KH and Ca Dilemma 10/12/09
Hello Staff,
<Hi Mando>
Thanks for your previous help, its always appreciated... very helpful site too.
<You're welcome.>
I have a problem with my water chemistry. I have a 90g reef tank with few mushrooms and 2 LPS polyps and a frogspawn head. I have 40 lbs. of live rock.
an Aqua C Remora skimmer, a canister filter with filter floss, and Chemi-Pure Elite carbon. 2 inches of live sand. 6 T5 HO's .
I tested my water using Salifert test kits, today my Ca is @ 600 ppm , KH is @ 18dKH, magnesium @ good 1320ppm. PH is @ 8.2 Salinity @ 1.025 temp 78F , Nitrate, Nitrite and Ammonia are all @ "0"
I have not added any calcium, purple up or Salifert all in one or KH/pH buffers in over 2 months. Have done a 40g water change over a 2 month period. Any suggestions?
<This is the reason I'm not a fan of "all in one" or two part products, parameters can get out of whack as you have experienced. You will need to purchase a product called Acid Buffer, made by Seachem. The product converts alkalinity into CO2 thus lowering dKH. DO NOT use the recommended dose, only 1/4 of it to prevent the possibility of rapidly lowering the pH.
Dose once per day and test dKH the following day, continuing daily until dKH lowers to 7-9dKH.>
I have supplemented the recommended iodine, and recently added trace elements with vitamins. from Brightwell Aquatics. Any suggestions? FYI, last month my Ca was @ 560ppm and KH @16
<You may want to read here. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/calcalkmar.htm
James (Salty Dog)>

Re: And Then There Were Six, LTA... Now, Ca/Alk ish f'  6/30/09
Hi Bob,
<Darryl>
The LTA seems to be getting better, well, not worse anyway...
Regarding my "bit too high" Ca levels. I went out and bought a KH test kit to answer your question. I hadn't been measuring Alk. previously.
It came in at 8 dKH, which according to the WWM Alk. FAQ is at the lower end of the acceptable range, which makes sense. So my question is, what should I do about it?
<Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/calcalkmar.htm
and as much of the linked files above as it takes>
I currently rely on fortnightly 20%
water changes to maintain the water chemistry, without any supplementation. I use local tap water aged for two weeks in a plastic trash bin for two weeks - continuously stirred with a small powerhead.
Thus far, this has worked well. The readings I gave you haven't budged since the tank finished cycling and I'm not too keen on jumping on the supplement rollercoaster if I can avoid it.
<You very likely can... again, please just read>
Currently the only calcium consumers users are the coralline algae, 1 Euphyllia, 1 Faviidae, some hitchhiker fanworms, and some Clavularia. I've intentionally kept the system understocked as I'm new to the hobby, lazy, and want a nice, but relatively maintenance free system with some margin for error.
<Understood... and my focus as well>
The system is almost entirely diy. 50 gal display w/ 50+ lbs LR, 15 gallon sump. Flow is about 400 gph. Supply = 1" DIY PVC pipe siphon overflow,
<Mmmm>
Return = Calfo style closed loop manifold. I know I need a bigger siphon. It's huge pain to keep it balanced, fiddling w/ partial siphon makes me nervous... I like the horizontal overflow design but haven't been able to upgrade just yet as it necessitates a tedious breakdown to drill the tank. I'm currently planning to simply
build a larger-diameter overflow with the only other difference being a larger diameter sleeve over the siphon intake to get more water from the top.
The occupants include:
1 C. strigosus , 3 Chromis viridis, and the aforementioned M. doreensis.
+ incidentals
A few small patches of (growing) Porites. three or possibly four species of Zoanthid, M. sculptus (several), various fanworms, micro- Brittlestars, sponges, tunicates
+ pests
A. Majano, small Xanthidae, Bryopsis, Lobophora, some sort of (S)tomatopod, which is tiny and looks like Gonodactylellus affinis.
Thus far these guys haven't been too bad. The stoma whacks a crab every now and then but I didn't want those crabs anyway. The algae are kept in check with some very occasional yanking and low nutrient
levels from underfeeding, currently about 10-15 Spectrum pellets twice daily + some fine meaty goodness (mixed blended mussel/shrimp/etc ) for the LTA and Torch on Sunday. No Spectrum on Sunday since the fish clean up any scraps.
This stomatopod, I suppose he precludes the introduction of skunk cleaner shrimp?
<Would likely be consumed, yes>
I'd like to get one or two but I don't want them to get whacked. He's just a wee little thing, but he's wily and thus far evaded all attempts at capture.
Darryl
<Sounds/reads as a very nice system/project indeed... and with a bit of looking/seeing, perhaps changing salt mix brands... you will very likely be able to get your alkaline earth, biomineral ratio in enough balance. BobF>

Fun w/ Calc/Alk 6/30/09
Thanks Bob,
<Surely welcome Darryl>
Ok ok, RTFM it is then. <!> That's cool. Phew, that was a lot of reading.
I sorta get it, I think, though it's been a while since I've had chemistry 101. pKa and all that. So, I guess this is fairly common.
<Ah yes>
I'm using Red Sea Coral Pro salt mix, and I'm sort of stuck with it as it's the only salt mix my LFS seems to sell.
<Try mail-order... there are some deals about>
There's nothing in the FAQs mentioned about that specifically but I did see a lot of talk about fiddling w/ supplements to try to bring up alkalinity. Ok, I can go get some Kent buffer powder
<Look to SeaChem...>
and see if that works. But first a few observations. ( It's nice to use my ChemE degree from time to time. ;-)
<Dang!>
First I tested my tap water. It's soft as a baby's bottom, dKH was unmeasurable with my test kit ( < 1 dKH ) and the same with Ca ( < 20 mg/l ) but there's about 0.25 mg/l of PO4 and SiO was very high, off the charts. I'm hypothesizing that this is what's throwing off my mix.
<Could be>
Then I tested the aged mix. First, there's an off-white precipitate, so something's definitely up there. Calcium Phosphate and/or Silicate is most likely. So, drum roll please. PO4 had dropped to 0. Ah ha!
<There's a clue>
I didn't bother to test for SiO but presumably it's dropped a bit as well. I've measured it in the display and it's present, but at much lower concentrations (~ 2 mg/l). Though I don't clearly understand (yet) what the impact of these anions have on the mix but I can see how they might compete with the carbonates, though, by removing Ca from the mix
<Yes... this and Mg (which you should test for) and to a much smaller extent Sr...>
I'd expect it to have the opposite effect, high Alk, low calc, but I'm gonna run with it anyway. Besides, nobody seems to really understand seawater chemistry. ( A little rationalization's good for the soul. )
<Till it becomes too self-delusory... e.g., witness "U.S. Defense"... nothing defensive about traveling halfway around the world, murdering other countries' citizens... in the "cause" of "peace". Murder begets murder>
So here's what I tried. I added about 1/4 tsp of Sodium Bicarbonate to the water (12 gals), not the tank, just the premixed. Then measured it up again. dKH = 12, Ca more or less the same but I expect it will drop some, and the pH was unchanged.
<We'll see>
Now, I saw that NaHCO3 is generally not advised because it can radically increase the pH, but here it's just a bit of a tweak with no appreciable increase in pH. Do you think it's ok to continue down this road or am I just asking for trouble?
<There are better approaches... and likely none worth really pursuing, given your set-up, stock, intentions... Myself? I'd simply change salt brands, perhaps mix with mostly R.O. water if you make it at home>
I suppose RO/DI is an option
<Oh! Yes>
but at 25c a box. Bicarbonate sure is attractive.
<Am an old timey advocate>
I plan to test it again before I change the water, and have an unadulterated barrel of water in the wings in case its radically off.
Darryl
<Real good. BobF>

