I was wondering if anyone else has experienced the same problems I have with low alkalinity, using Oceanic salt? I was a little lazy with my battery change on my pH monitor and the reading was a little skewed. When I changed the battery and calibrated it. I dropped it back in the sump, and my chin hit the floor. My pH during the day was 7.86!! I checked the 55gal, same thing low pH. My alkalinity was barely 4dKH :shock: :shock: I even soaked the probe in vinegar overnight, rinsed it, and checked the calibration with my last set of calibration fluid and it was spot on. :x I do not usually have to buffer the tanks. I didn't even think about checking my make up water alkalinity. I checked the message boards and other articles, and Oceanic is high in Calcium but lacking in alkalinity. I personally will never use Oceanic again. I have had great results with Kent and I think I will stick with it. If I don't use Kent, I will use Reef Crystals.
i use the reef crystals for the reef tank and i just bought the instant ocean on my new puffer tank and i havent had a problem w/ it yet but the reef crystals are freaking awesome
I use a weak Kalkwater to top off and I use a two part everyother day. I am suffering from a pretty good crop of this really short dark, almost black "fuzz" algae growing on anything plastic that had a lot of coraline on it. I just pulled out the maxi-stream mod to clean it last night because the intake slots were almost closed up from it. I have buffered up the tank and I have just about got the water straightened out. My pH dips a little low at night still, but I figure I just need to get my ions balanced by some water changes with a different salt. The fuge is back online and I am slowly but surly getting that fuzz off of everything plastic I can. My parameters are: pH: 8.13 (day) 7.88 (night) Alk: 11 dKH Ca: 460 ppm Nitrate: 0 ppm PO4: 0 ppm
Maintaining these parameters are the main things we need to do better on my tank. Is a 7.97-8.22 pH night-day swing too much? What is the main thing you do to keep your calcium level up? Does the two-part take care of the calcium level adequately? I need to check the pH in the effluent but all of my top-off is supposed to be saturated limewater and I'm having a hard time getting the calcium level up to 400. I have some Turbo Calcium that I guess I should use properly to get the level up and then let the Kalk maintain it?
We use Reef Crystals but my water change regimen is not consistent. I'm hoping that now since I've found another reefer in Arkadelphia (actually he found me) willing to help out, I can start doing water changes more frequently.
I hate seeing my pH dip below 8.00 at all, even at night. It was not ever getting below 8.1 at night. My system runs with about 150 gallons total volume, and I am dosing B-Ionic 30ml of each every other day. I would like to find someone to buy Mag and Dow flake from so I can make my own two-part, but I have not been able to find a place to buy an entire bag of them. There are several places to buy a few pounds of it, but I want the entire bag. I had a simple kalk reactor if you will. I just used a bucket and mixed up water and reused the kalk in the bottom of the bucket. I added more kalk as needed.
i use the reef crystals in my tank and i love it but in this new tank im not adding coral so i figured the good ole instantcean will be fine
I decided that since there's only a $2 difference between a 5g bucket of IO and RC, I would go with the RC. That's nothing over 160g of saltwater.
and i guess im in another world i didnt meen to post almost the exact same thing twice sorry guys and gals
