Problem with Low Alkalinity

I was just doing some measurements on my fishtank and my Ph is at 8.1
and my Calcium at 370. I've never managed to get it this high
actually, it's usually around 340. I'm not sure what's holding it
down and my magnesium is around 1050. Anyway, I tested my kh and it's
at 5.1/1.83 and usually it's around 9.9/3.54 and I'm not sure if even
that is as good as it should be. I recently lost a brain coral which
is what made me watch my tests more and I'm not sure if that could
have caused this.
What kind of problems am I going to have from it being so low and what
is a safe way to get it back up? I talked to a friend about it and I
have a calcium reactor but have had problems getting it to work. I
can't get a steady bubble count out of it and then I end up running
out of co2 in just a month or two at the most (it's a 10 lb tank) and
I'm trying to get around a bubble about every 4 seconds. Is that the
right speed? Well I guess that is for another post.
My question, I am using Kent Marine Turbo Calcium and he mentioned
this is what could have caused my Kh to go down, is that true?

If I am correct if there is a source of calcium around and the pH is lowered
the calcium level in the water rises and then there something with the
oxygen count (can't remember it is rises). But from what your describing
here and from what I seem to understand is that you are getting too much CO2
into the tank. If that is correct then you either have to lower the CO2
level or increase the O2 level.. I think someone else should realy fix my
mess up here, but it's worth a try for me to pump some knowledge back out
insead of just taking it in.



"MarkW" wrote in message
...
I was just doing some measurements on my fishtank and my Ph is at 8.1
and my Calcium at 370. I've never managed to get it this high
actually, it's usually around 340. I'm not sure what's holding it
down and my magnesium is around 1050. Anyway, I tested my kh and it's
at 5.1/1.83 and usually it's around 9.9/3.54 and I'm not sure if even
that is as good as it should be. I recently lost a brain coral which
is what made me watch my tests more and I'm not sure if that could
have caused this.
What kind of problems am I going to have from it being so low and what
is a safe way to get it back up? I talked to a friend about it and I
have a calcium reactor but have had problems getting it to work. I
can't get a steady bubble count out of it and then I end up running
out of co2 in just a month or two at the most (it's a 10 lb tank) and
I'm trying to get around a bubble about every 4 seconds. Is that the
right speed? Well I guess that is for another post.
My question, I am using Kent Marine Turbo Calcium and he mentioned
this is what could have caused my Kh to go down, is that true?

What kind of problems am I going to have from it being so low and what
is a safe way to get it back up?

Mark,

Have a look at...

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

All will become clear...

Best Wishes Rob

You're approaching a level where concern is warranted. However, it is
possible that the tanks current alkalinity is where the system is coming
into balance. I know it sounds odd. Being system dependent, what might be
low for one system may not necessarily be low for another system. At anyrate
you may want to stop using your reactor for awhile as well as performing a
thorough removal of any organic matter that might have accumulated. Also,
your skimmer maybe in need of adjustment or not be sized correctly for your
specific system requirements. H2O changes can sometimes be beneficial as
well.
"Rob Marston" wrote in message
...
What kind of problems am I going to have from it being so low and what
is a safe way to get it back up?

Mark,

Have a look at...

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

All will become clear...

Best Wishes Rob

ok on this, what does the skimmer have to do with Alkalinity, removal of
organics does what, change PH? not sure what the correlation is here...
My Calcium has stayed perfect since i overdosed it(Kent Turbo Calc), i had
it up to about 650
ppm which to my understanding did no harm to the tank, and only in time to
the pumps which that isnt true either atleast within a scale of a few
months. since my calcium got so high i havent added any. this was about 3-4
mos ago. when Calcium started dropping about 50ppm every few weeks, down to
about a PERFECT 450ppm where it stays now then i started playing with my dkh
got it up to about 12. very easy thing to do, the whole while my ph has
been stable for about a year now at around 8.2-8.4 so i never have to watch
ph(unless my kit isnt working but the rest of params seem ok). so a
recommendation would be to dose the calcium first then work on the alk. one
note using probuffer liquid daily to raise alk worked ok, took about a week
to raise it up good, then one day i tried kent superbuffer powder, WOW, much
faster working product and cheaper to use, well it broght the alk up to a
steady over12 up to14 dkh. forgot exactly but it was high!. need to check
it again, let me know if anybody want to knwo the results...
one thing i have a huge oxygen input in my tank, the siphon overflow has a
one foot waterfall dropoff splashdown, here is an open top that takes O2
directly into the water, then one more foot of a vigorous water drop
through a 2 inch hose thats half air for exchange, then it falls thru a grid
with 1/4 inch holes in it further absorbing O2 here in the upper sectoin of
the refugium intake section, then theres the dual airstone skimmer, that
pumps alot of O2 in the water in the refuge output section as well. My PH,
and Alk, and Calc have been more stabe than just about anybody in this news
group thats having any sorts of problems with it from what i notice... very
happy to have stable results as it seems hard. by the way, i did all this
after i switched substrates to sugarfine-marine sand which prob has lil
effect on buffereing of water, or am i mistaken here.
sincerely
http://www.248th.com/wolfdogg
wolf


"Matthew A." wrote in message
news:ANfLb.427406$J77.95497@fed1read07...
You're approaching a level where concern is warranted. However, it is
possible that the tanks current alkalinity is where the system is coming
into balance. I know it sounds odd. Being system dependent, what might be
low for one system may not necessarily be low for another system. At
anyrate
you may want to stop using your reactor for awhile as well as performing a
thorough removal of any organic matter that might have accumulated. Also,
your skimmer maybe in need of adjustment or not be sized correctly for
your
specific system requirements. H2O changes can sometimes be beneficial as
well.
"Rob Marston" wrote in message
...
What kind of problems am I going to have from it being so low and what
is a safe way to get it back up?

Mark,

Have a look at...

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

All will become clear...

Best Wishes Rob