Alkilinty

[OoooDRAGONoooo]

Hi,my calcium levels have stayed the same since I started my tank (14 wks ago) at around 520. Which is about 30 or so drops of the api test kit solution.the alkilinty was originally around 10 /11. But since the addition of fish ,corals it has slowly declined as has the ph.1week ago it measured kh 5and ph 7.8 (mornings)7.9 (evenings). So. I started dosing with tropic Marin triple buffer.it has raised the ph to 8.2 and kh to 8. I want to raise the kh more but am worried about if it will raise ph too high,how do I raise kh a little more without raising the ph? Also do these buffers also add calcium?because I obviously don't need to raise that.please note a possible reason why my calcium levels were so elevated originally may be that I made my own rock using crushed aragonite 25 kilos and about 5 kilos of bonding agent (white Portland cement)which I cured in a big container for 4 months with regular water changes.(when the ph came down to acceptable level I stopped.that was 9months before I started the tank.sorry for such a long script but to enable an accurate cure I feel it necessary to give you all the facts.ty

[YoungREEFA]

Your alk is completely fine and rather desired at 8. I would take measures to keep it there.

[Puffyluv]

Seachem Reef Builder will do this, if you like...I prefer my kH at 10, and the rest uniformly high with it...never know when my corals will suddenly drink it all up, and our vats can drop 1 kH per day when the sun is out. :eek:

Edit: Builder, not buffer!!! So will plain old baking soda...but I would feel more comfortable with Builder if it was my small indoor tank...

[bertoni]

I agree that alkalinity at 8 dKH is fine. You can dose baking soda to raise the alkalinity, if water changes can't keep the level in the recommended zone of 7-11 dKH. There are various commercial buffer products available, too.

[OoooDRAGONoooo]

Hi ,do mean a buffer like tropic Marin ,"triple buffer",which I have,it also raises the ph.is it normal to use buffers on a regular basis?do coral tanks lower the levels on a weekly basis? If I keep adding the buffer to get alk up to say 10, would that not push the ph up to high.?as I explained earlie I have used the buffer product to raise the alk from 5/6 to 8,which raised the ph also from 7.8 (mornings) to 8.2 (mornings). So would adding more raise the ph even higher and too high?how can u get alk to 10 without taking the ph too high? ( I was thinking that an alk of around 10 might help my calcium level which is around 520.)

[Puffyluv]

http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/ReefBuilder.html

Yes, it is normal for coral tanks to have to be dosed weekly, or even daily, if you have enough growing. :)

[bertoni]

I agree that many tanks require daily dosing. The alkalinity level won't change the calcium level, though.