would love to get this mild chem questin answered

[Kwater]

I halft to know once and for all. I know that for every dkh of akilinity lowers calcium 18 ppm. So say I want to fix a calcium problem by adding alot of a calcium product. When I am adding this calcium that will lower my akilinity right. And then I will halft to raise my akilinity so I then add an akilinity product to raise my akilinity and them my calcium will lower again from the akilinity product. There must. E a way to balance it out and stabalize it. I really want to get this topic of calcium and akilinity second nature. I allready know alot about it but I. Red to know every little bit of it. Thanks for all help.

 

[daugherty]

increase the mag levels to 1300 to 1400 and keep it there and you will be able to maintain your levels better shoot for 8-10dkh and 400-450cal. if you get them out of balance to far one will precipate. and it is usually the alk that will fall out of soultion

 

[ccCapt]

I know that for every dkh of akilinity lowers calcium 18 ppm

No. That's not right. For every 1 meq/l (2.8 dKH) alk, aprox 18 ppm calcium and 2 ppm magnesium is used in calcification....as in corals growing their hard skeleton, coralline algae growing, etc. Adding an alk supplement won't lower calcium, and adding a calcium supplement won't lower alk, unless of course you add so much it all precipitates

 

[parrotchute]

James, I was under the (apparently false) impression that mag had more to do with how the organisms actually USE the calcium, but not on the water's ability to maintain the balance...am I mistaken?

 

[daugherty]

with out a good mag level you will never be able to raise the alk or cal very high at all or it will precipate

 

[parrotchute]

hmmm...I've only recently started dosing that stuff for my few SPS/LPS, guess I gotta add mag to the list...and I HATE the mag test proccess.

 

[daugherty]

pm ccapt he can tell you more about it than i can

 

[daugherty]

this works great for dosing mag. and get a salferit test kit they are simple to use

Replacement Magnesium pack (20oz) Recipe 1 - English

 

[parrotchute]

How often are you guys testing your cal, alk, and mag? $30 for a 50 test kit is a lot....

 

[ccCapt]

The mag James linked to is fine, it's a mix of magnesium sulfate and magnesium chloride. I like to save a few $$$ where ever I can, so I buy epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) from the drug store. Then you would only need to order the magnesium chloride.
½ Gallon Bulk Magnesium Chloride for Aquariums - English
The pre-mixed stuff is $9 and makes 1 gal. The mag chloride is $9 for 3 lbs, plus $3 for epsom salts and you can make about 3-4 gal.

The Salifert kits are simple to use and read. Once you get your mag up in the 1320 range, you won't have to test often at all. You will know by your ca and alk dosing, how much mag needs to be dosed. 2ppm mag for every 18ppm ca and 2.8 dKH alk.

 

[daugherty]

i test one or twice a month

 

[parrotchute]

Thanks, I'm going to order some of that from BRS.

So you guys basically just figure out how much it gets depleted per day/week/etc and add the required amount in....how often are you dosing?

Appreciate it!

 

[daugherty]

once you get your mag levels in check you dont have to dose that offten at all. i dose mag maybe once-twice a month