I've been trying to keep my calcium and alkalinity up to par 6/13/08
Hi everyone,
Thanks for all the help. I've needed a lot lately. I've been trying to keep my calcium and alkalinity up to par. I have been measuring by a carbonate hardness test. I have been told about two different methods. I first started by adding Kent Marine Superbuffer powder. I was told I should be using this at water changes.
<Yes>
I started using it, and the day after the water change, my hardness was at 12 dKH. Then i would measure it again in three days, and it was at 9dkh. So I would treat it again. Is it normal for it to sway this much from just a couple of days?
<Mmm, can, yes... depending on factors like use by life in your system, filtration methods, other chem/phys. properties in your system>
Then I was talking to someone at the pet store, and I was told that this buffer does nothing for calcium levels.
<Correct... in fact, can limit this, other alkaline earth matters... e.g. Magnesium>
So I was told to use Kent Marine's two part liquid buffer.
<Mmmm... I smell a sale>
I was also told you can't use both the liquid and the powder together, that they will cancel each other out. I have been trying to research it on your website, and my head has still not stopped spinning, but from what I gather, the powder raises the hardness, and the liquid maintains this. Is this correct?
<Mmm, can...>
If not, what's the best method of buffering the water.
<Let's see... would be better to start a bit further back in this discussion... Do you know/understand what alkalinity is? What biominerals like Calcium, Mg are, how they interact? Their principal sources in captive systems? A good deal of what goes on here has to do with your initial set-up... the substrate, rock used (is it calcareous? To what degree soluble?)... Your salt-mix choice... they're not all the same... What sorts of life you have, what you're doing with it, foods/feeding... Other factors include filter gear choices... good skimming, use of ozone/high/er RedOx...>
Now, I'm sure this is important to know also, I have a 75 gallon tank, with 80 lbs of live rock, 2 inches of substrate,
<This may be an easy avenue for improvement... increasing depth here with a useful material... see WWM: http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/setup/index.htm
scroll down to Marine Substrates>
a remora pro protein skimmer,
<Ahh, a good choice>
and I do weekly 15% water changes.
<Also good>
For fish, I have a chalk bass, a Firefish, three green Chromis , a African pygmy angel, a lawnmower blenny, seven assorted soft corals, and an assortment of snails and crabs. And I'm going to be adding a Kole Tang, and hopefully two skunk clowns. As long that it's not too much of a bioload for my tank.
<This should be fine>
If you could help me again, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you,
Marc
<We can "solve" this and other issues Marc... with a bit of reading and going back and forth here... I do encourage you to switch from the Kent line to SeaChem (see the latter's website for their line of alkalinity and biomineral products... much more useful/complete than Kent's), and to look into adding a sump/refugium, more substrate there or in your main system... Bob Fenner>

Re: I've been trying to keep my calcium and alkalinity up to par 6/13/08
Thank you for your help. I actually had less substrate before, and after reading about the benefits of a deeper sand bed, I added another 20 lbs., but I will now add more.
<Good>
I did lose two fish when I added the sand, but they were only a couple days old when I did so. I must have added too quickly, and the bag stated no rinsing needed, and I think it was a mistake not to.
<Agreed>
Now as far as salt goes, I use Oceanic natural Sea Salt Mix,
<A poor choice... lacks substantial (added by other lines) to purposely excessive alkalinity, biomineral content>
I do want to switch to Sea Crystals or Instant Ocean, I've read good things about both on your website. My question is, is it safe to just switch right over to this salt at my next water change, or just I slowly switch over, maybe using half and half?
<Is fine to switch carte blanche... just the percentage change out that you usually do>
I am very interested in utilizing a refugium, i really need to research it a lot further first.
<Much, MUCH posted on WWM re... as well as the Reef Invertebrate tome by Anthony Calfo and I>
Now, a little off subject, I had a Sea Clone Protein Skimmer , and then after advise from your website, I went out and purchased the Remora Pro. At first, I would get a lot of thick dark skim mate, then about two weeks ago, it stopped producing it almost all together.
<May well not have much to/that it can further skim for now>
I clean the prefilter, and the cup every water change. My nitrates are always at zero.
<Very good>
I know that sounds unlikely, so I bought a second test, and had it tested at a store. Same results. I was just wondering if it's possible that with my bioload, and without heavy feeding, that I don't have enough organic materials in the water, and that's why there's no skim mate.
<Well-stated. Likely so>
Which would be great, I just want to know if I should be worried about the skimmer.
<Mmm, no>
I was actually at the fish store when you responded, I was purchasing my new Kole Tang. It's gorgeous, almost full colored, and was there for three weeks and eating well. I did by more of the Kent Marine Superbuffer and Kent Marine Calcium Plus.
<I'd return these... exchange...>
So I will have to wait till next time to purchase the Bio-Chem Products.
<SeaChem>
Thanks again, I take all of your information as gospel.
<Stop! I would NOT do this... I and all others here, everywhere (even the Pope) are not infallible...>
You all have been a great help. Very unbiased and it is greatly appreciated.
Marc
<Welcome my friend and fellow petfish sufferer. BobF>

