Reef Central Online Community

Home Forum Here you can view your subscribed threads, work with private messages and edit your profile and preferences View New Posts View Today's Posts

Find other members Frequently Asked Questions Search Reefkeeping ...an online magazine for marine aquarists Support our sponsors and mention Reef Central

Go Back   Reef Central Online Community Archives > Coral Forums > SPS Keepers

 
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 01/06/2008, 10:27 AM
CaptiveReefer03 CaptiveReefer03 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Great state of Florida : Tampa Bay Area
Posts: 384
Question Tips of the trade..

Hey everyone ,

Im in seach of some " tips of the trade " Ive gotten my system up and running and I have a balanced system, however; I'm failing to be able to raise my Calcium levels above 340-380 and I cant seem to bring my Alk and KH into check. My question is does anyone have any advice for me ? Im running a bare bottom system which was est. about a month ago (I know its not matured yet) and Im taking it slow prior to any additions of my acros from my other system but I have yet to deal with a system this large and find that its giving me a run for my money...

In overview Nitrates, Nitrties, Phospates are 0, Amonia is less then .025 Ph is 8.2 Salinity is 1.024- 1.026, system has about 2-300 pounds of base rock with some coraline growth started. All perameters were tested with salferit kits. Over all volume is between the 650-700 gallon mark currently. Supplimental A and B have been added constantly and kalk has been established with supplimental use of stabalizer for pH and Alk with no sucess and supplimental trace elements.

Thanks for any advice and for taking the time to stop in and read the tread.

Charles,
The CaptiveReefer-
__________________
><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·><((((º>·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·><((((º>·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯><((((º>
  #2  
Old 01/06/2008, 10:30 AM
PITSTOP PITSTOP is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Greenwich, CT
Posts: 1,556
get a 2-part dosing pump for your 2-part Ca/Alk additive.
__________________
SPS-Anon
  #3  
Old 01/06/2008, 10:33 AM
azrednex azrednex is offline
Ruger dog
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Chandler, AZ
Posts: 1,162
If you still have ammonia in your tank you don't need to worry about alk and calc yet.
Wait till nitrite and ammonia is 0 then read up on this link.

http://web.archive.org/web/200211270...v2002/chem.htm
__________________
90g SPS
90g LPS
30g planted FW community tank
  #4  
Old 01/06/2008, 10:33 AM
CaptiveReefer03 CaptiveReefer03 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Great state of Florida : Tampa Bay Area
Posts: 384
good thought Pitstop-

It completely slipped my mind to try one, do you think that would be enough though to raise/ drop things into check?
__________________
><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·><((((º>·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·><((((º>·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯><((((º>
  #5  
Old 01/06/2008, 10:35 AM
CaptiveReefer03 CaptiveReefer03 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Great state of Florida : Tampa Bay Area
Posts: 384
Ya im at 0 all around basicly because the amonia in salferit kits dont read 0 so presuming all is 0, but thanks for the link Ill do a bit more reading.
__________________
><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·><((((º>·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·><((((º>·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯><((((º>
  #6  
Old 01/06/2008, 10:36 AM
nietzsche nietzsche is offline
w3rd
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Mcallen, TX
Posts: 569
have you checked your magnesium levels?
  #7  
Old 01/06/2008, 10:40 AM
CaptiveReefer03 CaptiveReefer03 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Great state of Florida : Tampa Bay Area
Posts: 384
hmm.. no I should do that perhaps, need a new kit too.. okay another thng to consider.. Thanks
__________________
><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·><((((º>·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·><((((º>·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯><((((º>
  #8  
Old 01/06/2008, 10:50 AM
nietzsche nietzsche is offline
w3rd
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Mcallen, TX
Posts: 569
just a thought. i had the same problem as you did, couldnt get calcium higher than 340ppm, found out magnesium levels were too low and then just made my own batch of magnesium from Randy's Two-part solution
  #9  
Old 01/06/2008, 10:52 AM
SPStoner SPStoner is offline
2007 Eastern Conf. Champs
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Madison,OH
Posts: 1,348
Another thing to consider is your salinity. You say between 1.024 and 1.026. Calcium of 340-380 at 1.024 would be 380-420 at 1.026. How are you checking your salinity? Hydrometer, refractometer? Is it recently calibrated? Magnesium is another good thing to test. You will have difficulty keeping your alk stable if Magnesium is low.
__________________
"Baseball is 90% mental...The other half is physical."- Yogi Berra
  #10  
Old 01/06/2008, 12:53 PM
CaptiveReefer03 CaptiveReefer03 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Great state of Florida : Tampa Bay Area
Posts: 384
nietzsche -

where do you get the 2 part?


SPStoner-

Im using a refractometer, perhaps I should double check with my hydrometer from the old days but the salinity has been constant.

My question now is if my Mag is low how do I increase that so I can balance my Alk and KH and increase my Calcium? I just tested again (2 time this am) My KH is at 9.0 , Alk is at 3.20 everything else reads 0 and calcium is 300 with a salinity of 1.025 a pH of 8.2 and a temp of right around 76 +/-

On a side note I have been using Tropic Marin Salt if anyone thinks that might make a difference??
__________________
><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·><((((º>·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·><((((º>·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯><((((º>
  #11  
Old 01/06/2008, 01:17 PM
nietzsche nietzsche is offline
w3rd
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Mcallen, TX
Posts: 569
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

how to make it if you want someone to show you: 7th video on this website http://www.reefvideos.com/ the one that says dowflake

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/Calciu...1_2/index.html

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/Calciu...1_4/index.html

youll have to see for yourself if its cost effective or maybe go about a different way. for me it works great since its just a 28, this stuff should last me a long time
  #12  
Old 01/06/2008, 01:27 PM
CaptiveReefer03 CaptiveReefer03 is offline
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Great state of Florida : Tampa Bay Area
Posts: 384
great ! thanks alot hopefully i can get this fixed!
__________________
><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·><((((º>·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·><((((º>·´¯`·.¸. , . .·´¯><((((º>
 

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:09 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the user agreement.
Reef Central™ Reef Central, LLC. Copyright ©1999-2009