Ugh, These Blasted Test Kits!...And Maybe A Little Kalkwasser Seesaw Effect? – 03/18/08
Yep, admittedly I fell prey to bad test kits, first with alkalinity and then with magnesium.
<<Very common, in my opinion>>
Here is my issue, 1000 gallon system, my reactor used to be able to maintain Alk and calc at appropriate levels, the test kit I was using (Red Sea as I couldn’t get Salifert at the time)
<<Do try Seachem’s line of test kits…good quality for value>>
for magnesium was reading 1200 ppm. Little did I know it was below that by 200ppm per my Elos kit,
<<I’m not familiar with this brand/manufacturer…though I do seem to recall favorable comments from Bob re>>
and I was using Kalk which was eroding it further.
<<Mmm, yes…I’m not absolutely certain of the science behind it, but I believe it is something to do with the addition of Kalkwasser increasing the precipitation nuclei of the water column, thus promoting the disproportionate loss of Magnesium>>
Needless to say I fell into this desperate addition of varying buffers to maintain Alk and calcium until magnesium finally hit 1300+ (I'd like to stabilize it at 1400, I’m running Zeo Mag in my reactor and it’s putting out 1350).
<<I think it likely the reactors and the Kalkwasser additions are battling each other…probably best to discontinue the latter>>
So, long story short, tested my levels last night, Mag 1300, Alk 8, CA 400. My reactor ran all day, is well tuned in with a pH of 6.5 and Alk output off the scale. I dosed Kalk for a while today to raise pH as it was floating around 8.1 and I wanted to get it higher (dripping maybe 20 drips per minute, in a 1000 gal system I thought it was just about right). Tested Alk tonight and it was 7, CA 360 and Mag 1200!
<<Refer to my previous statement re the Kalkwasser use>>
I do have a little detritus but not a big buildup. I don’t understand why I can’t nail down solid levels. I increased the CA reactor output and it’s a steady stream, but I am really wondering at this point if I am not best off adding another CA reactor.
<<This would be preferable to the Kalkwasser additions>>
I do have heavy SPS but I can’t believe they are sucking that much calcium.
<<If exhibiting heavy or even just “good” growth their demand can be considerable>>
I am beginning to wonder if I am not in some type of runaway supplement nightmare
<<…yes>>
(I add all according to directions), but the sheer fact that Mag fell by 100 in a day (per my Elos test), indicates to me stop dripping Kalk, use Seachem’s buffer for pH if need be, and dose mg according to directions until it stabilizes.
<<Sounds like a plan>>
I don’t have any nutrient sinks that I know of (only DSB is a DSB 30 gal trash but it has no detritus in it).
Any help is greatly appreciated!
<<Stopping the Kalkwasser dosing and stepping-up the Calcium reactor(s) should make a dif…oh!..as well as a large water change to help bring all back in “balance.” Regards, EricR>>

Re: Possible Kalkwasser issue... with the link!   5/20/07
Bob,
<Diego>
Thank you again for the quick and useful reply.
I'm still a little bit puzzled by what's happening and would like to share a couple of thoughts and questions to make sure I understand the problem.
Here's what I'm struggling with.
I. I understand that the danger parameters are not as hard walls as I may think, but if a snowstorm is happening wouldn't it cause fluctuations in parameters such as Ca and Alk. I measure them daily and they seem to remain pretty constant.
<I see>
II. I use a very low concentration of Kalkwasser since I don't have a huge consumption of calcium. I would expect this to reduce the risk of these events.
<Yes>
III. After further observation I realized that not all particles are white and many seem light brown. In addition they seem to be coming from the back of the tank following the water movement.
<Okay>
In addition to a snowstorm I was thinking it could be and accumulation of detritus in some area of the tank (hidden behind LR) that is being circled around by the water movement. My third hypothesis is that I'm incorrectly fishing in the Kalkwasser container, therefore exporting some of the precipitates that form while mixing.
<Could easily be>
I forgot to add that everything in the tank seems to be doing wonderfully.
This is making me look at other hypothesis since I would think that Ca/Alk crashes would at least cause some stress.
<Usually yes>
I know I've been taking up a lot of your time but if possible wanted to ask one last question.
When preparing RO/DI water to be used to mix saltwater, the best procedure would be to just mix it for 24hr with a powerhead or you would also buffer it to pH 8.4 before adding the salt?
<I would buffer after adding the salt... In fact, any changes I would measure for and amend AFTER the salt is completely dissolved, the water circulated (otherwise aerated)>
A huge thanks,
Diego
<Welcome my friend. Bob Fenner>