pH issue and Alk/calcium, just natural reductive events, lack of reading  – 4/17/09
Hello again!!
<Howdy>
Last time I had inquired about some off the reading test numbers, and you were correct...the testing reagent was bad. The company replaced it.
Now my PH is dropping...I do not understand why.
<Mmm, happens>
This is a new tank with about 320 gallons of water in 4 tanks.
My ph had been about 8.0 for the 1st month. 2 weeks ago it climbed to 8.2...now it is down to 7.8
2 weeks ago the calcium was reading around 350+
Now my calcium has dropped. I thought my KH may have changed. With 2 different test kits I come up with 9 to 9.5 dKH on both.
Calcium is now 280
<A bit low for systems housing biomineralizing life>
FOWLR Tanks with Berlin style sump
SG is 1.025
Phosphates have dropped to 0.35ppm {I know still high you wanted me to get it under 0.3 at least, but this is still lower than my water source...will have a RO set up soon to fix that}
<Good>
Nitrates are reading 0 {first time ever!!}
Temp has risen the past couple days...79.5 F
Haven't really been feeding much but Skimmer is pulling out loads of stuff.
Maybe 3 cups this week.
The red slime is slowly going away, diatoms are growing crazy, hair algae shows growth, Caulerpa in sump is growing slowly {I think it is the lighting} My aiptasia are bigger than ever. Even my coralline looks brighter in color.
<I'd ditch the Caulerpa... replace with other algae... See WWM re>
So I am confused as to what is going on. Some of the algae/bacteria are giving me conflicting signs aren't they?
<Mmm, no>
The fish are active and hungry....that lot of poor ghost shrimp are gone!
Thanks
Wes and Tracy
<Uhh... what you're observing... a loss of alkalinity and alkaline earth materials is "par for the pet fish course"... Captive systems are almost always overly reductive... lose pH, Calcium et al. over time... hence water changes, careful feeding, skimming, aeration, possibly the use of Ozone...
countervailing strategies to slow down this process... Read here: Actually, am at an airport and WWM is loading too slowly. Please, learn to/use the search tool, indices on WWM before writing us... For your answers and much more, take a short/long read re marine pH, alkalinity, Calcium. Maybe peruse here to start:
http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/maintenance/maintindex.htm
Bob Fenner>

Water Chemistry: KH, Ca and Water Changes 4/11/2009
Good morning.
<Hello!>
I have a question or two about a few of the areas of reef keeping I don't fully understand.
<You've come to the right place.>
I have become a member of several forums and read quite a bit about the hobby but a few things I just don't fully get the actual relation or terminology of...mostly "good flow" and KH...however I do know what KH is....so I guess that's a start :-) I have a 20 gallon long tank with 22lbs of LR with 2 false Percs, a watchman goby and his pistol shrimp buddy as well as a cleaner shrimp a few snails and a few hermits. substrate is Aragonite sand. Lighting is 2x65W PC.
<With you so far.>
My tank is running at about 410 Ca and a dKH of 8, pH of 8.3...this is constant from after a WC to testing before the WC.
<Excellent - a nice stable system.>
I have SG at 1.025. I have mushrooms, pulsing Xenia, zoos, a leather coral and 2 LPS; a Torch Coral and a candy cane coral. Like I said, very constant but from what I have been reading lately is that LPS do better with higher Ca and dKH closer to 12.
<If you are really trying to push growth, otherwise, if everything is healthy and growing, consistency and stability is key.>
Chemistry has never been my strong point so I shudder to add anything to alter either of these readings
outside of WCs weekly, but I don't know if the people that have written this info have A: a lot more of a Ca using load and the higher KH helps maintain the Ca between WCs or B: a constant higher KH is advised for the health of these LPS species. Should I mess with my dKH or calcium or be happy that I am keeping them consistent?
<You can read/learn more here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/calcalkmar.htm
That said, I would be happy with nice consistent readings like this.>
The second question I have is about flow. I see that "good flow" is needed in a reef tank...what I don't know is the relationship between GPH and circulation or what defines good flow without causing too
much movement on the mushrooms for example. I think you can have gargantuan GPH and have terrible circulation as well I think moderate GPH with diverted circulation is possible...I have a shallow tank so
some HOB filters with high GPH can cause problems with my sand. What I currently have is a modded Aquaclear 70 Aquaclear refugium using a mini impeller at 100gph, a SeaClone skimmer with the Maxijet 1200,
<Do invest in a better skimmer.>
a HOB whisper at 200GPH that I run a Polyfilter in and a Aquaclear powerhead 201 cranked down a bit for diagonal additional circulation....is this adequate? How do I know? I don't find debris on my rocks or corals, but I am not sure if I have enough...I see many pics of nano systems running a huge Koralia in either corner and their corals looking like dogs with their head out of a car window,
<Heheheh... a good analogy>
but that seems to be too much for anything "soft". Any help would be greatly appreciated.
<You can read a ton of information starting here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/circmarart.htm But again, if everything in your system is growing and healthy, I wouldn't worry too much.>
<Mike>

