Ooops sorry, forgot the other issue which i think is related. pH has trouble
going over 8.1. I want this to be 8.3 but no dice with the Alk issues. I had
hoped that with constant dosing and monitoring that it would slowly but
surely settle out higher. But is has been 8.1 since the day I set it up.
Inhabitants dont seem to mind. Sabae anemone is always eager to display
himself, valintini puffer wont stop playing in the PH streams and the maroon
clown is forever cleaning house for the anemone.

-Rick

"Rick" wrote in message
news
I am having some problems maintaining calcium and alkalinity.

Lately I have been testing several times a night, in batches of 3. Three
in
regular res mode, by following the posted directions. And three in what I
call super-res, by doubling the components.

Calcium won't go over 375 ppm (confirmed with 2 seperate test kits both
with
standards) But it is constant there. Doesn't change from day to day. (even
running the tests in super sensitivity mode.)

Alk runs high from 3.2 to 5.2 meq/L.

I dose with 2 part B-Ionic and/or Kalkwasser. When I use the 2 part, alot
of
times I end up just dosing part 2 (calcium component) so not to over-do
the
alk. When I am dosing Kalk, I set it up on a drip, totals about 1 gallon
per
day. (Which just so happens to be about what i loose in evap) I make the
Kalk up in 2 gallon batches.

When I dose B-Ionic I end up dosing about 50 ml of part two in a 46 gallon
bowfront. This amount seems enough to maintain the calc, but not raise it.

I would like to get calc to 400 to 425. Any advice?
Also, I would like to get the Alk down. Not dosing for a while works but I
was wondering if there is a method that can be used to raise it, besides
water changes. (do enough of them @ 20% each month)

Best regards,

Rick

System
46 Gallon Bow Front (Reef) 9 months old
10 Gallon Sump
Prizm Skimmer
Wet/Dry Trickle Filter with Hangon Prefilter/Overflow (it works great,
thanks for asking)
Carbon in drip pan. 1/3 replaced bi-weekly
Minimal Bio-Load
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Calc 375
Alk 5.14 (meq/L)
Iodine .06 ppm

60 lbs Aragonite Live Sand
45 lbs Live Rock

Dosing
B-Ionic - Daily as per requirements (usually 50 ml part 2)
Iodine - Daily .5 ml
Trace Elements - Weekly 3 ml
Kalkwasser / Freshwater - Daily about a gallon (when Kalk its by drip)