Help with Increasing Alk and Cal

[NaClH2ODave]

With a light to moderately stocked 105 gallon DT, a lot of LPS, a few SPS and minimal coralline algae, I'm still dosing 150ml/day of ESV 2-part. This barely keeps alk at 7.7 and calcium at 375.

Magnesium is 1425 and pH is at 8.1, so I'm not sure why it takes so much. Even ESV recommends a max of 1ml/gal/day of each. Dosing any less, and the numbers start dropping. I don't see signs of precipitation, just a minor buildup at the water line.

These numbers are with Hanna and Salifert test kits. Any ideas?

[bertoni]

Hmm, the minimal coralline is confusing. In my experience, that dosage level is reasonable for a tank with good coralline growth, even without any stony corals. How new is the tank? Sometimes, new sandbeds or live rock will act as nucleation sites, encouraging precipitation of calcium carbonate.

[NaClH2ODave]

Both rock and sand bed are over 1-1/2 years old.

I'm wondering if trying a different 2 part such as BRS would be worth a try.

[Uncle99]

Originally Posted by NaClH2ODave

With a light to moderately stocked 105 gallon DT, a lot of LPS, a few SPS and minimal coralline algae, I'm still dosing 150ml/day of ESV 2-part. This barely keeps alk at 7.7 and calcium at 375.

Magnesium is 1425 and pH is at 8.1, so I'm not sure why it takes so much. Even ESV recommends a max of 1ml/gal/day of each. Dosing any less, and the numbers start dropping. I don't see signs of precipitation, just a minor buildup at the water line.

These numbers are with Hanna and Salifert test kits. Any ideas?

To me that seems a lot, I am half your size, but heavy stocked and I only use 10ml per day to stay at 9.5.

I use Seacem 1&2, maybe it's more concentrated than yours.
If your confident in your MG level I agree, would try another like you suggested.

[bertoni]

You could try the lower-pH formula, based on baking soda straight from the box. I'd just mix up a small amount and try it for a few days. A saturated solution should be something like half the strength of the standard formula.

[hkgar]

According to http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html I would need to dose 956 ml (of EVS B-Ionic Bicarbonate) to maintain my dKH. My 125 gallon system (180 tank + 20 g sump) use 4.0 dKh per day.

You my try using Randy's 2 part.

[rocklobster1]

Dose heavier and maybe get some carbonate for the additional pH boost.

[tkeracer619]

Check your heaters and pump impellers for precipitation build up. Also, dig around in your sand to make sure there isn't chunks forming.

Sounds to me like you are precipitating somewhere.

[hkgar]

Originally Posted by Uncle99

To me that seems a lot, I am half your size, but heavy stocked and I only use 10ml per day to stay at 9.5.

I use Seacem 1&2, maybe it's more concentrated than yours.
If your confident in your MG level I agree, would try another like you suggested.

If you put in a .5 dKH increase (current alk 7.5, desired alk 8.0) and a 105 G water volume to this calculator, it returns 101.3ml EVS and 18.7ml Seachem.

[rocklobster1]

Originally Posted by tkeracer619

Check your heaters and pump impellers for precipitation build up. Also, dig around in your sand to make sure there isn't chunks forming.

Sounds to me like you are precipitating somewhere.

How can it precipitate if the levels are so low?

[saphosbro]

Not that this is your issue but when I started with two part. First dosing both the calc and all at the same time and it all perching out then I had a lot is issues over dosing. I know i should have read more befogging jumping in but it was years ago before the internet is what it is today... As for my over dosing the more i does the more the levels would drop. I got the levels right manually, waited a few days and measured how much it dropped and then called the dose to bring it back up and this was my new does divided by the days I waited. I actually went a little under this amount and have not had an issue since other than some small adjustments as coral grows and consume more.

[bertoni]

Originally Posted by rocklobster1

How can it precipitate if the levels are so low?

The two-parts are concentrated and high in pH. Both factors encourage precipitation, especially if a two-part is dosed into a small volume of water. The average level in the tank can be quite low, but local conditions will vary until the supplement mixes thoroughly. Also, some surfaces, like freshly exposure calcium carbonate, can encourage precipitation by providing nucleation sites.

[Uncle99]

Originally Posted by hkgar

If you put in a .5 dKH increase (current alk 7.5, desired alk 8.0) and a 105 G water volume to this calculator, it returns 101.3ml EVS and 18.7ml Seachem.

Thank you, so it’s true that each manufacture creates different concentrations of their product, just didn’t think the concentrations flux we’re so large, but now I know!