Balance doesnt make sense

[Qdoggie]

Randy (or anyone who can answer),

I have read some of your articles with balancing Calcium Alk and Ph. For some reason I cant get it right, maybe you can help and see something that I am not.

My readings are currently: Ph 8.2, 7.8 at night
alk 2.0 meq/l
calcium 300
temp 78.5-80
All else is 0...
My tank is a 180 w/ a 55g fuge/sump. I have a light on it at night.

I have an aqua doser that I use to dose Kent superbuffer. My ph went from 8.0/7.6 from a few days ago to the above current readings. My alk at the time was 3.0meq/l. My calcium was 350. A few days prior to adding the superbuffer, I was adding Natu Reef, Reef Former Kalkwasser to bring up my calk from 275 to the 350.

Even though I am waiting about 1-2 days before I change which I am dosing, it seems to have an undesireable affect. Is it too soon of time between? Also, with the kalkwasser, I figured my alk would at least be a little higher??? Dunno, Im lost. Im adding the kalk again and dosing 1000 ml over 2-3 days as my usual rate.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'd add a lot of a calcium only supplement, such as calcium chloride, to get to 420 ppm calcium. I'd add calcium chloride all at once. Then I'd use the kalkwasser to maintain calcium and alkalinity (it can bring alkalinity up a tad to about 3 meq/L over time).

Is limewater alone not enough? Even dosed every day to replace all evaporated water?

[Qdoggie]

Maybe that will be the problem, Im not adding enough. It is added at a rate less than what is needed to replace the evaporated water. Ill have to get a larger doser or rig something.
Ill try the turbo calcium first to get where I need it.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Sounds good. :)

This article may help with the limewater:

What Your Grandmother Never Told You About Lime
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.htm