Re: Kalkwasser, pH, dKH...And the Need for Understanding – 04/15/07
Hi Eric
<<Hello Roger>>
Thanks for the in depth reply.
<<Hope it helps>>
I will indeed read all the suggested material.
<<Please do my friend...and beyond what was suggested.  Knowledge is indeed powerful here>>
My Ca reading is 400 following the Kalk incident!
<<Ahh, ok...this is fine>>
And yes it is the dKH reading which is 13.
<<A "bit" high as stated, but no reason to panic...just let it fall naturally>>
Could it be I was doing OK before I followed the erroneous advice on using Kalk?
<<I think so, yes>>
Apart from the Nitrates being constantly at the 12ppm mark, everything else seems fine, oh except the pH which is perhaps something I'm worrying about wrongly and what I was hoping the Kalk would cure.
<<Indeed...  Though at the "low" end the pH is not "bad" but it wouldn't hurt to boost it a bit for some measure of a safety cushion.  I suggest you try the Seachem product 'Reef Booster' for this...buffering your saltwater mix just prior to doing your water changes should work nicely>>
My reasoning on the c02 issue was I'd read that that might be a cause of low pH.
<<I see...  This shouldn't be an issue with an "open" top tank, use of a skimmer, and good water flow within the tank itself...unless your home is sealed tightly and the CO2 levels within are high (easily tested by aerating some tank water outside the house for a while and measuring the pH)>>
With nitrates the level has never changed since I started testing it 6 months ago.
<<I would try a new/another brand test kit to validate this>>
My LFS state that theirs is 25 and think my level is good!!!!
<<It's not "awful," but is higher than I like to see on a consistent basis.  Perhaps you could add some Chemi-Pure or Poly-Filter to your filter path to see it this helps bring it down>>
Any advice would be gratefully received.  I was using a canister filter with bio balls and noodles (heard theses were nitrate factories) so have managed to remove them over time so that the filter now is used for water movement and small particle removal only, so now the LR and sand are keeping the bio filtration spot on but no change in nitrate levels!
<<Do make sure you clean the particulate filter "at least" weekly as the trapped detritus is a prime source of nitrates.  And this canister filter is a great place to place the chemical filtrates mentioned>>
Thanks once again,
Roger
<<Quite welcome.  EricR>>

Nuclear Meltdown
Bob,
I am still in a state of morning. I left Tuesday for a convention in Atlantic City, NJ. When I left that morning my 75g reef tank was doing well. I left a neighbor (familiar w/ aquariums) to watch over my tank. When I got home Thursday night, I went to check the tank and noticed it was cloudy. Then I looked at all of the carnage. Everything in my tank had been killed off. The fish, inverts, hermits and even the bristleworms (didn't know I had that many!) I was able to save approx. 12 left-handed hermits and 1 green stripe goby. These were quickly placed in my quarantine tank and are doing fine. I
could tell from the smell that my ammonia levels hit the top of the charts. I attribute the die-off to 2 possible solutions. The first the use of
Kalkwasser. I think it became too caustic. 
<This stuff is way too toxic for its intended use period... a very poor idea/choice in folks trying to sell "something" to the public IMO...>
The second I am unsure about. My neighbor noticed that my protein skimmer was not working. He assumed that I had unplugged the unit. Would a failure like this create this sort of problem?
<Yikes, oh yes... a chain of bad reactions>
Also, is the live rock worth saving? I'm talking about a nuclear explosion. Am I back to square one?
<Yes, worth saving... if nothing else, not too hard to re-culture with some new LR on/over the old. And yes to being near to square one>
Thanks for your insights as usual.
Bob Wrigley
<Very sorry to hear of your losses, troubles. Patience and retrospection my friend. Such adversity can be instructional. Bob Fenner>

Substrate Compaction
Hello again, Bob. Thank you for such a speedy response on my questions. I tapped into the water line before my softener to the R/O. Man, what a
difference! My dkH went from .6 to 11.8.My calcium readings were like 170ppm(with the help of Turbo Calcium) to 280ppm with nothing but R/O
water salt (partially softened water still mixed in, so my readings should get a little higher on my next batch). Hopefully, this will boost my coralline
algae growth..
<Yes... good moves... you should see a difference with days to a few weeks>
I also switched to Instant Ocean not mixed any yet). Another note; I've moved my rock to my 65 gallon tank I've just set back up. It is
longer and shallower than the 58 gal. tank (better, right?).
<In general yes>
Besides, the 58 gal. was borrowed from my brother, which I had planned on purchasing from
him, but would be better off using the money elsewhere. I've caught you up, so here's another problem: I've used Kalkwasser off and on in the past. I've
also had a problem with substrate compaction. I don't always vacuum the gravel (Seaflor) like I should, but when I do, there are big chunks that are
hard to break up. I've heard Kalkwasser causes this. Is there something I'm doing wrong or is this unavoidable?
<These are likely related events... and yes to prevention... simple dragging of a wooden or plastic dowel/rod through the substrate during weekly maintenance will prevent a good deal of this compaction/aggregation>
Would a larger substrate size help? 
<Perhaps... or adding some to the existing>
I also thought about not using a substrate, but I would lose my buffering. What would be my best option? Thanks in advance, Steve.
<The best option? Not using the calcium hydroxide at all... but availing yourself of a carbon dioxide type calcium reactor... If you use the Kalk, only drip it in slowly... only at night... only in a vicinity of rapid water mixing... and only as much as needed... Many intermediate approaches to consider... Bob Fenner>

