VW_TDI_02 Posted March 15, 2015 Author Share Posted March 15, 2015 You first need to get a better salt. You will spend more dosing trying to use up that half bucket of crap. I have a tank full of LPS and use Seachem reef salt and I don't dose anything. Then test your mag alk and calcium everyday for a week. Keep track of the numbers and watch for the drop. Then you know what day or days you need to dose to keep everything stable. I have a good feeling it will be nothing with the few corals you have. But you test at the same time everyday and dose at the same times. You first want to get mag in order then you worry about calcium and alk. Switch to a good REEF salt and your dosing problems will go away. That wasn't what I was asking but thanks for the information. I was asking if there were other ways to dose other than dosing calcium chloride every other day. Before I order any thing else I want to use the Red Sea test kit and track my numbers for a week like you said. Could be that the API test kit is just that bad but I want to know for sure beforehand. I want to here all the bad things about reef crystals that make you think regular instant ocean is better. Mostly heard people having issues with it leaving a lot of brown powdery residue in the mixing containers and also people getting dino outbreaks after switching to reef crystals. Obviously that could be a simple coincidence but there could also be a link. Overall I've heard only good things when it comes to Red Sea Coral Pro. Link to comment
VW_TDI_02 Posted March 15, 2015 Author Share Posted March 15, 2015 Great looking tank. I can only imagine that people have had success with every kind of salt. Link to comment
afyounie Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 I agree with Lawnman. Get a good reef salt and then decide if dosing is required. Definitely make sure Mg is inline because if you don't, you will be chasing parameters for a very long time. I learned this the hard way. Once Mg is good, then focus on Ca and alk. But never ever ever dose one and not the other. Dosing only Ca will cause a quick drop in alk. Dose them at the same time, but more Ca than alk. If my parameters are out of whack, I'll dose 2ml more of the Ca part than the alk. Adjust your levels slowly. Link to comment
VW_TDI_02 Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 Well I finally got my Red Sea test kit and have the results. I did the larger 14 gallon water change on Saturday. I will be testing daily and will be keeping track. Ca: 340 Mag: 1200 Alk: 9 Link to comment
CronicReefer Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Well I finally got my Red Sea test kit and have the results. I did the larger 14 gallon water change on Saturday. I will be testing daily and will be keeping track. Ca: 340 Mag: 1200 Alk: 9 If you bump up your mag to 1350-1400 range you should get a much more stable alk/calc. Once you get your mag up to 1350-1400 try dosing only calcium to bring it up to 400+ Link to comment
VW_TDI_02 Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 If you bump up your mag to 1350-1400 range you should get a much more stable alk/calc. Once you get your mag up to 1350-1400 try dosing only calcium to bring it up to 400+ Thanks. Now my question is how. haha. I plan on switching to Red Sea Coral Pro and I only have a few LPS corals in there. I'm wondering if I can hold out without dosing until my current salt mix runs out and just run kalk in the ATO. Right now I have 1/4 teaspoon per gallon in my reservoir so it's very diluted. Link to comment
CronicReefer Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Thanks. Now my question is how. haha. I plan on switching to Red Sea Coral Pro and I only have a few LPS corals in there. I'm wondering if I can hold out without dosing until my current salt mix runs out and just run kalk in the ATO. Right now I have 1/4 teaspoon per gallon in my reservoir so it's very diluted. Once you get the salt it will help but I would say it would be slowly with only water changes (unless you plan on doing some large ones which I think would just be a waste of the salt). I myself would just go out and buy a small bottle of magnesium and calcium for dosing and just bring the levels up to normal (magnesium first) and then the salt will take care of maintaining levels. Make sure you bring the levels all in line before you add the kalk again also so you don't over dose calcium. Link to comment
VW_TDI_02 Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 Once you get the salt it will help but I would say it would be slowly with only water changes (unless you plan on doing some large ones which I think would just be a waste of the salt). I myself would just go out and buy a small bottle of magnesium and calcium for dosing and just bring the levels up to normal (magnesium first) and then the salt will take care of maintaining levels. Make sure you bring the levels all in line before you add the kalk again also so you don't over dose calcium. That should be a bit more manageable. Any recommendations for magnesium? I've heard of using Epsom salts which should be easy to get locally. Not sure about the calc. Could go with either the BRS stuff or maybe some premixed stuff. Would rather not have to dose something daily and I can't afford a dosing pump just yet. So from what I've gathered, use some sort of magnesium supplement in order to raise it to 1400. Then use a Ca supplement to raise that up to 400. Once that is set, I can start dosing kalk in order to maintain those levels. Once I get the salt I would pretty much have to restart this whole process. Link to comment
