Re: Fw: B-Ionic Calcium Buffer System
Dear Crew,
I did get an answer..... Steve
<Ahh, thank you for sharing. Will post. Bob Fenner>
In a message dated 4/24/2005
" Dear EVS, 
When using your 2 part buffer system can you use just 1 of the solutions. Example: my calcium is at 425 and my alkalinity is at 7.2 can I just use part 1 to raise my alkalinity? Also if the situations were reversed and I wanted to just raise my calcium could I just use part 2? Thank you for your time in advance.
Steve"
Steve,
Sorry for this late reply. No problem using more of one component than the other in order to tweak the chemistry back in balance. Be careful with the component 1 (alkalinity) in that you don't exceed 1 ml/per gallon per day and/or allow the pH to exceed 8.45.
Best Regards,
Bob Stark (ESV)

High Calcium & Alk
Hello!
<Hi!>
I would like to thank you in advance for your time and apologize for the length of my email.
<No worries...We enjoy answering questions>
I have an established (18 months) 125 gal saltwater tank. I am using a sand substrate 2-4 inches (varies from spot to spot because some of the fish move it around) with 135 lbs of live rock.  My water parameters are calcium 405, magnesium 1150, alk/dKH 12,
<A calcium and alkalinity that high is a difficult feat to accomplish. I would be careful of letting them get out of hand and rising too high>
ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate (impossible to get a clear reading was using coral vital
<You would be wise to leave that "snake oil" out>
but I have stopped adding it for last 2 weeks and don't plan on continuing) after >calculation 7, Strontium off the chart >40, pH 8.2 in the am, iodine .08, sg 1.024, temp 78-80.
<All sounds good>  

- Balancing Chemical Equations -
All,
<Good morning, JasonC here...>
When Calcium Chloride is added to water, you get wanted calcium ions and unwanted chloride ions.  Does Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda) break up into sodium ions and bicarbonate ions? <Oh man... general chemistry seems so far away right now. I think for the basics, yes this is true.>
If so, wouldn't the chloride ions combine with the sodium ions to form NaCl, salt?  It probably isn't a perfectly balanced equation, but it seems that it could mitigate the usefulness of calcium chloride. <It would seem that way, but there are other reactions taking place in a marine system that would also need to be taken into account. What those reactions are exactly is escaping me at the moment... but on the simple path, I think this is true - you would produce salt.>
If each is added in *small* quantities, say Calcium Chloride in the early a.m. and Sodium Bicarbonate in the early p.m., couldn't they become a useful adjunct to regular Kalkwasser use, if Kalkwasser alone was not supplying enough calcium to meet the daily demands of a given system (as is my case). <Well... if you look at a bottle of ESV B-Ionic, you will find that their part A is calcium chloride, and part B is sodium bicarbonate, and part B buffers part A. So in effect, this is similar to the reaction you describe. I'm not a huge fan of Kalkwasser myself - much to easy to get into bad trouble with. You might want to consider a calcium reactor - the cash outlay is perhaps a little high up front, but in the long term will save you money, grief, and is much better for your system than calcium chloride.>
Thanks in advance.
Sincerely,
Mark Schwartz
<Cheers, J -- >

2 Part Supplements
Which 2 part supplement do you recommend for adding Calcium and Buffer (Kent  Tech CB, C Balance, etc.) <I always used b-ionic by ESV. They're all really the same thing and you'll be satisfied with any one you get.>
I have a 125 gallon reef with fish and hard corals (torch, hammer, frogspawn, xenia). <Cool, just make sure that you pick up carbonate hardness and calcium test kits.>
Thanks,
<Enjoy! -Kevin>
Steve

Establishing Calcium and Alkalinity
<Hello! Ryan with you today>
I have a 58g reef tank that I started about  2 months ago.  I have 70lbs of live rock, 40lbs live sand, 2 clownfish, 1 Kole tang, 10 snails, and 5 crabs. <OK> I have a Euro-Reef cs6-1 skimmer, 250w 10,000k metal halide light, 450gph sump pump and 300gph circulation pump.  I've start thinking about adding calcium to my system to get ready for corals and I can't decide which method to use. <Understood> I'm thinking Kalkwasser, 2-part calcium/alkalinity, or Seachem reef advantage calcium. <B-Ionic 2-part calcium alk is what I prefer> I'm looking for least maintenance, most idiot proof, and most effective. <Exactly why I prefer it> I would also like a recommendation for inexpensive test kits for calcium and alkalinity. <Seachem works well and is reasonable> What are your thoughts on the calcium situation and what are your thoughts on my setup so far? <Sounds great, you've got sturdy equipment list and you're taking it slow.  I'd add some live rock if possible, you'll want at least 1 pound per gallon.  Best of luck! Ryan> Your help is much appreciated.  Thanks,  Chris

- Shaken not Stirred -
Hello folks! I love your site (best on the web) and really hope I didn't just miss the answer to these questions somewhere in the faq's. Hopefully you can help me out here. I was reading Anthony's article on calcium, in specific, the section pertaining to different sorts of supplements. He seems to be advising against using liquid calcium supplements due to a sort of ionic imbalance in the long run. He seemed ok, however, with using a 2 part system. Is there a reason that this is not a problem when using a 2 part system? <They are ionically (is that a word?) balanced. One part is buffer, the other calcium.> I currently run ESV b-ionic on my 75 gal reef and do not wish to have long term problems. <ESV is a fine calcium supplement.> It has shown me stable calcium around 420 with alk at about 10. Live stock seems very healthy with everything from mushrooms, buttons, Capnella, to Montipora reproducing or growing steadily. In fact, the only thing that doesn't grow is coralline algae! <Give it time.> Other than on the rock (approximately 110 pounds) I have no calcareous (sp?) at all. I run 2 96w (blue and 10k) pc's and 2 40w zoomed Reefsun. Calcium 420, alk 10, magnesium 1300, nitrates 10-20, phosphate 0. Is the lack of phosphate the limiting factor? <I don't think so. As I said, give it time.>
Thanks, JL
<Cheers, J -- >

Calcium/alkalinity supplements
09/09/03
Hello crew,
<Hi Marty, PF on call tonight>
I am looking for some clarification on two part supplements, specifically Kent A&B. I have a 120gal reef tank with a 100lbs live rock that has been up a running for 8 months. My livestock consists of a hammer coral, candy cane, open brain, green mushrooms, green star polyps and some brown and yellow
button polyps. I also have a couple of tangs, clowns, Chromis, cardinals and some shrimp. I have been adding equal parts A&B daily and maintaining a fairly good balance. (12 dKH & 350 cal).  These are currently the only supplements I am adding.  I tested the other day and noticed the calcium was starting to creep down under 300 while my alkalinity remained at 12 dKH. I know that both cal/alk can not be simultaneously high, but I would like to
get the calcium back up to the 350-400 level.  In reading the FAQ's I have found that the answer to increasing the calcium is to temporarily add calcium chloride until the target value is reached then continue on with the equal parts of A&B. Is this the same as just adding more of part A, in which the main ingredient is calcium salts?  I'm assuming that this is the same as calcium chloride. I just want to make sure I am not going to screw up the of the balance if A&B are not always added in equal amounts. I know the real answer to this question is to buy a calc reactor,  hopefully I will get there in due time.
Thanks a lot for your help.  Marty
<I would advise you to just use the calcium chloride, "calcium salts" implies more than one kind. And you're right, the real answer is a reactor. You might also want to look into adding Kalkwasser to your daily top off. Have a good evening, PF>