Live Sand
Mr. Fenner,
<Anthony Calfo in your service>
I begin by saying thanks for the amazing service that you and the WWM provide. A wonderful and invaluable resource that borders on information overload! 
<yes... we have been told that we are really full of it many times <G>>
I have been able to research numerous topics with your FAQ's and your added Google search engine! Thank you.
<excellent to hear>
My question is about live sand. I am seeing "clumps" of sand -- I tried that in the search feature -- and have noticed that the grains seem to be sticking together.
<yes, I understand and can explain it>
Tank info:
58 Gallon + Wet Dry Ceramic Media)/skimmer + HOT Magnum
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate >10ppm
pH 8.1
dKH 10
Calcium 400
I add the Kent CB as the tests warrant and had been using Aragamilk.
<bingo... misapplication as part of the problem>
My sand "crew" includes:
<this has nothing to do with detritivore activity>
Sand sifting star, Over-achieving Dragon Goby,
<yes... Amblygobius phalaena: this goby is one of the very best and most hardy!!! for sand sifting. I love them>
10 Blue-legged hermits, and a Blue Damsel that has taken to re-arranging the sand in three of the four corners of the tank!
What do these clumps indicate about my water chemistry? 
<it is exactly precipitated (literally) by wildly fluctuating chemistry. Perhaps unnoticed by you if you test your pH at the same time every day. Some folks get it by pouring in Kalkwasser solutions too much or too fast which causes a temporary spike in pH locally. It may occur from the misapplication of other Ca or Alk products (like your Aragamilk product.. of which I am dubious about its benefits in the big picture) when used too much or too quickly (smaller more frequent dosing is better than large weekly doses. And finally it can happen in tanks (receiving such products or not) that have wild "natural" swings in pH between night and day. I see that you report a pH of 8.1. If this is accurate and a reading taken by day as I suspect (when pH in aquaria is highest by far)... then you have a borderline serious problem with pH. You may actually be dipping down to 7.8 or lower at night (tank respiration). And this is all assuming that your test kit read accurately! What if the kit read high? And your day night readings are actually 7.9/7.6...yikes! No wonder then aragonite in your bed is fusing.>
Or is this supposed to happen? 
<nope... an indication of a minor flaw in the system that could turn into something bigger. Still not much to worry about>
Everything looks fabulous but I am noticing more of these little sand "balls" every day. 
<yes... do examine your dosing system and day night pH swings (take a test reading after a long dark night before the lights come on and not after a fresh dose of ca/ALK)>
I really did try to find this mentioned in the FAQ section and under LS but I may have been looking for the wrong thing.
<appreciate you taking the time to look... hopefully you found other interesting things>
Thanks for all your hard work and for sharing your expertise. Have a wonderful day. Lee
<best regards, Anthony>

