just how exactly can i get my alk/cal stablize??? - Page 3

dzhuo · #51 06/23/2005, 12:23 AM

water parameters:

cal: 390
alk: 8.4

i think i am almost there. Tonight's action: 1 teaspoon of kent superbuffer and 25ml of part B. I will measure again tomorrow night. Like i said, after i have the "perfect" parameters, i will go back to 10ml daily of b-ionic.

thanks!

Randy Holmes-Farley · #52 06/23/2005, 07:33 AM

Good luck.

dzhuo · #53 06/24/2005, 12:48 AM

tonight's number:

cal: 400
alk: 8.6

the numbers are slightly higher than yesterday. the corals must be sucking up the alk and cal really fast because according to the chemistry calculator, my cal should be @ 430 and alk should be at least 10dkh.

well, i added another teaspoon of kent superbuffer and 17ml of part B.

RustySnail · #54 06/24/2005, 02:35 AM

I think you might be overdosing the kent buffer. It's roughly equivalent to baking soda; and if you add 1tsp to 8 gallons of SW your Alk will go from 8.6 to 15.5 dKH. Your numbers were looking good. Depending on the Ca/Alk levels next time you test, you might try doing equal parts of A/B (17ml's or so). That still will boost Alk to 13dKH; you might want to split it into 2 doses per day (morning/night).

Randy Holmes-Farley · #55 06/24/2005, 07:14 AM

I'd suggst just using the B-ionic now, and monitor the pH.

chevell · #56 06/24/2005, 09:00 AM

Glad I have a Ca reactor at this point.

dzhuo · #57 06/24/2005, 12:43 PM

ok guys. i will switch to 12ml of part A and part B (talking about b-ionic) daily now and see what happen. i will post numbers in a few days.

chevell,
i only have a nano so a ca reactor is a little too much.

thanks!

dzhuo · #58 06/25/2005, 12:09 AM

tonight's parameters:

cal: 390
alk: 9.0

i felt like those numbers are ok so i switched to the daily b-ionic dosage schedule. as a result, tonight's actions are: 15ml of part A and 15ml of part B.

looking at last night's number and tonight's number, i think 15ml should be sufficient. i will post numbers in a couple of days.

one thing i an still not sure is when i do a water change. can i add equal amount of part A and part B in the mix salt water? or should i add to the main tank after water change?

thanks!

MoonSoft · #59 06/25/2005, 01:25 AM

what test kit are you using?

dzhuo · #60 06/25/2005, 01:28 AM

all tests are performed with salifert test kit. thanks!

MoonSoft · #61 06/25/2005, 01:48 AM

try using a titration based test kit like the ones from seachem.... do you have a tds meter or a refractometer that tells you tds???? i would wonder if you have tons of OTHER dissolved solids and thats why you can maintain other solids in the system.

Randy Holmes-Farley · #62 06/25/2005, 08:16 AM

The Salifert kit is a titration kit.

do you have a tds meter or a refractometer that tells you tds???? i would wonder if you have tons of OTHER dissolved solids and thats why you can maintain other solids in the system.

I don't follow. The TDS is just a measure of the salinity.

dzhuo · #63 06/26/2005, 12:23 AM

didn't measure water parameters tonight; added 15ml of b-ionic part A and 15ml of b-ionic part B. will measure water parameters tomorrow night.

RustySnail · #64 06/26/2005, 02:15 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dzhuo
can i add equal amount of part A and part B in the mix salt water? or should i add to the main tank after water change?

No and Yes, respectively

Randy Holmes-Farley · #65 06/26/2005, 07:11 AM

Oh, I missed that question.

The calcium, alkalinity and pH in the water change water would likely get too high if you add it there. It would be like adding ten times as much to the whole tank. Calcium and magnesium carbonate may begin to precipitate before you mix it into the main tank.

MoonSoft · #66 06/26/2005, 07:54 AM

Are you sure i thought TDS measures ALL SOLIDS.......

