High calcium

[MichaelB]

To start with Sps tank is looking great.

I'm dosing afr 16.5 ml a day split between 3 equally spaced doses daily with hydros doser ran off hydros launch.

Roughly once a month I test and add esv alk to bring it back to Roughly 8.0. It's takes a few weeks to drop down to 6 which has been the pattern for many months.

I natural would have considered increasing the amount of afr that's dose to keep alk where it should be. However I have opted for Corrective doses seeing where the calc numbers are. I would worry about further rasing the calc by increasing afr without any control over that specific element.

Magnesium has also been dropping down from around 1300 -1350 where I intended to keep it. I've added Magnesium various products when I see if fall down during monthly testing as well.

Corals are definitely growing, encrusting, new branches, and coloring up. So I'm not overtly concerned.

Though I'm wondering does anyone have thoughts on why the higher calcium?

And is there away to get it down to 450 (what I believe is the top of the recommended range) it's not about specific number chasing at all here. Just long term success.

Kinda hoping I'm not at risk of screwing anything up over time with calcium numbers where they are.

No filter

Orange filter

Salinity 0.025

 

[BAYMAC]

What's your salinity?

 

[MichaelB]

What's your salinity?

I run .025

 

[Adauqua]

You hit one of AFR's problem when your tank consumes more alk than Ca.

1. lower (or stop) your daily AFR dose until you hit Ca=450
2. continue daily/weekly to correct Alk with esv to meet your target range
3. start (increase) dosing AFR again to match your tank daily Ca consuming rate
4. correct the daily/weekly Alk again.
5. dose some extra TM trace element A/K (or CoralHub's trace elements) if needed

 

[iani]

Simply increasing your alk will drop of Ca.

 

[MichaelB]

You hit one of AFR's problem when your tank consumes more alk than Ca.

1. lower (or stop) your daily AFR dose until you hit Ca=450
2. continue daily/weekly to correct Alk with esv to meet your target range
3. start (increase) dosing AFR again to match your tank daily Ca consuming rate
4. correct the daily/weekly Alk again.
5. dose some extra TM trace element A/K (or CoralHub's trace elements) if needed

I hand dose 5 drops of coral hub forbidden elixir a day for traces.

 

[MichaelB]

Simply increasing your alk will drop of Ca.

I will have to make a note to Retest the calcium tomorrow. I never Retest it after adjusting alk with esv. It might actually be fine. Once alk is back in range.

Calcium is tested only once monthly so I haven't seen the effect of getting alk in range plays with calc testing.

 

[tribbitt]

You can manually supplement alkalinity with a number of different solutions, which will likely mostly resolve your issue. Alkalinity will climb, and you can decrease your AFR dose to decrease Ca. Might also increase your rate of calcification

 

[MichaelB]

You can manually supplement alkalinity with a number of different solutions, which will likely mostly resolve your issue. Alkalinity will climb, and you can decrease your AFR dose to decrease Ca. Might also increase your rate of calcification

I use esv to adjust/tweak alkalinity and calcium though I never have to use the calcium component.

Maybe a noob response here but what do you mean by rate of calcification?

 

[tribbitt]

I use esv to adjust/tweak alkalinity and calcium though I never have to use the calcium component.

Maybe a noob response here but what do you mean by rate of calcification?

Corals calcify -> they lay down skeleton by excreting calcium carbonate rock

Increasing alk may make them lay down skeleton faster, consuming calcium faster, and Ca can drop even without decreasing dosage

Sorry for using unnecessary word, I'm sure you already knew the concept/process

 

[MichaelB]

Corals calcify -> they lay down skeleton by excreting calcium carbonate rock

Increasing alk may make them lay down skeleton faster, consuming calcium faster, and Ca can drop even without decreasing dosage

Sorry for using unnecessary word, I'm sure you already knew the concept/process

Got it I know what you mean makes coral grow faster in simple terms. I was thinking you meant something scientific that I wasn't aware of.

 

[iani]

Dosing alk will make the calcium precipitate out. Automatically dropping Ca.

 

[MichaelB]

Dosing alk will make the calcium precipitate out. Automatically dropping Ca.

So in that case I should likely slowly increase the afr dose to make things hold more steady? I only haven't done it yet from worrying about the higher calc

 

[iani]

So in that case I should likely slowly increase the afr dose to make things hold more steady? I only haven't done it yet from worrying about the higher calc

No you need to dose just alk. Sodium carbonate.

 

[Darkxerox]

Honestly, I don't think the AFR is serving you well if your big numbers are way off where you want to be AND you're still dosing traces separately (without doing any ICP I'm assuming) and having to manually correct Mg and Alk. You might as well do kalk on a pump plus traces manually and dose Mg on a second pump. It would cost way less in the long run.

To correct for what Ian is saying is just use baking soda and a calculator.

 

[Coral reefer]

Honestly, I don't think the AFR is serving you well if your big numbers are way off where you want to be AND you're still dosing traces separately (without doing any ICP I'm assuming) and having to manually correct Mg and Alk. You might as well do kalk on a pump plus traces manually and dose Mg on a second pump. It would cost way less in the long run.

To correct for what Ian is saying is just use baking soda and a calculator.

Or just 2 or 3 part. I like to do 2 part and dump some mg in the top off as needed usually

 

[tribbitt]

Or just 2 or 3 part. I like to do 2 part and dump some mg in the top off as needed usually

I do this.

 

[MichaelB]

Honestly, I don't think the AFR is serving you well if your big numbers are way off where you want to be AND you're still dosing traces separately (without doing any ICP I'm assuming) and having to manually correct Mg and Alk. You might as well do kalk on a pump plus traces manually and dose Mg on a second pump. It would cost way less in the long run.

To correct for what Ian is saying is just use baking soda and a calculator.

I've done one icp test before. I have two test on stand by. Just haven't sent another one in since a the first one a couple months back. Probably over due for one.

Before I had problems getting certain colors to show on acros. After using the drops of traces that problem has gone away.

So esv alk wouldn't be sufficient ? I actually have four full gallons of the two part (2 of each).

I mix 1000ml of afr maybe every 2 months so a container lasts me 6 months+.

I've also only ever doses either afr or esv 2 part plus esv mag. So zero knowledge or confidence with any other products. It took me two years to get the courage to use a dosing pump for afr.

I'm ran out of esv mag again. That's what I use more than anything else by required dosing amount from calculators. The last gallon I used in 2 months. That one feels expensive considering how fast I run through it.

I currently only have the single head hydros dosers. I maybe upgraded to a blenny or more likely a minnow at some point.

 

[MichaelB]

Or just 2 or 3 part. I like to do 2 part and dump some mg in the top off as needed usually

How much mag In 5gallon ato reservoir. I
Never thought of that. I saw people did it with kalk but videos has me scared of kalk. From the videos many sware by it, while others have bad stories. So makes me to nervous too fool with it.