mag is needed to keep everything in solution and I started dosing that. I'm not sure how I missed the mark on that one, but I'm not dosing that anymore. At that point I didn't know if it was more important to continuing raising the ca to ideal and ignore the alk or not.
Rich
That salinity is just about perfect.
Just add some calcium to the tank, either from part of a 2 part solution or as a separate calcium additive to bring the calcium up to around 400 to 450, then go to a good balanced additive. Even if your ALK is a little high, it will not cause any problems
Just add some calcium to the tank, either from part of a 2 part solution or as a separate calcium additive to bring the calcium up to around 400 to 450, then go to a good balanced additive. Even if your ALK is a little high, it will not cause any problems
loohunter
Fish lover
i just hooked my ca. reactor up and within a couple weeks my alk jumped to 14. i then cut my reactor way back and two good size water changes all levels are in balance
loohunter
Fish lover
ya the increased alk burned the tips of some of my acro's so it is a big deal, of course two weeks prior it was 9, so it may have been more of the swing rather than the amount itself. iam not sure
I'd agree that it was likley more the swing than the level. Ive always tried to run my DKH between 10-11. I've had my levels at 13 more than once in the last three years without problem. But then again, Ive never had my levels to 14.
