low alkalinity

[Snaz]

I would think since your tank is brand new or near so that alk/ca should probably not be of any concern. Worry about it when your tank ages a bit and your corals take off. Weekly water changes with a good salt will take care of all your trace elements and alk/ca requirements for now.

When you do get itchy to dose(I never have) make sure your testing first.

Keith

[reefermadness]

Just some info on the aqualifter but they do NOT make good dosing pumps. They will clug up, are not consistent from pump to pump and would dose at a speed of about 200ml / min which makes them hard to time for dosing (most timers being minute timers).

[makana]

Well I added 1/4 tsp of baking soda last night, wich was less than the calculator said I needed to bring it from 7 to 8 dkh. It brought it up to 9 though. Would that be too big of an alk swing down the road when the tank is established and stocked? I'll check it tonight as well, maybe the soda hadn't fully disolved yet.

[reefermadness]

The calculator is not usually wrong. Remember it's total system water but you have to minus all the space the rocks, equipment and corals etc. take up. What test kit are you using?

Anyway I would say 2dkh change that fast is not good. I like to keep mine to .5 max. Calcium on the other hand can be ajusted faster.

[makana]

Well hopefully now that it is up there I will only need to maintain it. The swing didn't seem to bother the snails any. I suppose it is possible that the soda hadn't fully dissolved yet and I got a false reading. If not that then I would have to blame the calculator. I know my tank has 8 gallons in it. I put it my dkh and what I wanted for dkh and chose baking soda. It said .3 of a tsp and 1/4 of a tsp would only be .25. I guess if I ever have to change it again I will have to use a very small amount.