Need advice on my Ca/dKH parameters....

[Reef Bullet]

My Ca always runs high 460-500. My dKH runs 8-10. My test kit says Ca target should be 400-480 and dKH target should be 8-12. Since my Ca is high, should I try and get my dKH to coincide with it on the higher end?

Last night my Ca was 480 and my dKH was 8-9.

I'm wondering if this unbalance could be causing me some problems
Thanks

 

[Reef Bullet]

anyone?

 

[Reef Bullet]

Midnight bump

 

[MikeGilliland]

Are you having coral issues? If your stuff looks good I wouldn't change anything. What salt u using?

 

[562socal]

Just wait for the ca to drop. Sometime you need to add more kh or ca. vise versa. No system is exactly alike and the directions on the bottle of kh/ca are guidelines. My tank eats up more kh then ca, so I always add a little more kh when I dose. Always test. test your water before your routine dosing of ca or kh. For example my routine ;
Mondays test
Ca ; 480
Kh ; 9 - 10
Added 30ml of ca and kh
Wednesdays test
Ca ; 500
Kh ; 8 - 9
Added 29 ml ca 31 ml kh
Fridays test
Ca ; 500
Kh ; 8 - 9
Added 31 ml kh
Sundays test
Ca ; 460
Kh ; 8 - 9
Added "31" ml kh "29" ml ca
Tuesdays test
Ca ; 460
Kh ; 8 - 9

This is the way I found out percisely how much kh and ca my tank needs

Hope I helped

 

[562socal]

Having a reef journal also helps by keeping track of your parameters and such.

 

[MikeGilliland]

^ this is good advice
My tanks uses 25ml/day of calc and 15 ml/ day of alk

If I read your other post about your Hawkins right, you dumped 2 gallons of fresh into your tank? I dunno how big your system is but that might be your problem...to big of a salinity swing. The best thing for our tanks is stability. The more constant the parameters, the happier the tank. Maybe invest in an ATO or a doser.

 

[MikeGilliland]

And I use a notepad app. Works great.

 

[Reef Bullet]

Are you having coral issues? If your stuff looks good I wouldn't change anything. What salt u using?

I wasn't having issues until this morning when I woke up to find my Hawkins had rtn & a few other things (softies) haven't looked as happy as they always have in the past the last couple days. I posted a thread with pics, details,& water params in the coral talk forum if you're interested.
I am new at corals so I'm just trying to get an understanding of it all.
I use Kent Reef Mix salt.

 

[Reef Bullet]

^ this is good advice
My tanks uses 25ml/day of calc and 15 ml/ day of alk

If I read your other post about your Hawkins right, you dumped 2 gallons of fresh into your tank? I dunno how big your system is but that might be your problem...to big of a salinity swing. The best thing for our tanks is stability. The more constant the parameters, the happier the tank. Maybe invest in an ATO or a doser.

Yes you read it right. 70g dt w/30g sump.I do this every night to make up for evaporation. It usually drops the specific gravity about 1 point. I really want an ato but there is literally no place to put it the way my setup is. I have a peninsula tank.
You might be right that it is too much at once but it has never caused a problem before.

 

[Reef Bullet]

Just wait for the ca to drop. Sometime you need to add more kh or ca. vise versa. No system is exactly alike and the directions on the bottle of kh/ca are guidelines. My tank eats up more kh then ca, so I always add a little more kh when I dose. Always test. test your water before your routine dosing of ca or kh. For example my routine ;
Mondays test
Ca ; 480
Kh ; 9 - 10
Added 30ml of ca and kh
Wednesdays test
Ca ; 500
Kh ; 8 - 9
Added 29 ml ca 31 ml kh
Fridays test
Ca ; 500
Kh ; 8 - 9
Added 31 ml kh
Sundays test
Ca ; 460
Kh ; 8 - 9
Added "31" ml kh "29" ml ca
Tuesdays test
Ca ; 460
Kh ; 8 - 9

This is the way I found out percisely how much kh and ca my tank needs

Hope I helped

Thanks! That helps a lot! I'm glad to see someone else who keeps ca & dkh high. Several people have told me it is too high but my salt mix recommends these levels for a ref tank so I have bren confused. I don't dose anything. Haven't had to yet. Weekly water changes keep my levels in check so far but everything I have is small. I do keep a journal but there are things I don't keep track of that I probably should add to it. Only so much time in a day, though, & my 3 small children take up so much of it!
Thanks for taking the time to type all of that to help me.

 

[MikeGilliland]

Thanks! That helps a lot! I'm glad to see someone else who keeps ca & dkh high. Several people have told me it is too high but my salt mix recommends these levels for a ref tank so I have bren confused. I don't dose anything. Haven't had to yet. Weekly water changes keep my levels in check so far but everything I have is small. I do keep a journal but there are things I don't keep track of that I probably should add to it. Only so much time in a day, though, & my 3 small children take up so much of it!
Thanks for taking the time to type all of that to help me.

Yah its only a suggestion. I've always kept levels high. In my experiences things are always best when mag to calc is a 3:1 ratio and alk is 8-10

 

[MikeGilliland]

I've also tried a couple salts. But have seen best results with tropic Marin pro reef. ALOT of people will tell you their terrible experiences with it but my tank speaks for itself. I've been using it for about a year now with ZERO complaints.

 

[Reef Bullet]

I've also tried a couple salts. But have seen best results with tropic Marin pro reef. ALOT of people will tell you their terrible experiences with it but my tank speaks for itself. I've been using it for about a year now with ZERO complaints.

Yeah I've heard great things about Tropic Marin but that it's very pricey. Bob Fenner recommends it, too, and he is my most trusted advisor This hobby would be much more fun if finances were of no concern.

 

[Ghost]

Sounds like you are having Magnesium issues, when is the last time you checked your magnesium? This is something that gets overlooked but is just as important as checking Ca & Kh.:nono (2):

Kent Marine Tech M
Considerations for use:
If you have trouble maintaining calcium or buffer level, check to see that the salt mix you are using has seawater level of magnesium. To save money and increase dissolvability, some manufacturers of popular newer salts have included only half the level of magnesium necessary in their sea salt mixes, resulting in low calcium solubility and poor buffering!

Tech M Magnesium supplement will provide the magnesium left out by salt manufacturers or increase the magnesium level in any system. This will provide for easier maintenance of alkalinity (buffering capacity) and calcium level.

 

[Reefomeez]

Several people have told me it is too high but my salt mix recommends these levels for a ref tank so I have bren confused.

You're going to hear a ton of opposing opinions in this hobby. Go with what is most comfortable for you and makes your livestock thrive. I've met people that do/don't do everything you're supposed to do/not do. In the end there are guidelines and principles but what works for you won't be the exact same as what works for someone else. I tend to want to hear as many suggestions/opinions as possible and then proceed in the way that I think it best suits me and my system. I hope that helps.

IMO those levels are high but if it's working for your livestock then don't listen to me. I too would recommend checking Mag...I don't do it nearly enough but whenever your Cal and KH are off kilter the Mag is a good suspect.

Hope this helps and good luck!