The dispenser was added a month ago in an effort to reduce the amount of two part needed... but has not helped. I was under the impression that Ca precipitation happened in the water column. Commonly described as "snowing".
Yeah, I knew you'd ask for water parameters. Getting Ca and alk balanced has been an ongoing battle for me. So, there are definitely times were one is high and the other is low. However, I test alk fairly regularly and normally (and currently) is around 7 DKH. Ca is tested at the LFS (so less often) and is usually in the low to mid range (325-400 ppm). The last LFS test was a over a week ago so I need to get Ca tested again soon (hopefully this weekend).
Hi Tom, I just wrote a lengthy post to answer your question and got booted out while submitting it and I didn't copy and paste, lol. So I'm trying to retype everything while I'm half asleep now. My sincere apology if I missed anything...
CA precipitation does cause snowing in your water column and so does dumping Kalkwasser into your system and sump.
1st priority- Get a CA/MAG Test Kit *Salifert would be my 1st choice and API next* The API is cheaper and is more readily available at your LFS. (Now this completes your 3 major test kits, since you already have the DKH/ALK)
2nd priority- Decide if your going to dose 2 Part or use Kalkwasser as your ATO *Auto Top Off* as your primary supplement, NOT BOTH. However if the Kalk isn't producing enough CA or MAG in your system then supplement 2 part to balance it out. Also I would dose MAG to stablize your CA and ALK so it won't keep looking like a heartbeat. Just remember dosing MAG will increase your salinity since its a salt-base supplement, so always check after each use.
3rd priority- KEEPing your parameters in check, I would test every other day for the next 2-3 wks and dose or top off accordingly. Once you have a better idea of how much to add then you can go testing on a weekly basis.
Ideal Parameters:
DKH- 8-12, typically around 10 is best
PH- Ideally at least 8.1 (-/+ .1)
Salinity- 1.025 *I hope your using a refractometer*
CA- 380+, I believe anything less than 360 is not being absorbed by your corals
MAG- 1350-1400 is ideal
Originally Posted by Tom@HaslettMI
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