BIG alk. Problem

[gnashty]

+1!! if I had a nano I would have crashed it by now...lol

JeF4y;620139 wrote: water stability/management is easier in a large tank than a small tank. Changes happen MUCH slower.

 

[sonofdagon]

I've had just about every piece of equipment at one time or another. I try to keep it small and simple now. I've seen spectacular results with ca reactors and dosing in other peoples tanks so in my case I blame the operator and not the equipment that always seems to fail at the worst possible time.

 

[ralph atl]

I would do water changes (20% every other day), and continue to let it go down slowly.

 

[cr500_af]

gnashty;620075 wrote: I have yet to find a salt that I dont have to dose. Even using salinity I dose a gallon of Mag a week along with 600ml of alk and 800 ml of calcium..

Holy cow! To keep my parameters in line, I use around 10x the amount of CA compared to Mag... I can go a month without checking or dosing Mag and it will still be 1200+.

 

[gnashty]

cr500_af;620154 wrote: Holy cow! To keep my parameters in line, I use around 10x the amount of CA compared to Mag... I can go a month without checking or dosing Mag and it will still be 1200+.

After every single WC I have to add a ton of Mag to get it back where I want it. its normally 1050-1100 after every WC. Finally after I put a gal in my ATO it read 1255 3 days later. My alk has finally went above 3.5 meq/l after upping my dosing, PH is in the 8.5 range constantly though. CA Im lucky to get above 400 so Im trying to up the dose there as well..

I WC weekly so I feel that right when my dosers are getting me there, a WC depresses all the levels and the cycle starts over. I try to bring them all up via hand dosing over a couple of days but then I get them right and have to re-correct.

 

[hnguyen]

gnashty;620180 wrote: After every single WC I have to add a ton of Mag to get it back where I want it. its normally 1050-1100 after every WC. Finally after I put a gal in my ATO it read 1255 3 days later. My alk has finally went above 3.5 meq/l after upping my dosing, PH is in the 8.5 range constantly though. CA Im lucky to get above 400 so Im trying to up the dose there as well..

I WC weekly so I feel that right when my dosers are getting me there, a WC depresses all the levels and the cycle starts over. I try to bring them all up via hand dosing over a couple of days but then I get them right and have to re-correct.

Thats sounds like a headache Gary. Which test kit are you using to test for all this? I'm still baffled at how much your dosing.

 

[gnashty]

Hnguyen;620183 wrote: Thats sounds like a headache Gary. Which test kit are you using to test for all this? I'm still baffled at how much your dosing.

I use a couple different ones. here is my test from last night I pulled form my other thread.

Temp: 80.4 (Probe/validated)
Alk: 4 meq/L (Seachem)
CA: 375-400 (Elos)
MAG: 1255 (Elos)
SG: 1.028-29 a little high I know, usually 25/26 (refractometer)
PH: 8.4-8.5 (Seachem/PH Probe)
Phosphate - 0 (Seachem)
Nitrate - .2> (Seachem)

 

[jef4y]

Gary, when I was using Red Sea Salt, I would bump the magnesium in my change water before a water change. Easier to just dump & let it mix beforehand than to add slowly to the tank. May be something easier for you.

 

[gnashty]

JeF4y;620190 wrote: Gary, when I was using Red Sea Salt, I would bump the magnesium in my change water before a water change. Easier to just dump & let it mix beforehand than to add slowly to the tank. May be something easier for you.

that would mean testing twice in the same day..lol. I did do that for a little while. I think I just need to tune my dosers up up up, Ive been scared to do so.

 

[hnguyen]

gnashty;620193 wrote: that would mean testing twice in the same day..lol. I did do that for a little while. I think I just need to tune my dosers up up up, Ive been scared to do so.

Same here, I'm scared to dose too much, the instructions for my 2 part says that I should not dose more then 5ml per 10 us gallons. So with me having a 60g I can only dose 30ml a day and it doesn't seem to be bring my calcium or mag up. :sad:

 

[gnashty]

Hnguyen;620197 wrote: Same here, I'm scared to dose too much, the instructions for my 2 part says that I should not dose more then 5ml per 10 us gallons. So with me having a 60g I can only dose 30ml a day and it doesn't seem to be bring my calcium or mag up. :sad:

I would try the BRS 2 part. No limit I believe but warn against changing alk by more than .5 meq each day, CA 50 ppm each day, and Mag 100 each day..

 

[hnguyen]

gnashty;620199 wrote: I would try the BRS 2 part. No limit I believe but warn against changing alk by more than .5 meq each day, CA 50 ppm each day, and Mag 100 each day..

I'm tagging along with Nate to part the BRS 2 part this weekend. We're getting the 2 part and mag as well. I think the small kit which makes 3 gallon of calcium? I'll read the instructions once I get it and see what I can do with it.

 

[gmpolan]

I had the same issues with gary and resolved them by adding neo mag to the second chamber of my calc reactor and everything is pretty stable now.... Me and him also split a batch of salt so it might be the cause???

 

[crewdawg1981]

Hey Geoff, how much Neo Mag did you put into the second chamber? You have a MRC CR2 right? I need to come by and see how you have it hooked up. Thats why I've got and I'll admit i'm a little bit lost.

 

[gnashty]

gmpolan;620232 wrote: I had the same issues with gary and resolved them by adding neo mag to the second chamber of my calc reactor and everything is pretty stable now.... Me and him also split a batch of salt so it might be the cause???

Im feeling the same way thats why im switching salt

 

[hnguyen]

I just did a 20% water change half an hour ago ( I was due for one anyways) and tested my alk again. It's reading 14 DKH right now so I'm happy to see it go down. I'll keep an eye on it for the next few days and see where we are.

Thanks fir all the help guys

 

[gmpolan]

Grant, come by one evening next week and ill show you..

Gary, what are you switching to?

 

[hnguyen]

Oh sh!t!!!! I think i just may have nukes my tank. I Hooked up my auto doser last night and my stupid self didn't bother to double check which pumps went into which bottle. So tonight when I tested my water. Cal 430. Good there. Alk 17 DKH!!! I meant to have my dossiers run just the cal and mag until my Ali went down but I mixed up the lines and hooked up my alk bottle to the mag line and it dosed 60ml of alk into my 60g cube within the last 24 hours!! I'm praying right now that nothing dies. Everything seems to be ok so far. No signs of stress so I'm just praying it stays that way until my alk drops back down.

Pray for me guys. I think I'll shoot myself if I nuked my own tank.

 

[KrisDeitz]

If you need a hand bro let me know ill come try to help out.

 

[sonofdagon]

I do 101. Stability is the key. The best thing I did was park the ca reactors and the dosers. I use wc to keep my parameters in the zone. Not everyone would agree with this but it works for me. Also check your pump impellers for carbonate build up 11 bravo.