New Salifert Test results

[returnofsid]

I just tested the 75 reef I'm putting together for Ca, Alk and pH, using the new Salifert Tests I just purchased yesterday. The results are listed and I'd like some advice. It seems my Ca is way low and pH is maybe a lil' low. This will become a predominantly SPS and LPS tank. I haven't dripped Kalk at all, except to test out my DIY milk jug last week over night...lol. I'll probably start dripping Kalk tonight, at a gallon per night. My plan is to mix about 2 tablespoons of Pickling Lime with a gallon of RO/DI water and drip it tonight at a rate of about a drop every couple of seconds. Should I drip more than 1 gallon's worth of Kalk?

Alk 9.3
pH 8.0 tested after lights were on all day and while lights are still on.
Ca 330

I also calibrated my refractometer and have a SG of 1.025.

Any suggestions?

 

[returnofsid]

Wait, I found the site to see if your Alk and Ca are balanced.

http://www.reefnerds.com/ChemPlot/ChemPlot.html

It would appear I'm quite a bit out of balance. I have absolutely no idea what this means!! Can someone explain it to me in an easy to understand way? lol.

I read that I shouldn't use Kalk unless I'm balanced and that if I'm not balanced, I should just add supplements to effect the one that's out of balance...in my instance, Ca. So would I be better off raising my Ca with a supplement until I get everything in balance and THEN dripping Kalk on a regular basis? As of now, there are no corals in my tank at all. Still waiting on my lights.

 

[CarlaW]

Try to raise your Ca with something like Turbo Calcium. Get it to around 400.

This site will tell you about how much to dose and how often:
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

Then when you get to about balanced, that is when you should maybe start dripping the Kalk. JMHO

 

[DonW]

Agreed, dont drip kalk that will make it worse. This is pretty typical of freshly made sw mix. You need to just bump it up with ca chloride. Next water change measure the new mix and get it in balance before you put it in the tank.

Don

 

[dragoneggs]

Hey it looks like I am quite a bit off too... but I have a hard time believing that if you are running Ca in the mid 300s, your alk should be off the chart low so it must a theoretical balance line. Does this mean that if you run Ca in the low 300s you are naturally out of balance?

 

[dragoneggs]

Does Purple up do the right thing too? I am at pH 8.3, alk 10.4dKH, and Ca is about 320.

 

[returnofsid]

Dragoneggs, not sure what you're asking. Alk is the measurement of your "buffering capacity" or your water's ability to resist changes in pH. Calcium is a element that's in the water. It rises and falls as life forms in the water use it....such as corals, snails, clams and such. Just because your calcium drops, doesn't mean the Alkalinity of your water will also drop.

 

[dragoneggs]

I understand but looking at the curve in the link you attached it seems that the Ca/Alk balance line indicates that if your Ca is at say, 380ppm your Alk should be about 2.8dKH. This seems a bit out of whack to me. :doubt:

 

[CarlaW]

I understand but looking at the curve in the link you attached it seems that the Ca/Alk balance line indicates that if your Ca is at say, 380ppm your Alk should be about 2.8dKH. This seems a bit out of whack to me. :doubt:

I believe that the 2.8 you are looking at is meq/l.

 

[returnofsid]

in meg/l, my Alk is at 3.3...in Dkh, it's at 9.3

 

[CarlaW]

According to chem-plot, your balanced Ca should be 426. Remember that you only have to shoot for somewhere in that little green square. It is so tough to be perfectly balanced all the time, believe me.

 

[returnofsid]

Does anyone know what got me to these levels to begin with? This is a fairly new tank set up (it's been running for about 4 weeks and I've just added my first few fish, a school of Green Chromis, 6 fish) I haven't dosed anything at all except for the test run of Kalk made from Pickling Lime and that was one gallon, over night, about a week ago. I also got a lil' impatient and didn't really allow the lime water to totally settle before dosing....my bad!! That coulda been what did this. So, for now, I need to shoot for raising my Ca without altering anything else. I'll either use a name brand Ca supplement or could I use Calcium Chloride (Dow Flake)? If so, where would you suggest I find it? I've heard that the best place to get it is at Home Depot as a de-icer...such as Prestone de-icer. Any suggestions here? I understand that once I get my Ca up to the 420-450 range, without altering my Alk or pH, I will probably start dosing Kalk on a regular basis with my RO/DI top off water. I'll probably start off with a couple nights a week to see where that gets me and adjust from there. As I mentioned before, my Kalk will consist of dosing 1 gallon of lime water over night. The remainder of top off will be done with RO/DI water until I have an idea of where I need to go with further Kalk doses.