Calcium / Alk Question   2/5/08
Hello,
<Hello Bryan>
I have a calcium / alkalinity question. I have a 330g tank with a 70g sump, newly setup (in December) with daily 3-4g water changes with reef crystals mix using R/O D/I water. The tank is currently lightly stocked and doing very well. Before I continue stocking I want to have proper alk/ca levels, so I have added a system for automated Kalk dosing.
However before I begin dosing I have checked my alk/calcium levels, and they are currently at dKH of 12 and calcium of 275-300. This sounds like an imbalance to me as I have understood.<Your Alk is too high. Adding Calcium to the water to raise the level over 400ppm will lower the Alk naturally>
I am afraid to begin dosing Kalk as my alk level is already at 12. Would you recommend I increase calcium with other means to get a balance or begin doing some
very large water changes to bring alk down? While I have used buffer
supplements in the past, I have used very little to no buffer in the
past few weeks.<Never add a buffer or supplement without first seeing a deficiency or taking tests to know whether or not the additions are needed.>
My other issue is my pH has been trailing down the last week or so.
While I may have some elevated CO2 indoors, I don't see why the indoor CO2 level would have increased over this time period, if it was depressed due to indoor CO2, I would think it would be constant as it
has been. Last few days data:
2/4/2008 high: 8.17 low: 8.09
2/3/2008 high: 8.31 low: 8.15
2/2/008 high: 8.36 low: 8.18
2/1/2008 high: 8.41 low: 8.20
1/31/2008 high: 8.47 low: 8.21
(my sump light is left on 24x7)
<pH is fine. You must understand that this reading will vary throughout the day and night and will NOT be constant. To maintain a reef tanks chemistry the TOP 3 tests need to be ALK/Ca/Mg. These 3 are interlinked and seek equilibrium. If one is out of whack then the others will follow. Alk should be maintained between 8-10 DKH, Ca between 400-480ppm, and Mg at 1350+ppm. This will provide an environment for corals and corallines to thrive.
I believe your tank is too new to need Kalkwasser. I usually start after 4 months.
Another test to be concerned with is PO4 (phosphates). I highly recommend a PO4 removing resin be employed ASAP.
BTW my reef crystals is mixing up to about 9-10 dKH and 350 CA.
<If Instant Ocean is cheaper, use it. You will be adding Calcium and Alk buffers as the tank matures. As the tank gets older and more corals are stocked the Ca/Alk demands will increase. Therefore, Instant Ocean will be fine. HTH, Rich...aka...Mr. Firemouth>
Bryan

Re: B-Ionic Dosing Pump   12/25/07
All right so I have looked into magnetic stirrers for the Calcium my only other question is does the Alk part of the B-Ionic 2 part solution need to be on a magnetic stirrer before it is added to the tank, or may it remain stagnant?
AJ
<Mmm, don't see it/this mentioned on ESV's site: http://www.esvco.com/prod6.html
But likely not an issue... see BobS. doser diagram... BobF>

Alk, Mg, Ca, Low Calcium/Alkalinity...Supply Not Meeting Demand? – 08/16/07
Hello everyone!
<<Hiya Sebastian!>>
Hope you are having a good "hump" day!
<<Is Thursday now, but yes...was fine>>
Let me begin by thanking you once again for your dedication and support of this hobby.
<<We’re happy to be here>>
Eric?
<<Tis I my friend>>
I finally received a reply from Boyd Enterprises regarding ChemiClean,
<<Excellent>>
they did inform me the active ingredient is "another" type of antibiotic.
<<Yes>>
So you were right.
<<Somebody write that down...>>
However, they declined to say which kind exactly.
<<This seems silly (or maybe just underhanded?) to me...aside from the fact this is still something you don’t want to administer to your display tank...why would consumers/hobbyists want to use a product that doesn’t (or won’t!) say what it is/is comprised of?>>
On a different note, I have managed to run a successful reef as of late, my weekly
10% water changes have gotten rid of all the cyano and all my SPS frags are
developing a base and starting to grow.
<<Very good to know>>
I have been struggling with my Calcium and dKH however, I did some tests last night that showed dKH at 7 and Ca at 320.
<<Not bad really...though the Calcium could use a bit of a boost by a few tens of ppm>>
I have been adding 2-part (Kent) as well as topping off with Kalkwasser and I seem to have trouble keeping high levels.
<<Do check your Magnesium readings>>
Would this be an Mg issue?
<<Possibly>>
I purchased some MgCl from Kent and also a test kit.
<<Very good...and for small/infrequent adjustments simple Epsom Salts will do just as well as any of the proprietary hobby products>>
On the other hand, am I just not dosing enough?
<<Considering both your Alkalinity and Calcium are at the low end of the spectrum this may very well be the issue. Try boosting the amounts a bit and see>>
I have about 12 acros, 3 more SPS, hammer, candy cane etc, is my Ca consumption just high?
<<I don’t remember for sure but wasn’t isn’t this tank less than 100-gallons...this may very well be true then>>
Coupled with the fact that my tank runs bare bottom?
<<Mmm, yes...lack of contribution of any Earth elements re>>
Any help is appreciated.
Sebastian Nunez
<<Try increasing the “two-part” dosage...and/or try a better/different brand (E.S.V., Two Little Fishies, or even the new AquaC product). Cheers, Eric Russell>>

