TangingOut
04/08/2015, 01:35 PM
First, here's my system. It's a 110 mixed reef with a 30 sump which I estimate to be about 100gal total volume. I would consider most stony corals to be either a large frag or a small colony.
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t212/whitegdb/20150404_145147_Burst02.jpg
I do a 20gal water change twice a month and test alk/cal/mag before and 1 day after. I was using baking soda in my ATO to keep alk around 8.5, but recently had calcium drop to 400 before the latest WC. I did a larger WC and got it up to 450 and decided to start using Mrs Wages pickling lime and stopped the baking soda.
Parameters before were 9 alk, 450 cal, 1380 mag. After 1 week, they're 11.2 alk, 450 cal, 1340 mag. I mixed 2 Tbsp(6 tsp) into a 5gal bucket for my ato. I lose about 1.5gal/day. Also mag has been steadily dropping with each WC and I may have to start adding some?
My obvious concern is the alk level and not so obvious is all the white spots showing up on my pumps/heaters/etc. in the sump. I have the ato pickup well off the bottom and mix kalk in a separate bucket 8 hrs prior to swapping. I just changed out the ato for straight rodi prior to posting this to allow alk to slowing come down. I was just afraid it would just keep on rising.
So any and all comments/suggestions are welcome. Start again once all parameters are where I want them and use a lot less pickling lime?
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t212/whitegdb/20150404_145147_Burst02.jpg
I do a 20gal water change twice a month and test alk/cal/mag before and 1 day after. I was using baking soda in my ATO to keep alk around 8.5, but recently had calcium drop to 400 before the latest WC. I did a larger WC and got it up to 450 and decided to start using Mrs Wages pickling lime and stopped the baking soda.
Parameters before were 9 alk, 450 cal, 1380 mag. After 1 week, they're 11.2 alk, 450 cal, 1340 mag. I mixed 2 Tbsp(6 tsp) into a 5gal bucket for my ato. I lose about 1.5gal/day. Also mag has been steadily dropping with each WC and I may have to start adding some?
My obvious concern is the alk level and not so obvious is all the white spots showing up on my pumps/heaters/etc. in the sump. I have the ato pickup well off the bottom and mix kalk in a separate bucket 8 hrs prior to swapping. I just changed out the ato for straight rodi prior to posting this to allow alk to slowing come down. I was just afraid it would just keep on rising.
So any and all comments/suggestions are welcome. Start again once all parameters are where I want them and use a lot less pickling lime?