KH, Ca, Po4, Grr, No3, SG, Grr, algae.... Nutrient Control/Understanding Calcium And Alkalinity 3/20/09 Howdy, <Hello William and Pegine, Mmm, unusual name.> I certainly hope you can help us. I know you have helped countless others. <Is what we do my friend.> We have a 29g aquarium that had been setup for almost a year before we moved it. It was doing pretty well except for the snails that ate my Zoanthus and we started to have some BGA when the Metal Halide went bad. We never got rid of the BGA. We moved the tank to a new dedicated fish room for this 29g and one of the Cardiff tanks, we call it a bullet tank. We have visions of a 180g in the years to come, but only if we can overcome our current nightmare. <Perseverance always wins.> Tank Details: 29g Tank (Not the bio cube) Tunze Nano Reef Pack Tunze 6055 Nano Stream cranked up all the way and pulsing Tunze 6025 Nano Stream Viper 70 MH light. We put a new bulb in back in December. 25lbs live rock Clover Coral (Clavularia) Frog Spawn Christmas Tree Rock My remaining Zoanthus. Cocoa Worm (very happy) Oyster 2 birds nest frags 1 Montipora frag Mushrooms of some sort Cleaner Shrimp Serpent Star Pistol Shrimp and paired Yellow Watchman Goby Cherub Pygmy Angel <Tank a little small for the angel.> Snails The nightmare began on 2/21/09, we finally moved the tank to the fish room... <Mmm, do you live on Elm street perhaps?> We started by making sure we had plenty of mixed saltwater waiting in the wings (Tropic Marin) and lots of buckets and coolers for temporary holding. We got some new substrate rinsed and ready. <Well thought out here.> 1: Took the old stuff out and preserved about 1/2 the water 2: Mixed the old substrate with the new and added it. (Bad idea given the previous issue with BGA) The sand bed is about 3" now <Yes it is, you are inoculating with BGA.> 3: Added Water, LR, Corals, etc. 4: Tinkered with it about a week getting the flow right and doing some minor adjustments. All the while siphoning off the algae, Grr. 5: After 2 weeks we figured we were ok and added the Angel and Goby. (We were monitoring pH, NO3. Not to concerned about NO3 yet, it was under 10. 6: At 4 weeks we are still in a mess.. The mess --- our nitrates will not drop below 10 and we can't get rid of the algae. I'm doing 5g water changes twice a week (Tropic Marin, trying Tunze now). It should be better, but it ain't. Also our KH won't go over 7.5 <Still a reasonably good dKH. You do mean dKH hopefully, as the KH reading would have to be divided by 17.9 to convert to dKH.> despite adding buffer as needed (about twice a week lately). Hmm, we need to do more testing. We have been monitoring SG, Temp, KH, pH, Phos, No3, Calc for the past two weeks and added a Mg test this week. Test Data from tonight, 3/19 Temp 78.5, SG 1.027, KH 7.5, PH 8.1, No3 10, Calc 250, Mg 1400. -pH is very consistent 8.1 to 8.3(Elos, I can't quite tell the different colors) -KH Tetra Test, consistently 6.5 to 7.5 -Phos, haven't tested it much, but we have algae so we have phosphate. <And excessive nutrients, the later likely the culprit.> Our one test showed .1 (Sera). It is worthless I cannot tell the difference between light blue and lighter blue. <Likely at the residual of the kit. Phosphates generally are consumed as soon as available.> - Nitrate, Elos test, Started at 5 the first week and is 10+ now. (I know not good) <But not terribly bad either.> - Calc, this is where it gets fun. Started at 280, with some buffer <Buffer, or calcium supplement?> got it up to 330. Changed to Tunze and it was briefly at 400 (a day at most), but back to 350 now. We have not had to use any calc buffer since the move to Tunze salt. -Mg, With all the fun we figured our Mg must be low! Nope, it is 1400 <Is a major element of sea water and needs to be maintained at 1250-1300> I also siphon off as much algae as possible with a turkey baster, usually nightly. <I would siphon out the affected substrate during this process, will help lower the spread.> How do I get rid of the algae, why won't my KH go above 7.5, <Because of the acids present in your tank, excess nutrients.> why can't my calcium sustain anything greater than 350ish, and how the heck does magnesium play into this picture. <Magnesium and calcium go hand in hand. Magnesium helps calcium loving animals absorb the calcium providing the magnesium levels are maintained at natural sea water levels.> BTW our Birds Nest has grown like wildfire. The Montipora stays a bit white, but it is also growing. <May be bleaching, may not have enough light for this coral.> I have attached some pix. I removed some of the glare from the substrate on the full tank shot so the algae looks a little grey but I wanted to show how wide spread the coverage is. My other pix show the true color. I have additional photos that chronicle the tank after the move at http://william1034.smugmug.com/gallery/7666021_oTrER/1/494885929_rGurH <Have looked, appears you have a good coralline growth, a good sign as far as your calcium/magnesium levels. Have you compared your Ca reading with another kit or had a dealer test? I suggest you read the following links and related articles/FAQ's, will lead you to the promised land. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bluegralgae.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nutrientcontrol.htm http://www.wetwebmedia.com/calcalkmar.htm> Humbly, <No need to be humble. As the song goes, "it's hard to be humble, when you're perfect in every way". James (Salty Dog)> William and Pegine P.S. Our bullet tank is rocking. We have all sorts of critters, amphipods, copepods, while the tank mentioned above seems to be almost devoid of them. <You also have animals in the tank mentioned above that are munching on them.>

Re Nutrient Control/Understanding Calcium And Alkalinity 3/20/09 If my last email wasn't long enough, here is some more information. I completely forgot to mention what we feed the tank. We are working very diligently to not overfeed the tank, and keep the fish alive. We do 1/2 capful of DTs 3 times a week. <Supposedly live phyto, shouldn't be a problem.> A small, very small, pinch of Daphnia every night. I make sure the goby and pistol get some by target feeding, the rest just goes in the tank. We also cut a krill into thirds and feed the Nassarius, we call them zombies, serpent star and the cleaner shrimp. <Do not think the latter is necessary, I've never fed my clean-up crew. I'm kind of a clean-up crew in my home, my wife states that there has never been a bottle of beer that has spent the night here:). James (Salty Dog)> William

Re: Tank upgrade, snowflake injury from escape
Tank upgrade, snowflake injury from escape, now Calcium, alkalinity - 11/18/2008 11/24/08
Thanks for your quick response!
<Welcome!>
Just an update, the eel is doing fantastic! He seems much happier, swimming around with ease and exploring to find a new cave to make his home.
<Okay, sounds good. I hope the tank is eel-roof now.>
I would like to start adding corals in the next few months, however I would like to get my calcium and alkalinity levels stable first, and am having trouble doing that. Here are my current levels:
PH: 8.0
specific gravity: 1.26
Nitrates: 10 (am trying to reduce, already dropped from 15)
Nitrites: 0
Ammonia: 0 (have reduced from 0.25)
Phosphorus: 1.0 (am making a trip today to get phosphate balls to help this)
Alkalinity: 12 dKH
Calcium: 350
I have read that an ideal calcium level is around 400, is that correct?
<Yes.>
Also, what is the best way to decrease the alkalinity?
<Simply do not add anything, which might increase it. Alkalinity will be used up by microscopic (and macroscopic) life in your still very young system. 12 dKH is not that bad, just do not let it raise much higher. If you want to increase Ca, use organic Calcium (Calcium gluconate), often sold as a liquid. See http://www.wetwebmedia.com/calcalkmar.htm. Alternatively, simple water changes can help if the mixed water has the desirable parameters (if it does not, use a different salt) and will also help to drop Phosphate and Nitrate concentrations. Kalkwasser would be a third option, but due to your high alkalinity it may result in precipitation, cloudy water or/and CaCO3 crusts on the heater.>
I have Kalkwasser but am having problems with it. It says on the label to mix it and let it sit for a few hours until it forms layers, and to use the second layer from the top. Well, I have mixed 1 teaspoon with a half gallon RO/DI water, but no layers are forming even after 12 hours. What am I doing wrong? Was there not enough Kalkwasser mixed in?
<You could have used your mixture, it likely just had a smaller concentration of Calcium hydroxide. Kalkwasser is the mixed product. Calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) powder + RO/DI water. If you do not see any sediment, you can add a little more of the powder. The clear liquid on top of the sediment is your Kalkwasser, which can be added to a tank. Also, watch your pH if using Kalkwasser.>
Thanks in advance for you advise! ~Michelle
<Welcome. Marco.>