Re: Low Calcium/Alkalinity...Supply Not Meeting Demand? – 08/19/07
Good and VERY happy Friday Crew!
<<Sunday night now, the weekend is over and I’m bummed…>>
Hey Eric!
<<Hey Sebastian! Sorry for the late reply…been working hard on a very important and extensive “honey do” list>>
Eric, once again I thank you for all your assistance with my system.
<<Is my pleasure, mate>>
First of all, you were correct (again) my system is a 90-Gal with a 20-Gal sump, half full, so I always dose supplements assuming a 100-Gal water volume.
<<Okay>>
I did a headcount and I have a total of 18 hard corals, 12 Acros, 1 yellow scrolling Turbinaria, 1 green Montipora digitata, (very fast grower).
<<These would all classify as “hard” corals…and all would be putting a demand on the Alkaline/Earth elements in your system>>
This last coral has quadrupled its size in 5 months, honest truth.
<<I believe you…M. digitata grows extremely fast under good conditions, and does so at the cost of its skeletal strength. I’m sure you have noticed how the slightest “bump” can break it apart>>
I have a 5 ½-Gal RO/DI reservoir for top off with an ATO device keeps water level constant.
<<Very good>>
The reservoir water consist of heavily aerated water with 2 tsp of Kalk,
<<Per gallon of mixing water…yes?>>
I allow it to sit in a bucket and remove the supernatant (clear) solution and add to reservoir.
<<Very good again>>
I discard the precipitates on the bottom of the bucket.
<<Actually you might try just adding more water once, mixing and decanting as before…is likely the “slurry” is good for at least one more round (testing can confirm)…and will save you some dosh on Kalkwasser in the long run>>
Sounds appropriate to you?
<<Thus far, yes>>
In addition, I dose Kent's Tech-CB, as previously stated, I have been dosing 30ml of each at morning time or at night with at least 24-hour intervals. A couple of nights ago I began attempting the "Kalk slurry method" (Seachem Kalk) in hopes to solve my low levels of Ca and dKH (7dKH and 300 Ca).
<<This method has its uses/benefits but is also very easy to abuse…do keep a close watch on your pH>>
I mixed 3 tsp of Kalk in a cold glass of RO/DI water and poured into system, a lot of particles floating around and some settled of rock, however, after a few minutes all was dissolved and there was no trace of any precipitation.
<<Yikes…3 tsp is too much here with this method in this size tank!>>>>
Did I add too much at one time?
<<Indeed, yes…best to start with about a quarter-teaspoon and work your way up until you determine what maximum amount will NOT raise your pH more than two-tenths of a pH unit (e.g. – when pH 8.2 jumps to pH 8.4)>>
I am at a loss. I tested Ca and Alk again this morning and they same results. 7dKH and 300 Ca. Could my test be wrong?
<<I’m thinking this is so>>
I have ordered new set of test kits from Seachem, for Ca, Alk, and Mg.
<<Excellent>>
Or, given my bioload, is my Ca intake just large?
<<Would depend on the size of the colonies…if these are large then maybe so>>
Another question if you don't mind, I bought some Reef Buffer by Seachem also ( I like their products better than Kent)
<<As do I>>
and I was wondering if I can use this to buffer freshly aerated RO/DI water for making water changes before I add salt and how much do I add for a 5-Gal bucket of water?
<<Yes you can…just follow the instructions on the container until you reach the desired readings>>
The instructions only indicate 1 level tsp per 40-Gal to increase pH by .02 and dKH by .05 mg/liter
<<Ah, I see what you mean. Start with 1 tsp per five-gallons, test, and adjust accordingly>>
I am going to attempt a different approach by switching salt mixes to Reef Crystals instead of Instant Ocean.
<<Mmm yes, seem to be noticing problems myself with Instant Ocean of late…will be making a switch to Seachem with my next salt order>>
I hate to be spinning my head with all these questions and I wonder if I worry more than necessary and fail to enjoy my reef.
<<Probably a little of this last my friend…you did say your corals were growing (and doing well?), yes?>>
In the end, all the corals look great and healthy and polyp extension is very good.
<<Ah well…there ya go! But do use those new test kits when they arrive to confirm>>
On your advice I have purchased a wide array of frozen foods and now have gotten into the habit feeding regularly instead of starving my reef.
<<Very good to hear my friend…your tank will be so much the better for this>>
I am mixing daphnia, Mysis, krill, along with Cyclop-eeze flakes and the fish and corals seem to enjoy it.
<<Indeed! Do consider some Mysis shrimp and glass worms as well…oh yes, and don’t forget the vitamin supplements (Vita-Chem/Selcon/Selco)>>
I wish I could do away with expensive 2-part supplements and just dose Kalk, I have come to enjoy messing with it and do not really mind the extra work.
<<I see…then step up the dosage (following Anthony’s guidelines re the “slurry” method) and see how things go once those new test kits arrive>>
If I wanted to change to Kalk, do I need to add buffer also?
<<Not usually…frequent water changes may suffice, but test to be sure>>
Which would you recommend?
<<I prefer the Seachem product line>>
Thanks again and hope you have a nice weekend.
<<Quite welcome…and I did, even with the “work” (much prep for my upcoming 50th B-Day party my wife is throwing for me [grin]) >>
PS - I hate to single anyone out, the only reason I always greet Eric is because it just so happens every time I write he is the one that replies.
<<Aw man! And here I thought it was because I was good! [BIG grin]>>
I am aware there are many hard-working contributors to this valuable forum out there.
<<Indeed there are!>>
Thank you all again for helping me get a better understanding of reef-keeping.
<<We are ALL happy to be of service>>
I am originally from Honduras and have enjoyed diving and snorkeling many times along the reef and I have a deep appreciation for its significance and beauty, as well as the ecosystem it supports.
<<Wonderful! Perhaps you will join us on a diving excursion some time!>>
What you all do is open people's eyes that perhaps have not had the opportunity to dive among corals and such.
<<Indeed... Not all among us are divers…but we all have a wish to inform/give folks the opportunity to learn to preserve/maintain the captive life we keep. It is our earnest hope, desire, and even our stand, that the service we voluntarily provide does indeed lead to the increased survival of these organisms>>
I firmly believe that fostering this appreciation also encourages a conservation spirit among reefers.
<<I am in agreement, but appreciation alone is not enough…knowledge is key…and this site contains a wealth of knowledge available for the reading>>
This is the main reason I have so much respect for what you all do. Thank you again and have a great weekend.
Sebastian Nunez
<<Be well my friend…and please do let me know how those new test kits read. Eric Russell>>