Kalkwasser still....
Hello again Anthony (It's only me from over the sea....)
<Cheers, dear!>
I don't know if you remember, probably not now but approx. 3 weeks ago I was asking about dosing my reef tank with Kalkwasser. I was worried about what I thought was high pH (8.5). Do I take it that 8.5 is actually not high? 
<correct. It is indeed on the higher end... but a reef tank that was say 8.5 at peak day and dropped to 8.3 at night sounds nearly perfect to me>
I say this because you said that a pH of 8.6 would precipitate my high phosphates, support Alk and add free calcium. I thought pH should be around 8.3?
<8.3 is a convenient average and one that is promoted (driven) by industry production of overpriced sea buffers that are mostly baking soda which can only bring a system to 8.3 and no higher easily <wink>. NSW averages on actual reefs (not the whole ocean average which is lower) is around 8.45>
I still have not started dosing as I am still worried about the affects . This is because I now test for calcium as well as Alkalinity.
My tank is 100 gals (Imperial not US gals). The parameters I test for are:
Temp normally 78 has crept up to 82 in last couple of days because of abnormally hot
weather (for England that is!)
<a four degree jump is a rather stressful... do keep a close eye>
SG = 1.024
pH = 8.5 (8.3 at 2.00a.m. yawn!....) liquid drop and tablet tests agree here Ammonia = 0 ,Nitrite = 0, Nitrate between 10 and 20ppm Dry-Tabs Master test kit.
Alkalinity = 250ppm (is this high?) Aquarium System Fastest
Calcium = 500ppm + used all measured dose without sample water turning blue.. previous reading
3days ago 410ppm 10% water change done since then. Salifert CaPro:-Test
<holy cow! The calcium reading is very hard to believe. If you aren't adding any other calcium supplements then you have EXTREMELY hard tap water or it is a clear inaccuracy of the test equipment. You are dangerously close if true to having carbonates precipitate out (a snowstorm). Please do not add ANY Kalkwasser until this is clarified.>
phosphates = 5.0 (very high even straight from tap, main reason for wanting Kalkwasser,
<WOW, yes... 5.0ppm is staggering. Terrible nuisance algae in the tank too?>
hair algae plague)) 
<ahhh, yes>
Dry tablets
My question is this: Can you have too high a reading for calcium/alkalinity and if so what should be done? 
<yes... both are not meant to be held at the high end of the ideal simultaneously. 8-12 dKH for ALK and 350-425ppm calcium is just fine>
will dosing with Kalkwasser make the calcium /alkalinity readings even worse?
<yes, but in different ways. If you push the Ca higher, you may drive the ALK lower through the crystalline precipitation of carbonates. A bad scene. You may need a RO or DI unit to temper your hard tap water. Starting with purified water, you can reconstitute the mix to a more reasonable Ca and ALK levels>
I use Instant Ocean sea salt but am changing to Reef crystals when that runs out. 
<please don't as long as you use tap water (if the high CA is true). You already have too much calcium>
I tested freshly mixed Instant Ocean and found it had mixed a pH of 8.6 (thought it mixed 8.3 ?) 
<usually yes, but you seem to have higher than normal hard water>
I again used both dry tablet and liquid drop methods and they gave the same reading.
I normally dose the tank, sparingly (less than recommended doses) with Iodine, Strontium and calcium once a week (no calcium for the last 3 weeks) since I realized how high it was but you see it has still gone up since then with no additive just a water change
<ahhh.. no supplements, but the water change= definitely hard water evidenced by the jump in Ca. Do consider a DI unit to purify your water. A Kati Ani two column deionizer will be a fine investment>
Taking all this into account , would you still dose with Kalkwasser ?<nope>
I will just add that I have no room/capability of adding a sump/refugium under the tank much as I would like too, I am saving up for a tank that has all this incorporated in it but this will not be happening just yet! All inhabitants seem happy enough (touch wood!).
Many thanks for all your past /future help , I am slowly learning with your help. I have not found
any site anywhere with such an abundance of information and people willing to help like you do .
Also I have learnt a new word from you , so Kudos to you!
<excellent!:)>
Bye for now - Jenny
<until you make the investment in a water purifier, simply do water changes with Instant Ocean, add no calcium or buffer either so long as they are over 350ppm and 8 dKH respectively. Best regards, Anthony>

Re: Kalkwasser still....
Hi again Anthony What a lightning response!!
<we aim to please! Actually... we are just looking for some good fish and chips when we finally do visit the UK :)>
You have confirmed what I was thinking about not adding Kalkwasser yet/if ever. We do have very hard water here.
<indeed... it all points to that. A blessing for keeping marines and African cichlids, but a nightmare for Amazon and pond fishes>
I am now a bit (no, a lot) worried about this snowstorm thing you say I'm close to. Would it have happened when I did the water change if it was going to? Could it still happen and if so what can I do to either stop it or correct it if it happens. 
<the event is unmistakable... it looks like snowflakes suddenly and massively appearing in your tank: like a snowstorm. I can say that you have nothing to worry about if you keep doing regular water changes (providing fresh minerals for the corals) and always replace evaporation with distilled water (else you will concentrate the solids in the display by using tap water for evap top off)>
will I lose my tank inhabitants? 
<it can be fatal yes and must be allowed to run its course... doing a water change during the snowstorm only feeds the reaction with more carbonates. You will be OK if you don't let your Calcium climb above 500 ppm approx>
I was going to do another water change soon but I dare not now! 
<please do! The water changes are necessary and critical. Your tank draws calcium daily... the water changes help to replace it. You simply must add the distilled or RO water for evaporation make up and you will be fine>
Please clarify my next move apart from getting a RO or DI unit (I know what a reverse osmosis unit does but what is/does a DI unit please?) which would you most recommend me to get .
<DI is a deionizer and quite similar to an RO unit. Much better in my opinion because it produces no waste water. It can also be fully recharged with household chemicals>
Thanks again for such a fast response - I am very grateful. Jenny
<My pleasure. Anthony Calfo>