Calcium and buffer additives 11/16/08
Hello Bob, Antony and crew!
It has been a long time since my last email. Thanks to your advices I started a reef  4 years ago and it is going quite well.
<Great>
There are always problems which I deal with, this is of course the challenge of our hobby. I have done a lot of reading through your pages about the matter of calcium and alkalinity, and now I have the following question: I have been using for a long time the KENT Turbo Calcium and the KENT Superbuffer dKH and kept the Calcium to 400-430 and the alkalinity to 8-11dKH. I measure the PH with electronic PH meter and the Alkalinity and Calcium and Magnesium with Salifert test kits. I also added Reef Advantage Magnesium for keeping the Magnesium at 1250. Lately I visited a chemical store and bought the following: Calcium Chloride (dry), Baking soda and Magnesium Sulfate. I now use the Calcium Chloride for two weeks but I can not get the Calcium more than 400 ppm. I know of coarse that 400 is not bad at all.
Now I am starting using the baking soda and check how it impacts my alkalinity. I have not used the Magnesium Sulfate yet, but I read that Magnesium Chloride would be better, because it does not add any sulfate
<Well, Magnesium chloride adds chloride, so... unless you can find Magnesium gluconate, you're stuck with one of these. You could also use Epson salt. Please see here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mgmarfaqs.htm>
to the tank. Is this true? Do you think this new way of adding supplements is going to work if I use it with careful measuring and find the right dosages?
<I don't see why not... so long as you keep careful track of everything.
Personally, I've never used much of the "fancy" stuff. You can achieve and maintain all desired levels of Ca, alkalinity, etc. with just Kalkwasser, baking soda and Epsom salt. When I've needed a more targeted Mg supplement, I've used ESV MgCl and more recently, DT's MgCl (which are both relatively cheap).>
I also cannot get the PH more than 8.2. At night it is 7.9 and at daytime max 8.2. Do you think I should use Kalkwasser (slurry method) in addition to Calcium Chloride or use it alone?
<This pH level and cycle is actually fine... good even. If you really want to raise it, you should try getting more aeration into the system.>
If yes, can I also buy it fro the chemical store (Calcium Hydroxide?).
<Calcium hydroxide? My friend, Calcium hydroxide is the same as Kalkwasser.>
Thanks and best regards from Greece
Thanasis Papavasileiou
<Best,
Sara M.>

Calcium vs. Alkalinity – 12/11/07
Greetings you wonderful folks,
<<Why...howdy!>>
I apologize if I have overlooked previously discussed similar issues.
<<No worries>>
I couldn't find a match in the postings.
<<Does happen...how can I be of service?>>
I have a 100g reef with several softies and only a handful of fish, crabs, starfish, snails, anemones,
<<Not compatible...>>
and one “Acropora” I was told.
<<Okay>>
My question is regarding alkalinity. I have tested the tank water with results of Ca 400 using Hach test kit. My Alkalinity shows 6.5dKH using Salifert kit.
<<Mmm...Alkalinity is low...as I’m sure you are aware>>
For some reason this sounds odd considering 1) most of the postings on your site seem to have issue with the reverse higher Alk vs. lower Ca levels;
<<Hmmm...likely just coincidence, or maybe the possibility most hobbyists find it easier to “over-dose” Alkaline boosters. Your case is not an abnormality in the sense that the balance of bio-minerals/Earth-elements can’t be skewed in either direction...they certainly can>>
2) I haven't supplemented Ca for some time now.
<<Your tank probably doesn’t have a high “demand” for such and you are “keeping up” with partial water changes>>
I will now check tap/RO source for Ca levels as per readings on your web site.
<<If you are using RO, I would expect this reading to be low>>
My primary question is first of all, is this real/possible scenario?
<<Certainly... Check a batch of fresh saltwater...is possible your salt-mix is high in Calcium yet low in Alkaline elements, thus creating the imbalance>>
Second, if this is possible (higher Ca w/ lower Alk), is there a way to increase Alk without increasing Ca?
<<Indeed... You can try Seachem’s Reef Builder or Reef Buffer (depending on whether you need/want to impact pH)>>
Is my Ca/Alk level dangerous?
<<Not for the short term, but do try to boost your Alkalinity to about 8-9 dKH for optimal health (while keeping your Ca at/around that 400ppm mark)>>
Thanks for all your wonderful effort and gracious sharing of your wealth of knowledge, many times over. Great, great site.
Wes Jones
Southern CA
<<We’re happy to assist. Eric Russell, Central SC>>

Re: 2 part solution: getting in balance... reading ref. for a more complete understanding  – 10/18/07
Hey thanks a lot for the help. Sorry to bother with more stupid questions. I have Kent tech cb 2 part solution. Solution A is clear and solution B has powder which collects at the bottom. Is solution A the calcium?
<See Kent's website...>
Also, what do I do when I reach my target calcium and Alk levels in my main tank. Do I stop adding daily and maybe just once a week? As far as buffering my make-up and water change water do I just keep adding 1 solution (test) then the other solution (test) and keep doing this until I have reached target level. On another note, to clarify, you can add more of one solution than another as desired? Many thanks!
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/calcalkmar.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