R2: Low Calcium/Alkalinity...Supply Not Meeting Demand? – 08/25/07
Buen Dia! Wet Web Media Crew!
<<And a Good Day to you!>>
Hey Eric!
<<Hey Sebastian!>>
Thanks for your last reply, like always I find myself taking notes after reading your emails.
<<Excellent my friend>>
I discovered that I was not adding enough of the 2-part additives, as I tested my Mg with my new test kit and it read right around 1250.
<<Ah…>>
As a result I have started to increase to 50ml daily of both and dKH has gone between 9-10 dKH and Ca around 360.
<<Very good>>
I have noticed also that as a result on this increase in dKH some of my frags seem to have "accelerated"
their encrusting process as I can visibly notice a broader base and upcoming
branches :)
<<Mmm, indeed…have now something to “work with”>>
I do, however, have another issue as of late.
<<Oh?>>
I am sorry, it seems to be an endless pit of foes, however, nothing is dying so I consider my issues not as terrible as they could be.
<<Mmm…or maybe not really “issues” at all…>>
I have this brown algae that grows in circles in my live rock.
<<I consider most all alga in a system as being beneficial as long as it is not “taking over.”
This brown algae you see is likely home/food for beneficial micro-fauna…and may even be
feeding upon/depleting substances from your system that if left unchecked otherwise might cause bigger “issues.”
I guess what I am trying to convey here is… “Alga” is not our enemy>>
It first appeared on the plastics cover of the overflow in my tank, it is brownish, yellowish and it looks almost encrusting.
<<Perhaps a species of Coralline algae>>
You can see clear filaments coming off of it. I took off the cover on the overflow and tried scrubbing it under hot water and it did not come off.
It does not seem to affect corals, however, it has replaced a lot of my coralline algae that passed away when I upgraded to MH lighting.
<<Mmm, yes…changes to environmental conditions favoring one species of alga over another>>
I will include a picture so you can get a better idea of what I am talking about.
http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc307/GRENDELSN/FishTankPics062.jpg
Please let me know what you think.
Sebastian Nunez
<<I don’t think you need be concerned here… As you state, this is not malaffecting your corals…and it is likely the imbalance of
Earth elements had as much effect on your Coralline algae as anything else. Esté bien mi amigo. Eric Russell>>

R3: Low Calcium/Alkalinity...(Unusable Picture) - 08/25/07
My apologies, here goes the pic with the algae again, you can see it
surrounding the coral frag. Any ideas as to what it is and how to get rid of it are appreciated.
Sebastian Nunez
<<Mmm, nothing here I could open/use/see Sebastian (but did see link/reply in previous exchange). For future reference please send pics to us as jpeg files...no more than a few hundred KB in size. EricR>>

