My tank is running very well with the exception of some phosphates present. I originally started a FOWLR. It is a 90g DT with a 35g sump. I have added some soft corals and a couple of Nems over the past few months and all are doing very well. I wouls like to add some LPS. However, I need to provide adequate parameters. I am attempting to add a phosban reactor. In the meantime gonna add some chemipure between the baffles until I get a reactor. My question is....what do I do next? Should I mix Kalk in my ATO storage? I am not sure where to go from here.
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Where do I go from here?? What to do now???
- Thread starter wienerdog
- Start date
Make sure your Ca, Mg and Alk are all good, using a decent test kit, i.e. Salifert. If they are not in range I'd get that taken care of first.
The curse of the reefer always looking to do more. 
If the fish, softies, and nems are doing well I would probably leave it alon for a while. I would want to get the phosphates in check but you don't need to go crazy. As Jim said get some test kits and start to monitor your alk and calc. Test consistently over a few weeks and see were your numbers come out. You might not need to dose anything in the tank. I would also make sure that any corals you added are not going to be expensive snacks if you have some FOWLR type fish in there.
If the fish, softies, and nems are doing well I would probably leave it alon for a while. I would want to get the phosphates in check but you don't need to go crazy. As Jim said get some test kits and start to monitor your alk and calc. Test consistently over a few weeks and see were your numbers come out. You might not need to dose anything in the tank. I would also make sure that any corals you added are not going to be expensive snacks if you have some FOWLR type fish in there.You could start using Kalkwasser, I use about 1 tsp. a day (in my top off)in a 180. I would get some Mrs. Wages pickling lime, it's food grade and mixes much easier, to say nothing about its being cheaper. You'll need to keep an eye on your pH, because it has a tendency to raise it.
Thanks Jim. My ATO storage is about 5 gallons. Simply add it to that. I have an aerator and a heater in the bucket. Do you suggest I add 1 tsp in the bucket per day and thats it?...even initially? In regards to my ph, it is relatively low anyway and that is how I came up with Kalkwasser doing some research. My ph is around 7.6-7.8 max
MNAT...I am gonna get a kit to check my Alk and Mg tonight. As for Ca, it's around 430.
Mg is not as important, I would be testing Alk first and Calc second. The reason I said to test over a few weeks is that you don't want your parameters to swing. Your numbers should be in a decent range right now but if they swing over the days or weeks that is what is going to stress your corals.
Be careful with the Kalk, an overdose can be devastating. There are a lot of other products you can use to raise your alk and calc so do some research.
Be careful with the Kalk, an overdose can be devastating. There are a lot of other products you can use to raise your alk and calc so do some research.
I have a 5 gal bucket I use for that too, but I don't heat or aerate it. I do that for the water I'm making up for WC's. I usually take the bucket and let it fill with RO/DI, about 4 gallons then add about 2 tsp. of the kalk, I place a ph in the bucket and let it mix, until it's totally dissolved, ~ 5 - 10 min., then replace it under my tank.
If you have to make adjustments to ANY water parameters, I would wait to see that it's stabilized before making investments into any tank inhabitants. Patience is key here my friend.
I will read some more. However, my Ca is OK. My ph is abit low. If Kalk is a debated topic, I will avoid it altogether. I will also check my Alk, Ca, and Mg over a two week period and see what exists. I suppose what I am trying to do is keep myself busy. My FOWLR kinda becam a bit boring so I introduced some softies and nems. (maximini & condy) I just a few days ago intro'd a BTA. So, I was afraid my tank was too basic to keep up with my plans to add LPS and more softies. So fr everything in my tank is very healthy and active. I suppose, if it's not broken don't fix it.
The kalk will not raise your calcium or alk, it will just help to maintain it. The importance of the magnesium is to keep the Ca and Alk from binding to each other and precipitating out, making them biologically unavailable to the animals that use them, i.e. LPS, SPS, clams, etc.. it should be about 3 times the value of your Ca. If you need to increase your Alk, use something like Seachem's Reef Builder, as opposed to the reef buffer, since the latter will raise your pH, I'd let the Kalk take care of that. Obviously this all needs to be closely monitored. If you use ocean aquarium in EHT, talk to Frank or John.
What kind of salt mix are you using? How often do you do WC's?
What kind of salt mix are you using? How often do you do WC's?
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IMO I would not add it to the storage container. In my container it created a film. I would add to the sump so it mixes well before hitting your DT. I stopped using Kalk and switched to Kent Tech CB part A and B. I like it much better. B is for Alk and And A is for Ca.
Hoped this helped and good luck.
Hoped this helped and good luck.
I'll bet they used API test kits, didn't they. Having said that, except for the NH3 and NO2 most of the API readings are probably ok.
What kits are you using? What salt mix? How often do you do water changes? How much do you change?
Salifert, Reef Crystals, weekly, and about 20g's. I am using API for nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia. The guy at Ocean Aquarium, not John or Frank (Iknow them both very well) suggested I try these pads that fit in your baffles....."Deep Blue" phosphate removing media pads. So, I checked my Po4 right before I added the pad...and again around 1 ppm. I'll check it again same time tomorrow and see how that works or doesn't work.
Ok, your wc regiment and salt are both ok. The reason I asked was that if your are doing weekly wc's and using a decent "reef" type of salt, you really shouldn't need to do too much "dosing" right now, since most of what you'll be needing is in the salt. I have a couple of clams, a few SPS frags and colonies and a couple LPS, and except for my kalkwasser use, the only thing I need to do is bump my alk once in a while, and I use baking soda for that. I don't expect it will stay that way forever and have the BRS two part solution ready when needed.
Also, I would get a better kit for your MH3/4 and NO 2 testing. The main reason is that in a reef tank the maximum threshold for both ammonia and nitrite is .05ppm, the API kits' first color gradient off 0 is .25ppm, which is already 5 times greater than the maximum recommendation.
I think you'd be better off staying with the LPS for now. You don't have to worry as much about the amount of light and more pure water conditions as you will once you start with SPS. Just make sure the fish you have or intend to get are "reef safe".
Thanks again....
I have NO intentions of going SPS. Maybe a few years down the road. I do have a dragon wrasse, juvenile, that I am trying to offload. Interested??
Not me, but maybe someone with a FO or FOWLR tank would take him. Try "Deals and Steals".
PS Big Rocks
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How big is he? Might be interested for my FOWLR.