My Tanks Calcium and Alkalinity Requirements    9/9/07
My current system has 250 litres of water in the display tank and 100 litres in the sump. I have 10 cm crushed marble 1 – 2 mm sand bed (so this supplies no calcium or alkalinity). I have the following corals
One 8 cm open brain coral
One 8 cm folded brain coral
One 6 cm torch coral
One 12 cm bubble coral
One 10 cm mushroom coral
One 6 cm pineapple coral
One 10 cm frogspawn coral
There very little coralline algae and the tank which is over one year old.
There is one cleaner shrimp, two clown fish, one damsel and one Chromis, none of the fish exceed 5 cm.
I use updated Salifert test kits for all my measurements.
pH 8.3, Calcium 350 and alkalinity 3.5 – 4. Magnesium 1300, NH4 = 0, NO2 = 0 NO3 = 2 ppm
My tank has an open top, and a large area sump, temperature is 27 degrees C. so I have 6 litres of evaporation each day. I add 2 litres three times a day, but slowly (over two minutes) poring this into the tank next to a TUNZE Turbelle 8000 litre/hour pump so water and supplement additions are circulated quickly.
Each morning I add two teaspoon (10 ml.s) of baking soda, and in the evening one teaspoon of CaOH in each two litre container of water (so two teaspoon per day total). I let the water stand for ten minutes, and poor this in and toss out any non dissolved CaOH that settles in the bottom of the jug. This is a saturated solution. The pH before I add the CaOH is 8.3, and 20 – 30 minutes later in may go as high as 8.5 (or less) and this is back to 8.3 about 45 minutes later. This would help in precipitating out PO4. This should add 12 mg/L of calcium per day.
<Okay...>
The web site http://www.advancedaquarist.com has extensive information on this topic even during my transient pH spite there should not be excessive non biologic precipitation of Calcium carbonate (i.e. your substrate turns into concrete)
Non biologic ppt of calcium when
Ca = 410
Alk = 4.2
pH = 8.45
I surface gravel vacuum the substrate about three times a week, and it has not turned into a slab of concrete, though some of what I vacuum up looks like white suspended powder.
Even this level of calcium addition is not enough to meet demand and I have to add liquid calcium Salifert Coral Calcium, about 100 ml.s a week just to maintain my current level of 350. This is more than the container states if used as a sole source of calcium alone. Not adding any calcium at all to my tank causes the calcium level to drop about 10 mg/L per day. The bottle states though that average aquarium depletes 5-8 mg of calcium per liter, each week.
Anthony Calfo has stated that the addition of CaOH using a slurry method (I don’t need to slurry this as I have so much water to replace each day) should meet the demands of most 100 gallon aquariums.
<... am not a fan. Too easy for alkalinity to get out of ratio...>
I was thinking that adding a TUNZE Comline calcium reactor to supplement, my current calcium requirements (I may be able to do away with the baking soda, and use much less Kalkwasser)
<An excellent idea>
I talked to the LFS that has a several hundred gallon tank with a heavy coral load in it, and they don’t seem to be adding the amount of calcium I do. They do not even use a calcium reactor, just supplements.
<Can be done, yes>
Something is very wrong here. All I can think of is that the pH spike may be a lot higher than the test kit is stating, and I am precipitating this out more than I realize. However the colors are easy to read, and it never goes as high as 8.6
<Mmm, doubtful... given the amounts of material you list>
Can you get back to me with your suggestions?
All the Best
Mike Lomb
<Much, actually too much to state here... I would read a bit more: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/calcalkmar.htm
and the linked files above, and set upon one course of supplementation... Either the careful use of a two-part commercial system for biomineral (alkaline earths) and alkalinity OR the calcium reactor... Bob Fenner>

Ca/ Alk Questions  7/31/07
Hey guys!
I just started testing a few new parameters in my tanks and got some interesting results... these results span 2 tanks, so I'll keep them separate.
Tank 1:
A smaller tank with only a clam as any sort of carbonate demand. I checked the alkalinity today, and it's 300 KH! I was very surprised, as I thought the clam would have sucked up most of the available carbonate.
<... Mmmm>
I haven't done a water change in about 2 months (ouch) because I had tested the water I was buying to change water with and it had more than detectable levels of nitrate, near 15 ppm.
<... and how much Calcium, Magnesium, alkaline reserve?>
I also checked the PO4 levels in the tank and found them at zero, despite the obscene levels of WONDERFUL grape Caulerpa and hair algae.
<This may be taking up the biomineral (Calcium mostly) and leaving the carbonate, bicarb., behind>
I sent
a pic of this a while ago. I suspect this is because the available PO4 was already fixed in the algae themselves and free PO4 was being taken up?
<Quite likely, yes>
I plan to start algae-picking soon and using phosphate remover to absorb PO4 as it releases from dying algae. Is this a good course of action?
<Mmm, likely regular harvesting of the macro-algae will "do it" here>
Tank 2:
This tank has a pretty low calcium demand, being a small chunk of Favia, some Caulastrea and a Trachyphyllia. However, I tested the calcium and it was 480 ppm! Is this because of the slow-growing nature of the corals, or maybe because something is stunting the growth of the corals (maybe they need more spot feeding?).
<... What re the initial make-up of the system, maintenance, source water?>
There's one question that pertains to both... I've heard rumblings on various reef boards that keeping Ca and Alk high can help other undesirable algaes from reigning over your tank by ,presumably, increasing coralline algae growth. But as it is said, "The plural of anecdote is not data,"
<Interesante>
so I thought I'd bounce that one off you guys.
<Do agree with the idiomatic expression, though not re the general issue of algal predisposition>
Now tank 2 has some hair algae, but it also has a diversity of other algae... many types of Valonia, calcareous greens (in film form), some reds in small quantities, a little Sawblade Caulerpa (Ugg), a veritable slew of Neomeris, some maybe-Tydemania, and a respectable quantity of the venerable coralline, although more on the walls than the rocks...I'd love to get rid of the hair algae, but I guess you can't be completely rid of the stuff!
<Mmm, don't agree>
By contrast, Tank 1 has a very homogenous algal population... grape Caulerpa and prodigious amounts of hair algae---no coralline, as none was on the live rock!
I suspect that the lack of nutrient competition and coralline in Tank 1 has let undesirable algae take root, and quite firmly!
<We concur here>
Every time I try to pull of algae, it gets better, but it always comes back... and seemingly tougher! I plan on letting loose some turbo snails on tank 1 after a thorough picking and add some phosphate remover, coupled with regular water changes with less nitrate-laden water... if such does not avail, I plan on breaking down the tank and starting a mantis species tank with better quality live rock. Is there any other course of action that you can think of here?
<Reading>
Thanks so much for reading my long rant...the questions are liberally sprinkled throughout.
<Here: http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/maintenance/index.htm
Scroll down... take your time... good notes... Send along data, further questions... BobF>

Need Help - Very High Alkalinity and Very Low Calcium, using WWM  - 7/23/07
Dear Crew,
I have a 90G Reef Tank. I have couple of problems. 6 months ago I had lot of algae problem and I had to take out all of my live rock and rinse with vinegar and dry it SUN for a day (made them as dead rock) and place it back on my tank.
<?... no>
since then I have done several water changes. I had lot of Coralline Algae in by tank which should have been sufficient to spread to my live dead) rock in the last months. But my rocks have not turned purple again yet.
<There are a few factors...>
Only very few places are purple and red even though it has been 6 months since that exercise. All of my tank glass has got coralline algae. But not the rocks.
My dosing chart as below
B-Ionic two part 30ml every day.
10ML Reef Iodide - every other day
For my top-off water I add PH buffer.
Last week I upgraded my lights to T5 lights from VHO.
I had 440W VHO earlier and switched to 312W T5 (6x 52W) Retrofit kit.
My tank parameters are as below.
Phosphate - 0
Nitrate/Nitrite - 0
Ammonia - 0
PH - 7.8
<... low>
Alkalinity - 16.5
<What units? High>
Calcium - 150
<Way too low...>
Two problems
1) VERY High Alkalinity - 16.5
2) Very Low Calcium - 150
Probably low calcium is what preventing the coralline algae growth ?
<Likely at least these>
How to bring down the Alkalinity.
<Read>
Please advise.
<Please read: http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/maintenance/index.htm>
Thank you so much for your help.
Regards,
Suresh
<RMF>

