Calcium Usage

[psykokid]

havent added anything other than kalkwasser..

so that would translate to I have added only kalkwasser..

[psykokid]

Been bad, havent tested anything lately. Gotta test and see where things are at, do a water change and then test again. Coraline algae is finally starting to take off. The green has covered my overflow box with pencil sized spots and now purple is starting to grow back on. Algae is dying back in spots.

I'm going to really have to mess around with a few things when I re-do my aquascape, I need more waterflow overall to keep detritus and crap from settling on the rocks. But on the same note, i need to have a few spots that arent getting hammered with flow due to a few sensitive pieces like my elegance for example.

[psykokid]

ok.. today tested out for a few params:

Ca 428
Alk 7.5
NO3 20-25
PO4 .5 via api

[psykokid]

CA 470
ALK 9.5
NO3 20
pH 7.99

I added a little buffer to bring the pH up yesterday on top of the half a gallon of kalkwasser I add to my topoff jug daily. That seems to be holding the Ca and the Alk right where they should be. Last time I checked phosphate it was high, haven't checked it tonite.. Other than the kalk and buffer I've left it alone other than doing waterchanges every 2 or 3 weeks everything seems to be doing good.

[psykokid]

same routine. just adding half a gallon of kalkwasser to the gallon of top off water i use daily.

Fridays test results:

NO3 : 20
PO4 : .49
CA : 440
PH :7.85
ALK : 9.2
MG : 1500
Temp : 78.5

[psykokid]

well, i've been quite the slacker.

CA: 480
MG: 1350
ALK: 7.5
pH: 8.14
Temp: 78.8
NO3: 50 something..

Looks like it's time to turn on the RO unit and get things crackin. I see a substantial waterchange in my future.. No wonder things are so pissed off looking..

[Learner]

so...how long has it been since a water change; 3 months or more?

[psykokid]

No, I'm not Lanny :) .. I did a 15 gallon wc about a month ago. I think the main contributing factor (other than heavy feeding) is the fact my skimmer has been flaky as of late..

[Learner]

Apologies...a blonde moment I'm afraid..:0/

[RandyFolds]

Ahahaha...

I decided to start doing water changes, but then I added that fuge and all my coral is looking super-happy so I said 'to hell with it'. The chaeto I put in there is probably 10 times the mass that I put in, and it's chock full of pods. Everything that was browned out (most of my coral) is now looking all pretty. I will snap some pics sometime soon.

I have been like a ghost here because I signed on a client with a 4,500 gallon system. Jake and I spent all day working on it today, and tomorrow I go to the metal shop to build a lighting rack, and then we gotta hang it and the lights and aquascape and do water changes....It's gonna be a busy week, but the pay is right.

[Bergy]

pics or it didnt happen!

[psykokid]

meh, so lately i've been getting my salt from lanny since he gets it pretty cheap wholesale. I got a bucket of tropic marin pro for free so i figured id test the big three (alk, mg and ca) and see what the levels were at. Well, Alk was pretty low at 7, Mg was low as well at 1050, and Ca was right where it should have been at 440. Going to have to add some reef builder to bring the Alk up to where it should be and add some Kent tech-M that i got to control hair algae to get things up to where it should be..

I need to put a powerhead in my sump to keep the detritus suspended and put a filter sock back in on the returns..

[Bergy]

are you using calc reactor?

If i recall correctly, TMP PRO is designed for teh pro reefer and it figures you are supplimenting calc and really doesnt have 'extra' calcium in it


kinda counter intuitive as they charge you more for taking out calcium


again, that is my memory and i could be way off

[psykokid]

nah, not using a calcium reactor. Funny how Ca was the only spec that was close to NSW whereas the others (alk/mg) were quite low.  I need to find a salt that doesn't have too much extra crap in it (eg extra vitamins and such in reef crystals) but has the big three in good proportions. I could even live with a good salt that has just the right amount of Mg and Ca. Alk is easy and cheap to raise/supplement... I may break down and give aquavitro salinity a shot. I've heard nothing but good things about it and each bucket has guaranteed batch analysis data included as well.

[Bergy]

yea, the issues i cited about TMP is contradictory to your test result...