alkalinity

[irieboy]

what use's up alk in a reef tank so fast; I have a 14 gallon bio cube and just stoped using natural sea water to do water change's and now starting to mix my own using reef crystals and am having a hard time keeping my alk, cal, level's up. Alkalinity read's 7 dkh and Calcium read's 390 all the time . I use reef builder,and reef advantage calcium by seachem to try to keep the level's up and there up for a day or two and back again. Is this because I do water change's every week or something using them up.

 

 

livestock:

torch coral

bta anemone

asst. mushroom's

asst. zoa's

button polyps

ricordea

two green banded gobies

[DCG1286]

I use reef builder,and reef advantage calcium by seachem to try to keep the level's up and there up for a day or two and back again. Is this because I do water change's every week or something using them up.

 

 

livestock:

torch coral

bta anemone

asst. mushroom's

asst. zoa's

button polyps

ricordea

two green banded gobies

 

If you are dosing, I would recommend picking up B-ionic two part alk/calcium...the only stuff i add to my tank. My alk sits at 11dhk and calcium 450-480. I have SPS, clam (which takes up ALOT of calcium)...your tank really doesn't have anything is the using up your calcium...the Torch Coral is the only one that needs it for growth...

 

-David

[The Propagator]

Your calcium is fine. Your alk is a little low though.

Just buy some Arm & Hammer NON- SCENTED baking soda for your alkalinity buffer.

Its GREAT STUFF and real cheap. an 8lb bag will last you for ever and its only $8.00 and change at Sams club.

 

Use this to calculate how much you'll need to bring it up on a regular basis from where ever you are at the time you test for it....

REEF CHEMISTRY CALCULATOR

[bdare]

What is your Mg at? Also, coraline can suck up Alk.

[SPS20]

Just buy some Arm & Hammer NON- SCENTED baking soda for your alkalinity buffer.

 

I prefer "spring breeze" for that fresh reef tank smell.

 

My corals look like hell, I can't figure out why.

[REEF@305]

You should change to Seachem Reef salt.. the alk, ca & mg in my tanks have stay the same leves for the past 4 years I have not had to dose just do water changes evary 3 weeks and the coraline growth as been great in all four of my tanks. my newest tank which is a Mangrove Biotope with 12 Red Mangrove Propagule know after a month or so of being setup are showing there leaf and growing out the prop roots. they comsume alot of mg and up to know is been at 1350 and the only salt mix I use is Reef Salt by Seachem and will not use nothing else.

[xenon]

I am shocked how often this question is asked here.

 

Many people don't realise how quickly the water chemistry changes in a nano tank.

 

You need to figure out how much cal,alk your tank consumes per day by testing every 24hrs and figure out how much you need to dose daily to maintain those levels. It would be even better if you dosed every 12hrs.