Increasing Calcium and Alk using dosers

[ReefCarl]

I've been in the hobby for about 8 months now and am beginning to add corals. I have struggled with these because it is difficult to keep my pH consistent (big swings at night from 8.25 to 8.10). Right now, my only corals are mushrooms, polyps, and one a piece of hammer coral (that is really struggling). Along with that, there is plenty of coraline algae growing in the tank, which is the major consumer of Ca at this point.

I am currently using SeaChem Reef Builder and SeaChem Advantage Calcium with the drip method, but I can't keep up with the needs of my aquarium. Despite regular dosing over two weeks, I could only raise my calcium to 360 (from 300) and my Alk dropped from 9 to 8.

It is winter in Michigan, so I am not getting as much fresh air in the house as I would like, but on days when I am home, I run a hose from the skimmer air intake to an open window, but that does not seem to help steady the pH very much.

With those problems in mind, I just ordered a complete two-part doser system from Bulk Reef Supply.

Three Questions:
1) What am I overlooking? Any ideas on what I could be missing? Or is my coraline algae really consuming that much?!
2) With the dosing system, at what rate can I safely raise cal & alk without harming things?
3) Is the product used with the dosers the same thing that I am already using from SeaChem, or is it more potent?

PS - 75gallon system with sump, skimmer, and other parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) consistently at 0.

 

[chichimom79]

How often are you doing water changes, how much per WC and what salt are you using?
What kind of lighting do you have? Why do you think the hammer is struggling? I would address that before adding anything. Your parameters sound ok other than the calcium and alk being a tiny bit low, but not enough that it should be harming anything. It is normal to see the shift in pH after lights out. Not even my fuge light being on overnight helps mine to stay consistent.

 

[AmberSunrise]

I never test for calcium and my PH is always 7.8 and I have many corals so I dont think those are your issues.

I would stop all that dosing it can be more harmful than helpful.

What kind of lights are you using and how long do you leave them on? How new are the bulbs?

 

[mariobrothersleeve]

Make sure you read your test right.. like how to take them... Double check because thats what i did wrong! I was well over 500ppm! You should not need to add anything just water changes. Every additive company would be out of business if we werent so lazy on our wc.

 

[Northstar24]

Generally, two part dosing is used to raise alk and cal using a dosing pump. Dosing manually and missing doses is worse that consistently low levels, because many sensitive corals will not take kindly to the swing in parameters.

That being said, most people dosing two part would probably tell you to start with dosing kalkwasser in your top off water first. Kalk will raise PH, alk, and calcium, while depleting Magnesium

You can mix up to 2 teaspons of kalk per gallon of top off water. If that is not sufficient to keep up with the calcium and alkalinity use of your system, then you should look at 2 part dosing,

 

[ReefCarl]

Thank you for all of the feedback. I appreciate the help.

A few answers;
I do water changes once a week; 4.5 gallons each time using "Reef Crystals"
I have LED lights. I don't have the numbers on the thing, but when I purchased the fixture, it was apparently what I needed for corals...so said the LFS. My other corals are doing well.
The light is on for 10 hours a day.

 

[KelliZackMOM]

What is your salinity? I was going between 1.023-1.024 also using reef crystals and my calcium was 340-360. Just by slowly(10% weekly x4 weeks) raising my salinity to 1.025-1.026 and maintaining it there my calcium now is 400. This is what my LFS told me to do and it worked. I thought I needed to start dosing and I still may eventually, but my LFS steered me away from that at least for now by trying this first.

 

[Ted]

Have you thought of just using kalkwassier in your ato?