CronicReefer Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 That should be a bit more manageable. Any recommendations for magnesium? I've heard of using Epsom salts which should be easy to get locally. Not sure about the calc. Could go with either the BRS stuff or maybe some premixed stuff. Would rather not have to dose something daily and I can't afford a dosing pump just yet. So from what I've gathered, use some sort of magnesium supplement in order to raise it to 1400. Then use a Ca supplement to raise that up to 400. Once that is set, I can start dosing kalk in order to maintain those levels. Once I get the salt I would pretty much have to restart this whole process. I don't think you will even need the kalk if all you are keeping for stony corals is some LPS (unless they are very large). For magnesium and calcium I would just get the products sold by Brightwell for dosing that come in the smallest bottle they sell (shouldn't be more than $10-15 a bottle). Just follow the instructions on the bottle, they explain their products very well. The salt will more than likely maintain your levels with weekly water changes once you get the levels in line. Plus you can always keep the dosing products for when you do need to use them. Link to comment
VW_TDI_02 Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 I don't think you will even need the kalk if all you are keeping for stony corals is some LPS (unless they are very large). For magnesium and calcium I would just get the products sold by Brightwell for dosing that come in the smallest bottle they sell (shouldn't be more than $10-15 a bottle). Just follow the instructions on the bottle, they explain their products very well. The salt will more than likely maintain your levels with weekly water changes once you get the levels in line. Plus you can always keep the dosing products for when you do need to use them. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. Also now I have a gallon of kalk with only about 7 teaspoons used. haha. I'm thinking of going with either brightwell aquatics or the b-ionic stuff. I've heard a lot of good things about the b-ionic. Link to comment
CronicReefer Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 I guess I'll just have to wait and see. Also now I have a gallon of kalk with only about 7 teaspoons used. haha. I'm thinking of going with either brightwell aquatics or the b-ionic stuff. I've heard a lot of good things about the b-ionic. Whatever your personal preference is really, I have heard great things about the b-ionic solutions as well. I just like Brightwell because of the price and the fact that they come with very detailed instructions on what their products are for, how, and why you would need to use them. http://brightwellaquatics.com/products/magnesion.php http://brightwellaquatics.com/products/calcion.php (Click on technical overview in upper right for more info) Link to comment
VW_TDI_02 Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 Figured I would update you guys. I ended up buying B-Ionic calcium, alk, and mag and they should be here next week between Wednesday and Friday (I hope) Calc: 330 Mag: 1160 Alk: 9 Link to comment
VW_TDI_02 Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 Today was a bit different. One of the baffles in my sump came unglued a while back and I just put it back in place today. It was the one between the center section (holding just a heater and powerhead) and the return pump so there wasn't any sort of rush. Today I put it back in and there was a bit of a difference in the water levels. The ATO float switch is in the return section so it ended up dumping a bit of extra kalk (currently down to 1/4 tsp per gallon in ato) into the tank and I think that's what caused my readings today to be slightly higher. Ca: 350 Mag: 1160 Alk: 9.5 Link to comment
VW_TDI_02 Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 Just a quick update. I received the calcium and alkalinity stuff from B-Ionic but I'm still waiting on the magnesium stuff. I forgot to test yesterday. Today I am doing a 10 gallon water change which is probably going to be my new standard. I tested the tank and also a fresh batch of Instant Ocean. It looks like I'm pretty much maintaining the same parameters in my tank as the salt. Still have 1/4 tsp/gallon in the ATO but I'm waiting on the magnesium stuff before I do anything else. The tracking number on the magnesium supplement is messed up and all it says is "Pre-Shipment Info Sent to USPS" but it's been like that since the 19th. It's labeled under Priority 2-day so hopefully it will get here soon. At the very latest it should be here Friday which to me is a bit of a long time but hopefully it will be here sooner. Tank: Ca: 360 Mag: 1160 Alk: 9 Instant Ocean: Ca: 350 Mag: 1200 Alk: 9.5 Link to comment
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