Calcium and Alkalinity question for newbie!  – 07/19/07
Hello everyone at WWM.
I'm a newbie-1 year into the marine hobby after many years of freshwater fish. I still have a 180g Clown loach and rainbowfish tank.:)
<nice>
I am fairly new to marine aquaria and am a bit confused and after searching all over your website, I can't seem to find what I am looking for being there is so much info to sift through. I have spent many hrs here. So I have a few questions for you if you have the time. I have picked up A LOT of great help in general looking here as well. Thanks for that!
Here is the history of my tank before I throw out the big question(s). :)
My tank is a 4 1/2 month old 55g (set up as the GARF 's bulletproof system on March 3rd) I have seen a lot of differing opinions regarding their info on setting up a reef, but it has seemed to work out well for me. Nothing has gone wrong and it made this pretty easy in setting up. I began dosing my tank as they suggested, but I began to think that this was "a lot" so I stopped.
Also, I previously had a 12g nano reef for about a year that has been upgraded to this 55g.
My param.s are:
*Salinity 1.025* -just a bit higher than this
*Ca+* is testing at *580ppm* -WOW! high, I know. This is where one of my questions lies. ;)
*KH* is testing at *110 mg/L (6.14 dKH)* a bit low here. This is the 2nd part of my question. ;)
*PO4 *is between 0 and* 0.25*
*Nitrate* is *20ppm* (I feed my tank very well!) Hoping water changes brings this down soon.
<Yikes. It's good to feed your tank well, but if this doesn't come done soon you'll have to consider less feeding or using more filtration.>
Nitrite 0
*Ammonia 0* I think. It is a test strip and difficult to be sure here.
<Most test strips are inferior testing tools. I encourage you to get a more conventional test kit.>
*Temp 83**
So my tank is a 55g DSB with plenum (Seaflor special Grade Reef Sand -LIVE sand) and GARF grunge.
CPR large hang on refugium with Chaetomorpha growing out of control and lots of good bugs! :)
<cool>
I have about 20 lbs of live rock that came from my nano and another 70 lbs of base rock that is now thriving with life. As well as the live sand that came from my nano. Maybe 25 lbs or so.
My livestock is:
**2 Ocellaris clowns* (one from the nano) and a **Mandarin* that came from here as well. I got VERY lucky with him as he eats Ocean Nutrition formulas 1 and 2 as well as the live bugs. (Info I found out after I bought him, that he may starve to death.)
<If he's eating Ocean Nutrition you are really lucky! Sometimes it's difficult to even get them to eat supplemented live food.>
But he is fat and happy! I research everything now before I buy!
<good>
**2 blue damsels* (tried to catch them, but they are too smart for me. They have actually not bothered anyone else and hope they stay this way)
**3 Chromis*
**3 Chalk Basslets*
and *1 very happy little rock-grazing *Coral Beauty*.
There are various hermits and snails (maybe 25-30 total) and 1 Astrea snail.
I have 2 Maxijet 1200's, a PowerSweep, and a Emperor 400 set up for the carbon filtration.
There is a lot of flow, but still not enough to keep debris from settling on the rocks and behind them as well.
<More flow wouldn't hurt. However, short of putting a fire hose in your tank, nothing will completely prevent debris from collecting anywhere at any time.>
It seems that if I add any more, my fish won't be able to swim.
<Actually, you'd be surprised what reef fish can swim in.>
I was checking into adding 2 of the Hydor Koralia Water Circulation Pumps to my system. Do you have any input regarding these?
<I've never had these specific pumps myself, but Hydor as a brand has never disappointed me.>
and my lighting is the Nova Extreme T-5 Fixtures w/Lunar Lights. They are on day/night timers and my refugium is off set with the lighting and it comes on at night (hence, the overgrowing Chaeto).
For my reef I have a rock of *blue/purple mushrooms*, a rock full of *orange mushrooms*, a few various *striped green mushrooms* and *green Rhodactis mushrooms* from my nano that are all multiplying rather quickly, various *Zoanthid/Paly frags* ( 11 types ), a small colony of *green star polyps*, a tiny colony of *pink star polyps*, a small colony of *RPE's* "red people eaters" and a *green toadstool mushroom,* about 3-4" when fully expanded and plumped* *up and which is thriving as well. I bought this for my clowns which still haven't hosted in it. They seem to like the heater more. ;)
There is definite coral fragging happening in my future. ( I am patiently waiting for the new release of Anthony Calfo's book of Coral Propagation as I can't find a copy anywhere. Sigh! ) I have another 55 cycling especially for this. ;)
I also have a RODI unit I use for my water. I do not have a skimmer yet, but am thinking about your suggestions of the Aqua C Remora very soon.
<Remoras are awesome. I'd strongly encourage you to get one. This will likely help with your nitrate issues too.>
So, now that you have a history of my set-up, my main question is regarding my Alk and Calcium readings. My Alk is testing a bit low and ca is reading high.
<This is a very common situation. Think of alkalinity and calcium as being on opposite ends of a teeter totter. When one goes up the other goes down and vice versa.>
My calcium began testing high a few weeks ago, so I stopped adding any ca to the tank. I had been adding coral vital/purple up alternating and adding about 2-3x/week in the hopes of coralline growth.
<You don't need these products. I suggest you stop dosing them. If not forever, then at least until you can correct your water chemistry.>
My Ph just recently has stabilized to 8.3-8.5 during the day after adding a
Sea Chem reef buffer and reef builder. It was hanging around the 8.0 mark.
BTW. When is a new tank, not considered "new" and finished stabilizing?
<It depends on who you ask. But generally, reef tanks are considered "new" if they're less than a year old.>
After searching all over your site, I did see some others who had questions about bad test kits. I am thinking that this is a possibility for my calcium test. All I have done over the past 2 weeks or so is water changes (5g weekly) and slowly adjust the pH. So, is there any reason that my Ca level should be testing so high?
<580ppm is a pretty outrageous calcium reading. There *might* be something wrong with your test kit. You should probably try a different brand of test kit (Salifert is good) to get a "second opinion.">
I am confused about why it is high and what I should do to lower this level and raise my Alk.
<Assuming your calcium is too high >450ppm, then you can lower this by raising the Alk with baking soda or washing soda. Mix up a teaspoon in some RO/DI water and add it to the tank. Do this daily until your Alk is where it should be.>
Are calcium and Alk additives supposed to be added to the tank together or can they be added separately?
<When something isn't right, you should add them separately. This gives you more control and better awareness of what you're actually doing/adding.>
In other words, can I adjust the Alk without adding/adjusting Ca?
<Assuming your calcium is >450ppm, then yes... and this is what you should do. However, you should keep measuring your calcium after every teaspoon of baking soda or washing soda you add to make sure you're not causing your calcium to plummet too far.>
I have noticed that my coralline growth has slowed, if not stopped, and it looks as if some is receding and fading away. How could this be if my Ca readings are high?
<Coralline needs more than calcium. If your alkalinity is too low, this might be why the growth as slowed.>
Bad test kit?
<Possibly>
Also, shouldn't my corals be using this Ca for growth? All my softy's are doing very well, and none seem to be lacking anywhere.
<Soft corals need less calcium.>
I have Nutrafin Ca+ test kit that expires in 09), What do you recommend I try next?
<Try Salifert.>
I also recently saw on your pages of valuable info, that make-up water and replacement water is supposed to be aerated, then buffered, then add salt and add to the tank 24 hrs later. (I believe this is what I saw) This is the first I have seen of this. I have been aerating my RODI make-up water for only an hour or so before adding to my tank. (both salt and top-off) I haven't had anyone react badly to this. I am glad I found this out.
Thanks! Could you tell me why this is needed as I didn't see it on your site?
<Different aquarists strive for different levels of prudence. We tell you what is ideal (i.e. what we believe to be the best way to do things). But many aquarist do things their own way. Aerating the water helps with pH and oxygen levels. Circulating the water for 24 hours helps make sure the salt is completely dissolved. Buffering helps keep the water chemistry stable. Will your tank suddenly crash if you don't always do exactly as we tell you to? Mmm... probably not.>
Also, I still am getting diatom algae on my glass (daily glass cleaning) and on the surface of my sand.
<Relax, your tank is still new. Adding a protein skimmer should help a lot.>
I stir the top of the sand a couple times a week as well. I don't want to vacuum the sand as I don't want to suck up any little bugs that my Mandarin eats. Is this enough in keeping the sand clean? I am going to add about 20 Nassarius snails as I only have 2 at the current moment. Is this okay to do?
<20 is way too many! Try adding five.>
Any other suggestions are very welcomed and I am sorry for all this information and I hope I didn't confuse you with my questions.
<No problem, I hope this helps.>
Thanks so much, again.
Jody
<De nada,
Sara M.>