Marine Buffer 8.3 - as sole buffer additive  3/30/07
Hello,
<Hi there>
I have a F.O.W.L.R. tank and was wondering if it was safe to use Seachem's Marine Buffer 8.3
<Mmm, their Reef Buffer?: http://www.seachem.com/products/product_pages/ReefBuffer.html>
as a regular buffer additive.
<Mmm... well, as stated... if your pH is not problematical... However... it would be better to utilize their (SeaChem's) Reef Builder additionally... and BEST to have a basic (okay, pun intended) understanding of the general water chemistry here>
I have a 58 gallon tank and need to add about 7 tsp weekly to maintain a kH of 10.  My pH is steady at 8.2 and I find that the Marine Buffer 8.3 buffers better than Seachem's Marine Builder. I really don't need to raise the pH when I buffer, but this product does not set the pH above 8.3.
<Correct... due to the kOH), alkalinity product constants of the components...>
The only issue I was wondering about is that unlike the Marine Builder, the Marine Buffer also contains borate - which I thought I read on your site that it could contribute to the kH reading thus making it inaccurate (?)
<Mmm, no... not a practical consideration>
- but then isn't borate a buffer itself (and why it's buffering better).
<Mmm, no... not much... is added for other purposes...>
I believe I also read that it was something good to have in the tank.  Would using the Marine Buffer 8.3 as the sole additive buffer cause there to be to much borate in the system?
<Mmm, no... with regular water change-outs... is diluted>
(I figure no because I'm assuming the borate is used up as the other buffers are and that it's in the proper percentage in the mix.)
I thought I read that Mr. Salty Dog uses it as his buffer additive, but perhaps I am wrong.
<Will wing this by James>
I thought about baking soda also, but do not want to cause the system to become ionically imbalanced over time.
<Can, but unlikely...>
Appreciate the advice. Thank you for providing so much free information.
Sincerely, Richard
<Mmm, there are no satisfying, "complete" explanations of said water chemistry on the Net as far as I'm aware... but there are such in printed works... I encourage you to get/read Hans Baensch's Marine Atlas V. 1, or Fossa and Nilsen Modern Coral Reef Aquarium... not hard to grasp... but a simpler operant understanding here is unacceptable to me. Bob Fenner>

pH and alkalinity
I've sifted through a bunch of FAQs all over the web, but I can't seem to find a specific answer for my situation.  First, I have a confession.  I am a lazy hobbyist.  I mean really lazy.  I have a FOWLR tank that's been running for 2 years without a water change.  It would have been 4 years without a water change, but I moved and the only acceptably lazy option was filling up with new water.  ;-)
<Wow!  I consider myself lazy, but you have me beat!  There is a certain amount that can be said for a relatively "hands off" approach, but I have to say that I am in favor of at least occasional water changes.>
To my credit, I keep very few animals and they've all been with me from the beginning.  I have a 120 gal tank with a 45 gal sump/refugium.  I can't remember how much live rock, but there's quite a bit.  My substrate is about 1.5 to 2 inches deep in both the tank and sump, and it's all live sand.  I have a purple tang, mandarin goby, Flameback angel, cleaner shrimp, and a peppermint shrimp.  I have the resident snails and hermits, and a colony of polyps that hitch-hiked in on some live rock and multiplied rather nicely.  The newest addition to the tank is a queen conch.  She was one inch long when I put her in a year ago.  She's now nearly 5 inches long and will be donated to the public aquarium next week.
<You definitely have benefited from having a relatively light bioload.  Actually.... probably a very appropriate bioload, just light by hobby standards.>
I pretty much never test my tank, but I've been thinking about delving into corals.  I have a PC/MH fixture, so I know I'm set on lighting.  I also have an extremely healthy 'pod population.  I began testing my tank this week (all Salifert), and here is where I'm at:
Ammonia - 0, Nitrite - 0, Nitrate - 0, Iodine - .06, Calcium - 410, dKH - 5.1, pH - 8.0, (I don't have a phosphate test)
The pH looks a bit low, but the alkalinity is really low.  The odd thing is the pH is constant.  I tested when I first setup the tank, and it was always at 8, with dKH at 12.  After I moved, I tested again for a while b/c I was unfamiliar with the water out here, and it was always 8 (don't remember the dKH).  I have an RO/DI unit; I have no idea if that has anything to do with my pH or not.
<RO/DI leaves the water fairly pure so that the pH and alkalinity are determined by the buffers in the salt mix.  A pH of 8.0 is a bit low, but should come up with higher alkalinity.  Your alkalinity should be corrected weather you pursue keeping corals or not.  A higher alkalinity will help limit pH swings in case of some unpredictable event (pump failure, etc.)>
So here are the million dollar questions:
<Stand by for my $.02 answers!>
should I try to raise the pH, and if so, what's the best way to do it?
<Try raising your alkalinity first, and the pH should come up a bit.  If you don't have a protein skimmer, consider more water movement/aeration to help remove CO2>
Will I be forever dependent on artificially altering the pH?
<Alkalinity is always "consumed" and as such will have to be replenished, but there are many ways to accomplish this.>
Should I be concerned about the dKH?
<Yup, particularly if you plan on keeping corals.  IMO, alk is more important than pH or calcium (especially in the short term).  Most corals simply will not tolerate low alk.>
Kalk isn't an option for me because it goes against all things lazy. I'm also not crazy about keeping the necessary ingredients on hand as I have a 7-year-old who loves to play chemist.
<Kalk is not one of my favorite options anyway.  Consider two part additives like ESV's B-Ionic, Kent's tech CB or Two Little Fishies C-balance.  SeaChem and others also offer separate dry alkalinity and calcium products, and Tropic Marin offers a dry combined product.  You will have to correct your alkalinity first, and then supplement calcium and alkalinity in a balanced fashion.  All of the products I listed are pretty safe (esp. compared to Kalk), but like anything should be stored out of the reach of curious young hands.>
Please let me know if there are any natural or easy and non-messy ways for me to resolve my pH.  If there are not, is it possible to keep corals in a tank with a constant pH of 8.0? Thanks, Becky McAlister
<As stated above, treat the alk and the pH should follow.  There really isn't any "natural" way to accomplish this short of a very deep sand bed and very low stocking levels (both extreme beyond what is practical).  Two parts are a bit expensive, but offer a great deal of convenience, and some brands come with or can be fitted with child proof caps.  HTH.  Adam>

Kalkwasser Question
Dear Bob-
Hello, I have been reading your articles and FAQs and have come across some varying opinions concerning the boosting of ca and alk to a tank from what others have informed me. I have a 46 gal FOWLR and have decided to partake in corals. My questions are: what would be the best product to supplement ca and alk?
Also, what is the best way to administer the supplement? Are mechanical dosing pumps necessary? How do you in the beginning stages boost the ca levels without harming current inhabitants?
I recall Kalkwasser being high on your list while others have told me Bio Calcium by tropic Marin is more beneficial to a system.  Only one problem is the budget-I know that you favor calcium reactors and have heard of their wondrous contributions to reefing but under monetary constraints I am unable to purchase this machine. I plan to save up and eventually purchase one but the coral bug has bitten earlier than expected.  I understand that I hit you with quite a few questions but any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Steven Marandola
<Well-stated opinions here. For most (the vast majority) of small, home-based systems "two-part" supplements (like B-Ionic) are best IMO... they provide sufficient/excess alkalinity and biomineral content safely and reliably. I do not endorse the use of Kalkwasser generally... too toxic, unstable to use, easy to get "out of balance" (with magnesium, alkaline make-up) in general... But, Kalk can be a very useful adjunct to other means of boosting, maintaining conducive water quality, particularly with situations where folks have similarly boosted lighting, and a concurrent desire to enhance growth, biomineralization. Reactors are still the best available, most appropriate technology, but I agree with you re their cost. Perhaps a marine club near you will have a "do it yourself" reactor get-together (many do) and you can make your own, find a CO2 cylinder (still the most common types in the U.S. use carbon dioxide, though there are other moda), regulator, needle-valve... at a low price. Considering what folks "put into" their systems, mainly electricity, but also supplement, and livestock cost-wise, reactors are not expensive. Bob Fenner>

- A drop in the bucket -
<Greetings, JasonC here...>
I know, not the Alk/Ca question again. <No worries.> Have read the articles. Thanks for all your wisdom.  Here's the question.  Tank is 220g, 150g sump, 70g refugiums).   Southdown 9" DSB in Refugium, 4" DSB in Sump. ETSS skimmer, pulling like a horse.  150 lbs LR( all about 7 years old) 10% water changes every 3 weeks.  Just setup this tank after taking down a 180g.  Nitrites .001, Nitrates 2 ppm, Mag 1200, pH 8.5 day 8.3 night. Temp 78.  Now the problem children  Ca 230 Alk 5, Ouch.  Have been adding Kalk via the Slurry method.  Got an American Marine pH monitor (calibrated regularly)  never move the pH more than .1.  Been adding one tablespoon of Kalk in the morning and one at night.  Adding one tablespoon of baking soda midday. These move the pH up/down by the .1 as stated, but Ca/Alk is going nowhere.  What gives? <At the amounts you are adding, you're never going to move calcium or alkalinity in any direction. Given the fact that your system volume is over 300 gallons, you need to add much more than a tablespoon to affect a change.> As this is a new setup I don't have much in the way of corals. (2 clams, 3 small Acropora frags).  I used to control the Ca using Tropic Marin Bio-Ca, but read this was CaCl, so since this was a new setup with almost all new water thought I'd switch back to Kalk. <I would go for one of the two part systems like ESV B-Ionic or better yet...> Driving me nuts, want to add a Ca reactor, but want to get to 400 Ca 10 Alk first. <I would go directly for a calcium reactor - don't pass go, don't collect any Kalkwasser.> Any ideas?
<Cheers, J -- >  

- Calcium and Buffer Additions -
<Good morning, JasonC here...>
Should I have to add calcium and buffer daily to keep the levels at 400ppm cal and alk at 9 or 10 even though I add Kalk slurry twice a day. <Yes.> The tank is a 125 gal reef that has been running 8 years. <You are probably due to replace some of the rock and substrate - this also give up calcium through natural processes and unless you augment it yearly, you are way overdue.> Its heavily stocked and every thing is doing well. I do a 25 gal water change every 2 weeks. It seems like the cal. and alk fall off quick. <Your buffering capacity is probably shot - again, think about replacing a goodly amount of sand.> Is this normal or is there something I can do to reduce the buffer and cal. additions. <Consider a calcium reactor - you didn't mention anything in your system that specifically requires high levels of calcium...> You have been helpful in the past and thanks in advance for your help this time
<Cheers, J -- >

