Supplementing Calcium and Alkalinity to your reef RSM

[nanoreefing4fun]

Tom you are welcome !

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

If anyone with a new tank, wants to get some purple coraline alage going on thier rocks, check out this thread.

I started using ESV 2-part solution & Purple Up & mine really took off

E.S.V. B-Ionic 2-Part Calcium Buffer

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

 

[stevesparkes]

This is a great article, theirs so much to read and understand but it’s useful articles like this and guys like you guys that make it easier and less daunting. I still need to familiarise myself and understand some of the products that are being mentioned in this thread.

I so want this to be easy and hassle free which is one of the reasons I went for the RSM but theirs still loads to learn and understand. I’m so worried about dosing, am I over dosing, am I under dosing, are my test results right, am I dosing with the right product. I’m slowly getting their but it’s quite a learning curve and depending on who you talk to you seem to get a lot of conflicting information. Which makes it all quite difficult to understand. I guess different things work for different people. But one thing is for sure RSM reef keeping is different from tank and sump reef keeping with all the gadgets. I’m so pleased I found this RSM group.

I’m going to be asking a lot of stupid questions and it will properly seem like I’m going round and round in circles or asking the same question twice bare with me I don’t like doing something unless I understand what I’m doing. And by helping me I bet you’re also helping someone else.

I’m very pleased with my tank and I don’t want it to crash.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Reefmack]

Steve - there are no such thing as stupid questions! So ask away and someone(s) will try to answer. As far as dosing be sure you have good test kits. Salifert or API for example. Most of us have found the Red Sea tests are not that good.

 

[tundra420619]

hey Terry i have both Ca and Alk test kits from salifert.
my biggest thing is i am not too sure how read the color change.
what i mean is do i take a reading where i see a faint color change or do i keep going until the test water has completely changed to the desired color?
i hope that makes sense. anybody have any input?

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

on api - it's until you have a complete color change... I believe, not sure about salifert, if that helps any...

 

[Reefmack]

On my Saliferts I go to a complete color change - till the color is definitely pink or blue. If in doubt write down the value when you think you've reached the endpoint, and if adding more reagent after that doesn't change the color any further use that value.

 

[tundra420619]

QUOTE=Reefmack;734433]On my Saliferts I go to a complete color change - till the color is definitely pink or blue. If in doubt write down the value when you think you've reached the endpoint, and if adding more reagent after that doesn't change the color any further use that value.[/QUOTE]

got it, thanks guys.

 

[Reefmack]

Good luck on the tests. You may get varying results day to day, and how soon after dosing you run the tests. I've always wondered myself when to test - before or some time after dosing. I guess as long as you try to follow the same procedure the tests should be more worthwhile.

 

[tundra420619]

Good luck on the tests. You may get varying results day to day, and how soon after dosing you run the tests. I've always wondered myself when to test - before or some time after dosing. I guess as long as you try to follow the same procedure the tests should be more worthwhile.

i agree completely. this is a hobby of consistency.

 

[Reefmack]

i agree completely. this is a hobby of consistency.

So very true Tundra!

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

a good read... if you are starting a new tank and adding coral...

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

read a good post today from davek in another thread...

Wanted to share it here... the post was related to salinity - but the point that was kind of "re-freshed" to my mind, was it's effect on the calcium levels too.

I prefer 1.025. The difference between 1.021 and 1.025 doesn't sound like much, but the lower reading is only about 85% of the upper.

In other words, if you do a calcium test of 1.025 water and get a reading of 400 ppm, the same water at 1.021 would only give a reading of 340 ppm.

 

[Reefmack]

Not sure I totally agree with that without some science to back it up. Diluting tank saltwater at 1.025 to 1.021 with RO/DI would obviously also decrease calcium (and all other elements) just due to the water dilution, but it is possible to have 400ppm Ca at 1.021. I've seen correlations of temp. vs salinity, but have never seen a direct correlation between salinity and Ca.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Terry here a link to the thread... if interested - at least you will be able to see the whole thread on context. Might ask davek how he know this... I would be interested too ...

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/general-reef-aquarium-discussion/54381-specific-gravity.html

 

[Reefmack]

Thanks Glenn. I just read it. I think he was referring to diluting from 1.025 to 1.021 relating to an 85% drop in salinity, and if nothing else changed the Ca would also drop 15% - from 400 to 340 (400 x .85 = 340). I don't think he was saying that salinity and Ca had a direct relationship to each other.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Thanks Terry

 

[Reefmack]

Welcome Glenn. I may be wrong (not the first time) but that was how I understood it.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

just a for some of the new RSM Club Members - Randy Holmes-Farley always a good read... very very respected in the States... see 1st post of this thread...