Cal/Alk help – 06/04/07
Hello Crew
<Wayne>
I've read your Cal/Alk pages, and I have to say I'm a little overwhelmed. So much info, and on top of that, chemistry is definitely not one of my strengths. So. I'm trying, and could use your help.
First...my system
210g been running for 6 months now (upgraded from 120 that was running for 1year), 55 gal Sump/Ref, AquaC EV240, Aquamedic Oceanlight T5/MH combo (3x250w, 4x39w T5), 230# of LR
Livestock
9" Volitans Lion
1" Yellowtail Damsel
4" Emperor Angel
5" Harlequin Tusk
4" Sohal Tang
<Do keep your eye on this alpha fish... there may be issues with the Emperor, other fishes going forward>
3 - Colt Corals (Fragged)
2 - Devils Hand Leathers (Fragged)
1 - Large Zoa colony
1 - Open Brain Coral - Had him for 2 weeks. I've been trying to feed finely minced frozen meats. Won't eat, and haven't seen tentacles yet.
<... Please see WWM re...>
Auto Top off with RODI water, and 30 gal water changes/gravel vacuuming are done weekly with RODI water that's buffered with SeaChem's Reef Buffer. I use Instant Ocean Salt mix.
I dose Iron every week to help my Chaeto grow.
<Mmm, don't do this w/o testing for...>
I have not been successful. The Chaeto has not grown for over a year (when I had my 120 also). I've tried new Chaeto, increasing water flow, using different lighting, alternating light cycles... just not growing.
<Something/s amiss here...>
Besides the Chaeto and Open Brain, all is well. Surprisingly, algae in my tank is not all that bad. Maybe it's the weekly water changes?... ok let me get to my point.
<Okay>
I want to add 3-4 more corals Frogspawn or Torch coral, Montipora, and Acropora. After that...I'd like to think I'm done! ;-)
To get ready for these new additions, I'm starting to think about Cal/Alk additives. I just tested my Calcium 340 mg/l.
I used SeaChem's Alk test kit which leads me to my first question. The test kit says that 1 drop = .5 meg/l followed by "The number of drops to get to yellow divided by 2 is the total alkalinity." My test took 6 drops. Is my Meq/l, 3.0?
<This>
or 1.5? The reason I'm questioning this is that I also tested the reference water (which is supposed to read 4 mEq/l) that came with the kit. This took 9 drops.
<About right>
Following their instructions that would equal a little over 2 mEq/l. If I follow the 1 drop = .5 mEq/l method, than the reference sample is closer to what it's supposed to be 4.5 mEq/l. Any experience with this test kit?
<I think you're dividing by 2 twice here>
So.. with a Cal reading of 340, and my Alk reading is 3.0, I'm assuming I don't have to add Alk/cal supplements now.
<Mmmm>
But should I add now, knowing that over the next few months, I'll be adding more coral? If my Alk reading is 1.5 mEq/l, than I think I need to add something. Are my assumptions correct?
<I would be reading, looking about for means of boosting both alkaline reserve AND biomineral concentration here>
If I do have to add, I plan on adding B Ionic 2 part additive. If I start adding B Ionic, Should I stop using the Seachem Reef Buffer for my top-off, and "water change" water?
<Mmm... no, not necessarily... I WOULD buffer the new water ahead of use...>
I read that B Ionic shouldn't be used in mixing tanks. If that's the case, what should I buffer with?
<You could use this product alone (the two parts) w/ or w/o the SeaChem line... or use just the latter's products... but they are miscible>
What other supplements should I add considering my wish list of corals? Iodine, Strontium, Magnesium?
<Mmmm, you should READ re these... I suggest a good book... the Net is hard (well, at least for me) to follow re such expansive topics... better to have ideas, concepts, principles laid out systematically, completely... See Baensch's, Fossa and Nilsen's tomes here>
Is there an "all in one" reef additive that contains everything I need?
<Uh, no>
Or will my weekly water changes be enough to meet the demands of my tank?
<Along with feeding... Could be... only testing, experience can/will tell>
Would increased Cal/Alk aid in my Chaeto growth, and Open Brain issue?
<Likely so>
Thanks for all your help!
Wayne
<A few good books Wayne... Bob Fenner>