Raising Calcium and pH 5/22/03
Hello again, I'm not sure how to tell who is responding to the emails today.
<Anthony at bat>
I have a 75 gallon reef tank with 20 gallon sump, about 90 lbs of live rock and 270lbs of Southdown sand.
Nitrite is 0, Ammonia is 0, Nitrate is about 5, hardness is 9dkh, Calcium is about 330, ph is about 8.1, specific gravity it 1.024.
<your calcium and pH levels are flat/low... do increase water changes, buffer and testing... some more Kalkwasser likely>
I need to get my Calcium and ph up but have been conservative with adding Kalkwasser, about 1/4 tsp per night mixed in freshwater and poured into a high flow area.
<Doh! answering mail too fast today <G>. Yes, agreed. Do a keyword search of our archives with the google.com tool on the home page for "Kalkwasser slurry excerpt". On one of the FAQ pages, I excerpted this dosing strategy from my book. Helpful perhaps here>
I have a bubble coral, leather, green star polyps and a yellow cup Turbinaria. Also two fanworms, a yellow tang and various snails and hermit crabs.
The current problem is that the yellow cup coral had a small section of die off on one edge when I purchased it and it now seems to be spreading. I am feeding the cup and bubble nightly with whole Mysis shrimp do I need to try and feed each polyp of the cup?
<helpful but not necessary... smaller foods though needed here>
Would whole Mysis shrimp be too large for this coral and I should blend it instead?
<yes, my friend>
The bubble seems to be doing fine.
<agreed... a large, hungry and easy feeder>
I have the cup coral high up in the tank and in a high flow area (laminar unfortunately) I'll be getting a couple of PowerSweep powerheads to try and break up the laminar flow.
<critical yes... laminar flow can literally denude the flesh off of some corals>
Can you suggest anything to try and recover the yellow cup coral?
<more appropriate water flow, continued good feeding and water quality to compliment time/patience>
The guy at the LFS recommended breaking it off and gluing the broken edges to seal them.
<not necessary or recommended. The coral can/will reclaim that part of the corallum>
I really don't want to do this and would prefer to help it recover.
I am going to increase the Kalkwasser addition but don't want to make a mess of things.
<understood... simply test for pH in close concert (never add more than will raise your pH by .1-.2)>
I have Caulerpa growing in the sump and know that I have to trim it before it completes a full life-cycle can you let me know how long this usually is?
<never trim or cut Caulerpa, bud... simply thin out fronds (remove whole strands). Cutting cause the leaching or sapping of the cell. The life cycle for these algae is typically 3-6 months. If you thin aggressively every 2 months or less... you will likely be safe from events of them going vegetative>
I think my next purchase will be some mushroom corals or elegance.
Thanks for the help
<best regards, Anthony>

Calcium dosing and vacations 5/26/03
Bob (or Anthony),
<Howdy>
I am now adding Kalk slurry in a cup of cold water after my nightly top off.  Is it okay to use Amquel-treated water, or should I just use cold tap water for this purpose?  
<plain tap water is fine... distilled or DI even better>
I'll admit that I started very conservatively because I hadn't gotten my pH meter yet.  
<do be careful>
I now have it, but with no manual, so I am waiting on some answers from Milwaukee prior to using it.  
<actually... you can use it now... for the Kalk slurry, you simply add no more than will change the pH by more than .1 to .2 (within an hour or so). Calibrated or no, the meter will tell you this and you can employ it to keep up with the daily loss/drop in the meantime. You just will not know how low you are and where you need to go on the digital scale (still... use your liquid reagents for a ballpark)>
For example, I don't know how often to calibrate, recalibrate, or even if I need to calibrate it prior to the first use.
<a few times yearly would be nice>
When I make up my saltwater for aging, I have been adding Amquel to the barrel.  Should I hold off on that and add it to the buckets I haul the water in as I get ready for the actual change?  Or does it really matter?
<if you must use it (Chloramine in the tap water?), then it should be used first on raw tap water>
As you recall, my saltwater showed large pH swings when exposed to an airstone (it was low and then swung up about .9 after aeration).  Does this mean anything like that I need to buffer the water?  
<hmmm... the question needs to address Alkalinity (hardness) and pH... check your alkalinity to see if you need buffer, my friend>
This is all confusing to me because the water shows a decent alkalinity of about 3 or 4 meq/l out of the tap.
<Doh! sorry <G>... I should have read further. Ahhh... no worries. A fine ALK level. Your pH issue is related to CO2/carbonic acid more likely. Simply aerate heavily>
Also, I am set to go on a few mini-vacations and one 1 week vacation this summer.  Can I leave off the daily Kalk dosing and just pick up where I left off when I return?  
<usually yes.... it will fall slowly down... and be sure to bring it back up slowly and all will be fine>
I am worried that the slurry method is to prone to misuse by a house sitter.  
<very much agreed>
I do have some Kent Tech CB 2 part additive.  Is this a safer bet for the sitter?  
<yes... very much so.>
I know that both parts have to be dosed separately.  
<correct>
Silly question maybe, but how long do you wait between dosing each part?
<Day/night would be nice... but in this case, why don't you have the sitter dose each part on alternating days (set them aside in medicine cups and mark them by day so that there is no confusion)>
Also, can I use the Tech CB to raise the Ca to begin with?
<yep>
My Ca is now about 385 and alk is 3 meq/L.  
<both numbers are fine and balanced. No need to struggle to reach some ideal extreme end of the scale. Stability at these numbers would keep a healthy tank>
I've only been dosing Kalk for 1/2 week.  I am worried that I should be rigging up a semi-auto top-off system with Kalkwasser for the vacation.  
<too easy to foul up... skip it IMO>
I would do this with a two gallon container with airline and a pinch valve sitting over the sump. My tank loses about 1 quart/day to evaporation.
<calculate the loss in advance and simply have the sitter dose measured FW only. No new/complicated drip systems for safety>
My display tank is 35 gallons, with about 15 gallons additional in the back of the tank sump, 5 gallons of which is Caulerpa algae refugium.  I have no corals, but want to promote healthy coralline (I have quite a bit).  Oh, I am also adding iron/manganese dosing for the sake of the macroalgae. Thanks, Linda Swenberg
<all good, my friend. Best regards, Anthony>

