loosing the battle to raise kH (and maintain)

We have a heavily stocked SPS/LPS chalice tank that is covered in coralline. It is only 28g but is being used as a grow out tank/holding tank while we are putting back our reef tank (after having way too much bad luck with our big tank.......leak, heater disaster, tank breaking)

Anyway our calcium and magnesium stays dead on. Our calcium is at 500 and mag is 1400. We dont even really need to dose these more then 1x week.

However, our kH will literally drop overnight by 3-5. We are dosing now 8x the recommended dose of Reef builder II (half of it in am and half in pm). (supposed to dose 5ml for our tank 1x day, dosing 20ml twice a day) Yesterday I checked in am before work and it was 7, dosed and went to work. Came back that night, tested and it was down to 5!!!!

Have tested with multiple test kits, used API, sailfert, and hanna checker. Our tests are correct.

Can not bring it above 7 regardless of how much I dose. Yes the corals are GROWING SUPER FAST, along with the coraline algea all over our glass. Even with the move from 14k to 20k bulbs, not seeing a decline in growth rates.

Dont get me wrong, not complaining about the growth, but gets frustrating dosing so much, let alone testing twice a day!!!!!!!!!: Hopefully by Thanksgiving we should have our big tank up and cycled again, so end is near!

 

Hi Mel

hesitate to give any advise or comments on this , due to the experience of the 2 persons running the tank

that does sound like rather heavy Alkalinity utilization to me
not being able to get it above 7 sounds like they are using it as fast as it enters the water column

with Mag at 1400 and Calcium at 500, is it possibly a precipitation issue in combination with high utilization in a relatively small volume of water?

I have found in my set up that Magnesium closer to 1450ppm seems to help keep my numbers more constant ( along with the occasional increase in what the doser needs to deliver )

is it possible that you cannot keep the Dkh above 7 simply due to the fact with 500ppm calcium, you have more ions in solution than the Mag at 1400 can accomodate?

I am wondering if you let your calcium drop naturally to 450 or 440 ish, you may find your Dkh can be maintained at 7 or 8 without problem?

as said earlier, based on the relative experience (greater than mine) of the 2 people involved in this set up, I was rather reluctant to comment

Steve

 

I agree with Steve. Keep the calcium around 450. Personally, since my bropsis episode, I keep the Mag around 1600. Yesterday, my alk was 9 and Ca was 455. No issues maintaining alk dosing two part. Chalices love high Mag.

 

Everywhere I go, these hot women strip their clothes off then throw themselves at me. If I avoid them, piles of $100 bills fall on me instead. What shall I do?

I'm going to offer the same defferences regarding relative experience as Steve, and then some. That said, if the corals are taking it up that fast, isn't it just a matter of getting it in faster? My growth is still slow and I'm dosing 30ml in a 60, or .5ml per gallon. You're not at 1.5 yet and I've heard tanks can take 2per or more when things are going great. Manual dosing may be making it more difficult since that's a lot to add at once.

 

servillius

why do I not have any problems like the ones you describe?

seems unfair to me

 

I know how you feel Steve,I only get half naked chicks and $50 bills.

 

;D Gentlemen!

What is weird is we really do not dose calcium very much. I will try those suggestions. We have started to dose kalk in addition. Right now, i have to admit the kH is WAY low. I wasnt checking it frequently the last couple weeks (with Curt being gone) and it has been at 5. What we really need to do is spread out the corals between the tanks as there is just so much in the tank right now just sucking it up as soon as it hits! I have debated trying to raise the mag levels up and will not dose calcium and see how this helps

We do need to re-focus on this tank. Like I said, being sick I have neglected the tank all together (other than water changes, daily dosing) and suprisingly havent lost anything. Had a small bout of STN on a favia that made me go re-test the kh and find it is at 5, but everything else seems to be ok

I am stumped. Curt has said his SPS tank was like this, but it amazing how much we are dosing!

 

I'm married... My wife only allows me to lament not having problems like not being able to stuff enough kH in my tank to keep up with super fast growth. The rest, alas, was pure fantasy.

 

we actually changed to bulk reef supply 2 part.....just using the alk part. I think this is working much better than the seachem alkalinity. We are keeping stable now around 10-12 and not having to dose as much. Now we just have to fine tune the dosing schedule to make sure we keep it stable and prevent the fluctuations. That was really hurting our corals!

 

I switched to BRS recipe 2 with the advice of others here. The alk does not precipitate in the water and the pH drop is negligible. Much better way to go, IMO. Good to hear you are on track!