Switching from Calcium +3 to Kent two part A and B? Makeup water??  - 02/21/07
Hello my name is Brian and I have a 45 gallon reef tank with a ten gallon refugium.   
<Hi Brian, welcome to AA -- Aquatics Anonymous. *grin* I'm JustinN, glad to help.>
For over two years I have been using Reef Success Calcium+3 in addition to Kent Superbuffer-dKH.  I kept my calcium level at 400ppm.  
<Excellent>
I was scared to hear that by using the calcium+3 for long periods of time I could eventually cause "marine snow."
<This is a bit of a misnomer here... the problem is people who don't dose appropriately, meaning they don't test for what they are dosing, they simply follow the instructions on the product. If you are maintaining things as you say you are, I would not be concerned.>
Is this true even with the addition of the SuperBuffer?  
<All depends on your application, which I believe you have correct.>
In fear I purchased the Kent 2 part calcium, but I don't know how to transition.  What would be the best steps??   
<Personally, I would not change what has obviously been working for a while for you.>
Another problem is that a gallon of water precipitates from my system every 2 days and I need to add it back regularly.  Before I would just add 5 ml of calcium+3 and 5ml of SuperBuffer to a five gallon bucket of fresh water which had a powerhead for water movement.  I would add makeup water from this bucket to my tank and my calcium levels would stay constant 400ppm.  
<Excellent game plan, my friend. I would continue this regimen.>
I am afraid that if I don't add calcium to my makeup water my calcium level would slowly lower.  
<Likely you could manage it without the top-off water step, but why change something that's been keeping stability for you? Stability is THE key here!>
So how do I add the Kent 2 part calcium to makeup water???  Thanks for listening!!    
<If you were to attempt to add the 2 part solution (I assume this is a typical 2 part solution, where one part is a calcium supplement and the other is alkalinity), I would add your dosage of either one or the other to your top-off water, and mix the other in a small amount of fresh water and add to the sump directly. However, I firmly believe you shouldn't change a thing, from the game plan that has been working for you for so long. Hope this helps! -JustinN>

Calcium Precipitation - 2/21/07
<Hey Ray, JustinN with you today.>
Thanks for your response,
<As I'm not the original responder, I cannot take credit, but I'm sure whomever did respond is quite welcome.>
I would, however, like more detail on the snow effect I notice with adding the calcium supplement I use.  What more information do you need?
<Don't think any information is needed from you on this one, pretty self explanatory.>
Your input is greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Ray   
<Well, Ray, the "snow effect" is the precipitation of calcium out of your water. This is occurring because your water chemistry is skewed, out of whack. This problem stems from the misapplication of buffering and calcium supplements. To simplify the concept, water can only retain so much of the calcium solution, and when this amount is exceeded, it causes the calcium to bind and become unusable, creating the snow globe effect you speak of. First as far as solutions go: Stop dosing! Get a reliable alkalinity test, get a reliable calcium test, and have a thorough read through this excellent article: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/calcalkmar.htm and the linked files in blue. Don't skim this article, read it, know it, learn it, live it! Every time that you cause a precipitory event in your tank, you are starting a roller coaster of chemical stability that you no longer have control over! Good luck, my friend. -JustinN>

Alkalinity, calcium and pH  2/18/07
Hi Everyone,
I have a 72 gal FOWLR tank (with a 1" bed of live sand - aragonite) that is almost 4 months old with 2 percula clowns, a six line wrasse, a yellow tang, and a coral beauty angel. I have a regal tang in quarantine almost ready to join the others. The fish are very happy and healthy, but I'm not!
<!>
My problem is that my alkalinity has gotten too high (6.57 mEq/l), my pH hovers around 8.0 to 8.15, and my calcium level is 280ppm. I think I know how this happened. In my quest to raise the ph, I added Proper pH 8.2
<Mmm, this product should only be used in freshwater settings>
to excess not realizing that it was cranking up the alkalinity. My question is this:  How do I correct this situation?
<Mmm, best with time going by, regular water changes... and leaving this product out>
My plan is to do 10% water changes daily (or every other day - I routinely do them weekly)
<Good... but I'd stick with the weekly... with pre-mixed/stored water... and 20-25%>
to gradually bring down the alkalinity using RO/DI water (with Instant Ocean salt).  This is where I get a little lost.  What do I do to get pH and calcium levels in order.  My goal is pH = 8.3, calcium = 350-400 ppm, and alkalinity = 3.5 mEq/l.  Are these proper values for a FOWLR system?
<Yes>
  I'm trying to increase the coralline algae growth on my live rock.  I need a plan of attack - a recipe for success if you will.  Hope you can help. Thanks in advance. Mike.
<Thank you for writing so clearly, thoroughly... The water changes with the Aquarium Systems salt mix, the stock, substrate you list... should "do it"... in a few months time. Bob Fenner>

Alkali calcium chloride prills 94%    2/16/07
Greeting to all,
<David>
I'm trying to create a two part calcium-alkalinity solution.  Would Alkali Calcium Chloride Prills 94% be adequate for aquarium use?
<Mmm, no>
  It is supposed to be min. 94% pure Calcium Chloride, maybe 5% Alkali Chloride and a 1% max of other impurities.  If this doesn't match up with what
you guys know please advise. Let me know if this product is safe for aquarium use.
Thank you very much in advanced.
Sincerely yours,
David
<Is a relatively "harsh" formulation... meant to be readily soluble... for use in de-icing roads, reducing the alkalinity of cement mixes... Not useful for biological systems. Bob Fenner>

Dosing Question – 2/8/07
<Hi Scotty, Brenda here tonight>
First of all, let me say you guys are the best!!!
<Thank you!>
Now, I searched the forums and got some of my answer to this question, but need you to finish it.
<I’ll try>
I add part 1 and part 2 of the Oceans Blend calcium and alkalinity supplement.  I have added over 48 ml in the last 72 hours, but my test kit is showing no increase in calcium (stays at 350ppm).  My pH has been rising, even though I have added an equal amount of part II (alkalinity).  
<I need actual results of pH>
I do not have an alkalinity test kit yet (will get one soon), so I have no idea to see where that is, and am basing any decision I make on an unknown.
<Yikes!  Please stop!  You will also need a Magnesium test kit.  Mg should be in the 1300 – 1500 ppm range for everything to balance properly.>
So my question is should I continue with both parts until my calcium gets to 400 ppm.
<No>
Should I use one for a few doses without the other as a way to balance out the pH?  Or should I just sit tight and let things get settled?
<Sit tight until you get some more test kits.>
Best idea is to listen to what you guys <or gals> have to say.
<Never dose calcium, alkalinity or magnesium into your tank until you know what your levels are.  Please read for a better understanding:  www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm  
www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-04/rhf/feature/index.htm
www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/oct2003/chem.htm
www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-03/rhf/index.php#3  
Also, here is a calculator to help you with dosing.  It sure makes my life easier:  http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chemcalc.html >
Scotty, NY
<Good luck Scotty, and be patient!   Brenda>