alk to low?

[Scoobers]

Originally Posted by HOLLYWOOD

Well in all honesty I have never used any home made 2 part? I used super DKH buffer or Seachem ALK buffer if I am just doesing ALK, at home and on many tanks I do have good succes and parameters using Tropic Marin Ca and Mag supplements. But others need a boost on ALK for some reason and have to add it separatly.

Just my experiances, hope it helps

I have never used this either and it may be true you are supposed to dose those particular chemicals equally. I use Brightwell 2 part and it is fine to dose them unequally. Sorry about the mix up.


As far as large water changes go I change 5 gallons a week on my 15g nano. Unfortunately it doesn't make any difference in bring my alkalinity up. I use RO/DI water and Tropic Marin salt. I guess it never hurts to try it and see.

[Harpo's Reef]

What is your alk of your new salt water. I have had to bump up my alk of batches of salt water in the past before doing my water change

hope this helps

David

[stunreefer]

In a perfectly balanced aquarium (impossible) the Alk and Ca utilization would be close to each other therefore rendering a similar dosage. Keep in mind that the soluable ingredients aren't necessarily the same amount, you might be using the same amount fo liquid though, or you might not. You would be using "X" amount of Ca supplement and "Y" amount of Alk supplement at the same dosage every time, less the fact that these dosages will grow over time as the corals grow.

It's no problem to use one supplement more than the other, or just one alone, however as Jim mentioned the high Ca level will drive down the Alk while you want to balance them. Low Mag will cause a see-saw effect as well, but 1380 is fine (test again with another kit just in case).

2-part is 2-part in regards to what they accomplish, although different brands (or homemade) will contain slightly different ingredients.

[blasterman]

Originally Posted by Scoobers

I dose a lot more alkalinity part than calcium and My params are right on and everything is growing great.

What he said.

Using the Kent A-B kit, and was using equal parts like the bottle said and ignoring my test kits. Starting double dosing the alk part and the improvement was over-night.

[kimber45]

i have since got levels back up.

i used baking soda with my top off.

i believe it just slowly dropped once i stopped dosing kalk.