 

[returnofsid]

Hmmm, just checked my calendar and it's actually been running for over 5 weeks...lol. How time flies.

 

[scytale]

Since you've already found out how to save some $$$ by using that pickling lime instead of kalk powder, but forget what Don just said "you need to just bump it up with ca chloride"....

You don't need to spend alot of $$$ on Turbo Calcium, you can get CaCL at the hardware store. Just look for the right kind of Sidewalk de-icer!
(Prestone's "Driveway Heat" is one good brand.)

Here's the link on how to mix up your own 2 part additive:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/april2004/chem.htm

You'll even find "Randy's Recipe" as one of the dosing solutions in that handy online CA/ALK/Mg calculator that Charlie posted...

Just be sure to use a good milk jug when you mix it--that stuff gets HOT!! (Hot enough to keep your tank warm when you don't have any electricity)

 

[scytale]

(Sorry, I was typing while you were posting...)

You can also find sidewalk de-icer at Auto-parts stores like Schuck's, Knecht's, etc--even some Fred Meyer's, Targets, Walmarts, GiJoes, etc will have it!

Sorry I can't offer any more input about Kalk--I'm right where you are: week 1of my DIY 1 gallon Kalk dripper. (And still trying to get it to drip the whole jug everytime, some mornings I'll get up only to find the jug still half-full !!)-

 

[DonW]

but forget what Don just said "you need to just bump it up with ca chloride"....

Hu! my advice was 100% accurate.
Go to the sponser page. The very last link is a new sponser that is selling diy two part products.

Don

 

[dragoneggs]

I believe that the 2.8 you are looking at is meq/l.

No... the 2.8 is in dKH = 1.0meq/L. If you plug in 380 for your Ca and 1 Meq/L you will fall on the line.

 

[LakeEd]

Does anyone know what got me to these levels to begin with?

Returnofsid,

What got you where you are in the 1st place, is that when you mix up your fresh salt water, its out of chemical balance. Run your tests on some freshly made up water. You will see that your Alk will run about 8.5, and your Calcium about 350... when you are at a S.G. of 1.025-1.026. That is just the "normal" for Instant Ocean.

Don't get me wrong, I happen to believe that Instant Ocean is THE salt to use in our hobby. It just is a little low in both Calcium, as well as Magnesium, and needs to be buffered up for both of those when I mix my change water.

Speaking of which... you aren't currently testing your Magnesium, and you will most likely find that it is also low once you do test. Getting Alk, Calc & Mag all in ballance, has greatly helped me keep everything stable.

 

[returnofsid]

Yeah, I wondered if I needed to also purchase a Mag test...figured I probably should. So for now, I'll concentrate on bumping up my Ca and trying to get it in the 420-450 range...then I'll check back with everyone on my balances. I know that once I get SPS and a clam or 2 in the tank (Clam will be awhile down the road), I'll definately need to be dosing Kalk, or Randy's 2 part recipe. But I wanna make sure I'm balanced first so I don't totally screw everything up. Right now, I'm okay with where my Alk and pH are. I'll get a Mg test soon and see where I'm at there as well.

 

[LakeEd]

I would shoot for a Calcium level of about 400-420, and once you get a Magnesium test and have it up, you should be good to go!

I have a Calcium Reactor, which does the same thing for my system, as your dripping Kalk will do for you... and that is the addition of Calcium & Alk in ballance.

Like I mentioned, when I mix up water, that is when I buffer the Calcium & Mag as needed to get that into ballance, and from there my Calc reactor takes care of supplimenting what my corals use. The same idea should work nicely for you with your Kalk