MoonSoft · #67 06/26/2005, 07:57 AM

have you thought about maintaining your Magnesium level?, this element seems to hwlp calcium stay in solution and also makes it more BIO-AVAILABLE, easier for uptake...., other than that i found if i have somethintg stirring my aragonite sand bed that my alk seems to be better off.......

I run a Ca reactor now, and it keeps my tank fairly stable....

Randy Holmes-Farley · #68 06/26/2005, 08:29 AM

Are you sure i thought TDS measures ALL SOLIDS.......

TDS measures all conductive ions. That includes all dissolved salts in seawater, and so the TDS (conductivity) of seawater reflects the salinity, and is, in fact, how oceanographers presently define salinity.

this element seems to hwlp calcium stay in solution

It does do that.
and also makes it more BIO-AVAILABLE, easier for uptake

Why do you think that? I've not seen any calcium uptake mechanisms that involve magnesium.

These article may be helpful with these issues:

What is TDS?
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...ture/index.htm

Using Conductivity to Measure Salinity
http://www.aquariumfish.com/aquarium....aspx?aid=1804

The Chemical & Biochemical Mechanisms of Calcification in Corals
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/apr2002/chem.htm

MoonSoft · #69 06/26/2005, 08:40 PM

you havn't???? are you sure?? medical experts in multiple fields agreee that calcium absorbtion is directly related to magnesium

If you want try this...... get two glasses of RO/DI water and add about a table spoon of epsom salt to ONE glass. then add buffer solution get both to read 4.5meq/l then add calcium until it precipitates out of solution...... then tell me which glass you can add more calcium to and then take a Ca reading

I have ALWAYS found the keeping MG about 1275ppm keeps my calcium in soultion longer and keps it more bio-available, since it's in soultion..... Of course addittions of calcium gluconate will do the ame thing without MG but it wont stay in solution longer.

MoonSoft · #70 06/26/2005, 08:42 PM

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/oct2003/chem.htm

MoonSoft · #71 06/26/2005, 08:44 PM

what i was getting at is that since there is more calcium in the water then of course it will be more bioavailable in it's ionic form, which Mg levels will help

dzhuo · #72 06/26/2005, 11:38 PM

MoonSoft,
i have only tested mg twice before. both time, it was around 1280. i have not tested recently. i don't think it's mg.

i measured alk/cal again tonight:

cal: 380
alk: 7.9

again, 15ml of part A and part B is NOT enough. alk drops from 9.0 a couple of days ago to now 7.9. cal, on the other hand, stays relatively stable.

i have upped the dosage to 20ml daily. good plan? or what should i do? man, i am so tire.

thanks!

Randy Holmes-Farley · #73 06/27/2005, 05:39 AM

you havn't???? are you sure?? medical experts in multiple fields agreee that calcium absorbtion is directly related to magnesium

Not in corals at least as far as is known.

what i was getting at is that since there is more calcium in the water then of course it will be more bioavailable in it's ionic form, which Mg levels will help

I do certainly agree that magnesium helps calcium remain in seawater without precipitating as calcium carbonate. Perhaps we just have different definitions of bioavailability. IMO, to say something is more bioavailable is to say that at a given concentration, organisms can take more of it up. I do not believe that magnesium has that effect on calcium uptake in corals (at least within reasonable concentrations).

dzhuo · #74 06/27/2005, 11:43 PM

so tonight i did a 10% water change. since i am using IO and IO is low in alk/cal (from a couple measure i did a couple of months ago in a fresh mix), i am sure it's going to bring both the alk/cal down. i am going to wait for a couple hours and then add 20ml of each part. i will then measure alk/cal again tomorrow night.

thanks!

Randy Holmes-Farley · #75 06/28/2005, 06:16 AM

It likely will bring down the calcium some, but IME, the alkalinity in IO is plenty high enough (near 4 meq/L/11 dKH in many recent batches).