- Alkalinity Test and Kalkwasser Dosing -
Thank you for the prompt reply! <My pleasure.> I have an alkalinity test on order so hopefully this will provide some additional clues soon.  Actually I do have test strips that include an alkalinity test but this reading has always been off the chart (I think this particular test on my test strips is intended for freshwater only).  I quit using test strip soon after I setup my aquarium because they were too difficult to interpret and I questioned the accuracy.  <Strip tests are notoriously inaccurate.> The alkalinity test I have ordered is from SeaChem.  What is your opinion on SeaChem tests? <Should do you just fine.>
My main curiosity now is regarding your original reply - you said my Kalkwasser use is not optimal.  When I said I use Kalkwasser in all of my makeup water, what I meant by this is my makeup water is made by dissolving 1 tsp of Kalk in 1 gallon of RO water, then pouring-off the clear solution into a makeup water container, from which I add approx 1 - 1.5 gals/week to my main tank.  To me this sounds like the same approach you mentioned. <Same but different... unless I misunderstood your top-off method. Typically, well at least in my tank, the top-off water sits for days and days before the container needs to be refilled. Kalkwasser won't work like this because it will settle out of solution - it needs to mixed and used within 12 hours or so.> Does my clarification help or did I misunderstand your description of optimal use of Kalk? <Perhaps we are both misunderstanding something...> I have read about adding acetic acid to the Kalkwasser mix to enable higher levels of Ca to be dissolved ( http://www.reefscapes.net/articles/breefcase/kalkwasser.html ).  Is this more of an optimal use of Kalk?
<Uhh... not in my opinion. Even though acetic acid is weak, you can still do some harm to the buffers in your system, and once they are gone, they're hard to get back. Do read though our Kalkwasser FAQs, as I do believe Anthony Calfo lays out his "slurry method" which I think you will find useful. Also, here's another article for some background:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/calcalkmar.htm >
Greg
<Cheers, J -- >

Calcium and Alkalinity 10/6/03
Ok Ok Calc/alk question again.
<OK>
1) Does Kalk help to raise alk or just maintain it while increasing calc.
<the latter... but very well>
2) Same question yet applying to calcium reactor.
<raises Alk indeed... but lacks many Kalkwasser benefits>
3) How and when would one use polygluconate calcium in conjunction with Kalk...as my plan is to use a Nielsen reactor along with polygluconate for favorable coralline growth. thank you
<do not rely on sugar based calcium for stony coral growth... simply add it to your present Ca dosing regime and employ it short term (less than 6 months IMO) for the support of growing corallines. Best regards, Anthony>

Calcium and Alkalinity sagas 10/6/03
Hello,
<hello again>
I am in the final stages of setting up my reef system and prop tanks.
<Okey-dokey>
My question is that I will be maintaining alk/calcium via a Nielsen type system, and was wondering if the Kalk slurry method (Calfo) can also be incorporated to give a boost when needed...in addition to the Nielsen maintenance so to speak.
<yes>
Having said this, how does one typically incorporate the use of calcium polygluconate as well.
<treat is simply as a superfluous supplement for stimulating coralline algae growth and nothing more>
I would like to use this product for its effect on coralline.... yet does it effect alk?
<no>
do you use it reach elevated levels of calcium?
<nope>
For example can you over shoot the calcium levels past the 400-450ppm range in order to get nice rich coralline... since it does not effect alk?
<no need to do so... stable Ca levels are far more important than unrealistically high levels (over 400 ppm)>
Or do you use it to simply reach the upper end of the allowable stage. Confused?
<regarding where to be on ranges... please read or re-read my article on wetwebmedia.com titled "Understanding Calcium and Alkalinity">
For example lets ay ça/alk are at the upper acceptable ranges... can you still add the gluconate to go further, or do you still stay within the typical ranges.
<please stay low/safe>
Do all test kits read or recognize the gluconate as actual available calc levels or is it some other derivative not related.
<not all read/recognize it accurately. Anthony>