two-part calcium and alkalinity consumption

[TaterInTheSouth]

Hello Dr. Randy and to everyone else (Grin)...

I am a long time lurker and have always managed to find
the info I require in the Reef Chemistry Articles and in
reading old threads... But, I find myself at a loss now.

My system is a little over a year old and about 190 gallons.
nothing is automated, I top off manually every evening at the
same time with with a two part Alk./Cal.

Here's my question, Is it normal to consume more and more
C Balance each day, only to maintain minimums in water perimeters??
My alkalinity hovers at 3.0 and calcium at 420. If I dose the same
amount two days in a row those numbers drop to 2.5 and 390. I find
that upping the dose by 15 to 20ml from the day before will keep me
at 3.0 and 420... If this keeps up I will be dosing 4oz of each
in a few days.

Ideally, I would like to be 3.5 to 4 meq/L and my Cal at 450ppm...

any Ideas?
Thanks

[sparkey65]

good question

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I am a long time lurker

Welcome! Glad to hear from you. :)

Is it normal to consume more and more
C Balance each day, only to maintain minimums in water perimeters??.

If the corals are getting bigger, or are growing more rapidly, or coralline algae is more extensive, then yes, the demand will rise.

As a frag gets to be 4 times larger, it might consume calcium and alkalinity 4 times as fast. :)

However, if the pH is rising due to windows being open for the summer, or some such thing, then abiotic precipitation of CaCO3 on heaters and such may also be increasing, at least temporarily.

[Mimbler1]

4 oz of each may well be reasonable. I use 5.5 oz of each together with 1.5 gal saturated kalkwasser on my two hundred to keep at about 390 ca and 8 dkh.
Mike

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Oh, yes, forgot to specifically address that part.

4 ounces of each part per day in a 200 gallon tank is the equivalent of adding about 0.4 meq/L/day of alkalinity, which is about the same as adding 1% of the tank volume daily in saturated limewater (which many folks do, or more).

So it is not unusually high, depending on the demand in the aquarium.

[TaterInTheSouth]

Thanks guys

I have been entertaining that thought as well, to the point
of actually building a drip.. Just can't find the courage to
start it up. My fear is that pH would get away from me too fast.
The tank jumps up to 8.6 at night with the current method.
again,
Thanks

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You could always start it slow, with not much lime, to get used to the idea. :)

[TaterInTheSouth]

What would you recommend, about a drip every two seconds..

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

That would certainly be fine. :)

[TaterInTheSouth]

Preciate'it Doc, and thanks Mike..

I may start that up this weekend.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Good luck! :)

[TaterInTheSouth]

Preciate'it Doc, and thanks Mike..

I may start that up this weekend.

[Mimbler1]

Good Luck Tater,
To even out PH changes, I use a doser at night for the 2 part additive - otherwise add it in the morning when the PH is the lowest,
Mike

[TaterInTheSouth]

Mike,
You drip 5.5 oz. of A and B throughout the night and top off every day with 1.5 gal of Kalk???

[Mimbler1]

Yes, I do. The kalk is put in 24/7 through a dosing pump.
Mike

[TaterInTheSouth]

food for thought.
Thanks