Maintaining Alkalinity

[Baldy]

DeneBanger, I actually read the article you got that analogy from just yesterday. and e46er, i will be making use of the baking soda method as soon as this bottle of reef fusion runs out. i might continue dosing with the stuff i have until i run out before tracking down the ingredients, but they will be much more ecinomical. I wasnt sure if my calcium would ever begin to drop. It has been 4-5 months and the difference between what the new salt mixes to and the aquarium had been minimal. It has maintained calcium just doing water changes.

thanks for the help guys. I will no longer be expecting the KH to rise much higher, and will keep an eye on calcium to see when it starts dropping.

[DeneBanger]

Originally Posted by TheNewGuy

DeneBanger, I actually read the article you got that analogy from just yesterday. and e46er, i will be making use of the baking soda method as soon as this bottle of reef fusion runs out. i might continue dosing with the stuff i have until i run out before tracking down the ingredients, but they will be much more ecinomical. I wasnt sure if my calcium would ever begin to drop. It has been 4-5 months and the difference between what the new salt mixes to and the aquarium had been minimal. It has maintained calcium just doing water changes.

thanks for the help guys. I will no longer be expecting the KH to rise much higher, and will keep an eye on calcium to see when it starts dropping.

I wasn't quoting from an article...it is just the way that I have always understood the relationship between the two. If your calcium is maintaining 480 just from doing water changes, then what I would do is hold off on the water changes for a while until you get the calcium level down then slowly bring you alkalinity in....then pick up on your water changes again. (If you have a heavy bioload then watch your nitrates while you are doing this, if they get too far out do smaller water changes).

By doing this you will have established a target set of parameters that you can maintain.

[Baldy]

I have only 2 true percs, 1 chromis and 1 foxface, so bioload is small. As far as nitrates, I have npx bioplastics in a reactor. Its been keeping my nitrates and phosphates at 0. so I think I might try that.

And that is a really good way to explain the relationship between calc and alk. If I knew any other reefers, id definitely use that one

[DeneBanger]

Originally Posted by TheNewGuy

I have only 2 true percs, 1 chromis and 1 foxface, so bioload is small. As far as nitrates, I have npx bioplastics in a reactor. Its been keeping my nitrates and phosphates at 0. so I think I might try that.

And that is a really good way to explain the relationship between calc and alk. If I knew any other reefers, id definitely use that one

Hang on a minute! Are you intending to add coral? If you have a fish only tank, and don't plan on adding coral...just switch your salt to Instant Ocean and maintain your water changes and don't worry about balancing your calcium/alkalinity levels ....for a fish only it is not so critical.

[daniella3d]

My alkalinity is always low and I never have a problem. It's been like that for 14 months and I have a mixed reef with sps, lps and soft coral. All are healthy and grown fast. My alkalinity drop sometimes around 5, usualy is around 6. sea water is around 6.5.

Here is my tank...as you can see I have quite a mix of coral. I dose for alkalinity and calcium but I keep the alkalinity around 6 anyway. I use the Bulk Reef supply soda ash sodium carbonate as it is pure and I trust it has no additive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=Mv2G00XjCh4