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Monkeyfish
08/20/2011, 10:11 AM
I have a 75g non-drilled, SPS reef and I cannot keep up with the calcium demands of the tank. I started out using 2 part solution, but had low cal and alk. I then switched to dosing baking soda and kalkwasser (Kent). Each supplement goes into a separate 1 gallon container.

Currently, I mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda with about 3/4 gallon of RODI and drip it in when the lights are off. I'm adding 4 teaspoons of kalkwasser in one gallon of RODI water, shake to mix, let sit for 6 hours and then drip in the clear fluid while the lights are on.

Both "dosers" are 1 gallon plastic water bottles. I use air-line and a control spout to pace the drip. The air-line in the kalk bottle is about 2 inches from the bottom.

Currently my alk is 8.2 and my calc is 270. Both levels are tested with Salifert test kits. My Mg is 870 tested using a Red Sea test kit and I have started dosing with Kent Tech M - 25ml per day. The Mg has dropped from 1300 from 3 months ago despite water changes an weekly dosing of Tech M.

I do weekly water changes of about 15 gallons, using aged SW made from IO salt mixed with RODI water.

Any feed-back would be appreciated.

bamf25
08/20/2011, 12:19 PM
You can try one of two things.

The first seems easier since you already have the stuff. Use the two part solution to raise your MG, Ca, and alk first. First get your Mg up because it is hard to raise the others without the Mg. Then start doising the Ca and some alk (although your alk number is not that bad). After you get your numbers back up then continue dosing with the kalk. Now kalk will only get like 2 teaspoons per gallon. You can get this slightly higher using vinager dosing in addition into your kalk water. I have never done this so let somebody else tell you how. I have heard just Kalk will generally not be enough to raise Ca and Alk, only maintain it depending on usage. then measure how much you are losing and start daily dosing to keep up with what the kalk can't.

You may also want to switch your salt mix. IO is Ca of 400 Mg 1350 Alk 11. So already with IO your are below the 420 most use for sps. There are many salts out there but for comparision, Reef Crystals is Ca 490 Mg 1440 Alk 13, Oceanic is Ca 580, Mg 1650, Alk 8.5, etc. Now none may be perfect for you, but going to a high Ca and Mg salt mix should help also.

If non of that working and you have the $$ you could do a calcium reactor.

jimmyj7090
08/20/2011, 12:54 PM
Sounds like the problem is that you are dosing kalk AND baking soda.

Kalk will act as a balanced supplement and will maintain both ca and alk.

Baking soda just supplements alk.

By dosing both, you are adding enough alk, but not enough Ca.

For now, use a seperate Ca supplement (which kalk is not) to bring the Ca up, and do the same for the Mg.

From there stop the baking soda and go with more kalk (slowly and carefully of course), or switch over to using just 2 part.

bertoni
08/20/2011, 03:28 PM
You probably just need to add more of the two-part every day. This calculator will help with a dose:

http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

I would use a calcium chloride product (like Turbo Calcium) to raise the level t 350 ppm calcium, in 2-3 doses, one dose per day. I'm not sure whether the magnesium level is correct, but if it is, you'll need a lot of supplement to raise it to 1280 ppm, and I'd do that over a period of a week or so. The water changes should bring it back up, too.

I'd get a second opinion on the test kits, since we see a lot of problems with them.

Monkeyfish
08/20/2011, 06:30 PM
Thanks all. I'll just keep adding mag and calc until the levels get back up. Hopefully, I'll get there in a could of weeks.

bertoni
08/21/2011, 11:14 PM
You're welcome! Good luck!