dosing help

[makana]

Thanks for the reply. I would be happy only having to dose once a week but at the rate alk is dropping I am looking at having to dose daily. Which would make the tank very unstable if I tried to add a sps.

[whatcaneyedo]

Pretty much all coral, even soft coral use up calcium carbonate. While they may not form a skeleton like LPS and SPS, soft coral do create these small sand grain size bits of skeleton in their tissue called sclerites.

You're going to need to come up with some kind of system that works for you if you want to keep your levels optimal.

This article might help.
An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

[makana]

I have read that article actually. Do you think that this is a normal alk drop given my tank inhabitants? Why would my alk have been stable for two years and only become stable when I raised my calcium, mag, and alk?

[whatcaneyedo]

Adjusting one level effects the others.
A Simplified Guide to the Relationship Between Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium and pH
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/rhf/index.php

I personally don't bother testing the water chemisty on my 20gal nano. Small tanks are too prone to rapid change so its not worth the hassle in my opinion. So I stock lightly, do large weekly water changes and just observe.

[makana]

I appreciate the advice. I had been relying on water changes to keep things in check and everything was fine. But I discovered that IO salt was only giving me a mag level of 1250 and calc of 380. My goal for this tank is a clam and some sps so I was hoping to bring it up to a safer level.

Maybe I should just look at switching salt brands.

[makana]

Are those of you who use IO salt having to dose daily or are water changes alone enough?

[Captainhemo]

Go have a read of Chemasters thread (http://canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=26590 on how he accomplishes decent levels with IO salt.