Keeping alk. and cal. balanced

[awestruck]

Hi Dr. Holmes-Farley,

I just read several of your articles regarding alkalinity, calcium, and pH (mostly concentrating on keeping a balance between alk. and cal.) I appreciated it where, at the end, you gave suggestions as to which method will easily work depending on the size of the tank(s); you also mentioned that one should consider how heavy the load is in its overall need for calcium. So, in your opinion is the following considered a heavy, medium, or light load: 58g. - mostly LPS.

1. 13" bubble
2. 4" pagoda
3. 6" frogspawn
4. 5" green open brain
5. 6" red meat (that't what my LFS called it-I think it's some
type of brain)
6. (2) quarter size red mushrooms
7. 1 - 6" rock covered with plain green mushrooms

Additionally, I was using a product that sounds very similar to Salifert's All In One (has cal., strontium, iodine, strontium, etc.); I was not adding anything else except for buffer. Since my bubble has grown from 4" to 13", it must have been getting what it needed(s). I guess what I am asking is that, in your professional opinion, is there something better that I could be doing? I do a 5% water change 1x weekly and add the all-in-one stuff 2-3 x week. I have asked about lime water--but I cannot buy a drip system so I thought that perhaps I should just leave it the way it is. My apologies for such a long thread; I'm just trying to be clear in my explanation. Thanx for your time, again! :)

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'd say that load is medium to light, depending on the growth rate of coralline algae. Limewater would likely suffice, as would a two part system. I wouldn't probably bother to set up a CaCO3/CO2 reactor unless you started to add a lot of SPS.

What product were you using?

[awestruck]

It's called Mydor-I ran out this week so I can't look at the bottle and tell you who the manufacturer is. I've heard such awesome things about limewater but I'm unsure if dosing it by hand is a good thing to do. The coralline algae seems to be growing well--I had a bit of an algae problem for a while thus the coralline algae slowed in growth; I added more a. snails and now it's doing well again (at least I think it is-to me this is ambiguous because what is "good")? Further, I tested the water about an hour ago and these were the results:
Temp-> 79
pH -> 8.2
cal. -> 400
alk. -> 179
nitrates -> about 5
I'm still deepening my sand bed - SLOWLY - so I'm hoping to get the nitrates to 0. I don't have any other testing kits right now; I just ran out of those also so these are the only parameters I have available. Once again, thanx for your time Dr. Holmes-Farley. By the way, is it rude to post a thread specifically to you?If it is, my apologies.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'm not familiar with the mydor product.

Aside from the nitrate, those values look dandy. You might check phosphate

It is fine to post a thread directly to me if you want, although the other folks that answer questions here will also give excellent advice. :)

[awestruck]

Hi there Dr. Holmes-Farley :) To begin backwards, fortunately I realize that there are others who can also help with chemistry (which I told you a while ago is difficult for me); that's kind of why I was asking if addressing you personally is rude: when posted to a specific person, others are ignored who also can help. Equally important is that I REALLY don't want to be too demanding of your time. :confused: FWIW, I hate it when people are rude! You know, I have a phosphate testing kit and it always reads 0. Since buying it I have read that those kits only check "a certain kind of phosphate"(?), thus phosphates can still be in the tank and not be detected. So how do you find out if phosphates are present? I've gone through every possible reason as to why there could be phosphates, and frankly, I'm stumped. I have very little algae now however, the snails are doing their job. So, back to where we were to begin with: do you think my water would improve if I continued to add the all-in-one stuff and added small doses of limewater daily (I would have to pour it in by hand)? Should I discontinue the use of the all-in-one stuff and just use limewater? Lord almighty, around and around we go...I am understanding this stuff much better, I'm just kind of nervous about changing the routine since it appears that it's working. But, another variable here is that because the LPS are growing so much I would assume that their calcium needs are also increasing (so maybe the need now for limewater and the other stuff). One last point: do the valuable trace elements really get into the tank through the salt used? Doesn't the skimmer remove these elements (or are used up by the tank's inhabitants), thus depleting the system of stuff like strontium, idodine etc. if not added in addition to the salt? From what I've been reading it sounds as if top notch aquariusts don't use additives. I really should have been listening in chemisty class versus ogling all of the cute boys! :D To reiterate for probably the gazillionth time, thanx for your time, and as always Dr. Holmes-Farley, wishing you and your family peace.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You know, I have a phosphate testing kit and it always reads 0. Since buying it I have read that those kits only check "a certain kind of phosphate"(?), thus phosphates can still be in the tank and not be detected. So how do you find out if phosphates are present?

IMO, people have focussed on organic phosphate testing difficulties when I do not believe that is an important issue for most peoples concerns. Before you test for phosphate, you need to know why you are testing and what you might do as a consequence of it.

Algae can easily thrive at phosphate concentrations that are undetectable with most kits. The algae can simply suck it up as fast as it becomes available. That happens in my tank as macroalgae suck it up constantly and keep the level undetectable.

But all growing algae need phosphate, and if you intercept it by exporting it some other way, you'll be able to beat problem algae.

In other respects, like calcification of hard corals which may be hampered by elevated phosphate, if you cannot detect phosphate with a quality kit, then I would not worry about organic or inorganic phosphates being a problem.

I don't know what is in that all in one product, but I prefer limewater. All in one products, if they are calcium acetate, will deplete oxygen, while limewater does not.

IMO, skimmers are a big plus to reef aquaria, and I would not worry about them depleting anything except possibly iron if you grow macroalgae. Routine water changes can mostly suffice for other trace elements, and I do not recommend adding trace element cocktails.

Feel free to ask for me any time. :)

[awestruck]

Thanx for your help -- have a great day! :)

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

:thumbsup:

Happy Reefing. :)