Still Having CA problems!

[Boomer]

Can't be Travis. 100 gal tank has least -90 gal of actual water, if filled to the top and nothing in it. A 30 gal sump, does not have 30 gals of water, if filled to the top and nothing in it. And it is only half full, so that is less than 15 gals. That puts him at 105 gals ruffly. Then there is 175 pounds of LR and then there is that DSB, not to include all the animals and plumbing that displace water.

Her is his tank and that is alot of water displacement

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/photopost/data/505/2109-25-03Tank-med.jpg

I don't think he has an ionic imbalance, could be but his alk is up there. I also would rather see multi-water changes Like a couple of 40 gal changes over a 3 day period.

I would suggest a test to see. Take 5 gal of water from the tank, add Turbo according to the calculator and re-measure Alk, pH, Mg and Ca to see what it is. That will tell more or less what will happens in the tank

 

[sharks]

Did you dissolve it in unsalted water first?
If so maybe your Ca kit is off?
S

 

[Boomer]

PSU

Yes your problems are bigger, your water is out of wack, called an ionic imblance. You need to do 2-3 large water changes, maybe. How how did you add it. Pre-dissovled first or just dump it in ? If you pre-dissolved it first and the glass was clear and then it went cloud as you put it in the tank, you have an imbalance

Scoot

What does your test kit measure on a new batch of salt and did you check the kit at a LFS to see if it is OK ?

 

[PSU4ME]

Thanks boomer.....i agree that my problem may be bigger....i'll have to do some more water changes.

Thanks

 

[Scooterman]

Boomer is right on, I did take in consideration of LR and My 1" of coarse sand bed. Tank volume empty is 98 gallons, the 30 gallon is more like 28 gallons and it is half. I was guessing around 75 to 80 gallons. I admit I mad a mistake and listen to my LFS, it is a single owner & he has helped in many ways but at the same time also gave me problems, He told me to dose for 100g regardless, I left that odd. It all started about 6 weeks ago with the big salt issue, I got free Bio Environment salt! I replaced about 75 Gallons in my tank, then I noticed things slowly going out of whack! I had a DKH of over 14! Yes ALK was way too high, & Calcium was way too low, it kept dropping, below 280! Ok, said and done, what do I do now? Well went to PetsMart, got a 200 Gallon bucket of IO! I replaced 40g last week and Sunday Replaced another 40 gallons! I recently more or less replaced all of my test kits, they are fairly New, I do not trust comparing them to any of the LFS here, there is about 10 of them & I trust only one or two & that is only a trust to a limit. All my new kits are Saliflert CA,ALK,MG,PH, Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite humm I think that is it but may have one or two more. I have a LaMotte Calcium test kit also, I find it to read about 20ppm more than the Saliflert.
Anyway, I do test IO before replacing, I bumped up the CA & MG which MG was tested in both batches 1,200 & CA at 350. Last night I Did NOT Douse all of it at once! I instead added 1/3rd or 5 tsp. I tested before the CA was right at 280, mg, was close to 1250 ALK was 3.83

I tested CA before bed, it was up to 330, best in weeks.
I was getting worried because I have a CatsPaw looking bleached, well whiter instead of the lush green it once was.
I just replaced my VHO bulbs, & haven't doused anything else, I plan not until I get things stabilized then I'll go back to dripping Kalk!
Now, with this information, I think maybe we can get things leveled off, and hope get some color in my PAW other than the tiny green on the plops, it is peekish! Poor Expensive thing!

Thanks for your help guys.
Scott Ardoin

 

[Sweettoothbear]

Originally posted by Scooterman
I got free Bio Environment salt! I replaced about 75 Gallons in my tank, then I noticed things slowly going out of whack! I had a DKH of over 14!
Scott Ardoin

Did you change over Salt 5 gal. at a time weekly?

Or did you do 1 or 2 big water changes over a week or 2?

I feel it is better to do smaller water changes over a longer period of time,albeit with any brand of salt you are changing to.

 

[Scooterman]

I did several small changes but they were more like 10g

 

[Scooterman]

Just an update, last night I tested Ca @ 420, Mg @ 1350 I didn't run & Alk test, was getting tired after completely tearing down skimmer for a good cleaning. When I had this imbalance the Ca was precipitating, made a mess of my PH,pumps & plumbing. I cleaned it all, & after several big water changes & supplementing CA, I'm back to normal.
I wanted to thank everyone, my results have been very excellent the last week or so.

 

[reefrunner]

 

[PSU4ME]

Good Job....I also fixed mine by dripping turbo calcium for 3 days......all the way up to 410 now...

 

[Boomer]

:smoking:

 

[Nautilus]

Nice avatar Boomer.
Great to hear everything is normal for you guys.

Boomer,
What is your water change schedule like? Was wondering if you think 20 gallons a week on a 80 gallon tanks was a waste of time or good to do this but maybe every other week.:smirk:

 

[Boomer]

I will be PM you later on that Avatar, want to know how to do something with it, as in making the background color invisible. I forgot Other than what you alreay did with it Dave I want to put yours up, but I will have so much shit on the bottom people will get blind :smirk: .I also think I have run out of characters....to the limit already

I don't run tanks anymore , 35 years was enough. Now i just pester you guys that do

20 gals fine, if there is actually 80 gals of water, if more like 50 gal or so 10 is fine. I use to do 1 gal a day and a 75 % / month on 50 gal

 

[Nautilus]

I will have to look but I think I still have a clean picture of the avatar, meaning it has a white background. do a google search on it and check the images tab at the top.

I have 80 tank and 3 gallons in the sump and 12 gallons in a refugium. 110 pounds of LR and approx 90 lbs of LS.:smirk: