[marxsman]

I have had this tank set up for years now. It is mostly soft corals. I do not plan on hards until I get halide lighting. but my question is:

I test my calcium and it is always around 420 ppm. My soft corals excel in growth. I can't seem to raise the calcium. I do not have the money now for a good Ca reactor but will add one much later when I get the bigger tank.

I use the Ionic 2 part calcium additive and can never get the amount of CORALINE algae I see in all your tanks. Is this a problem I am overlooking?

Also when I use the part #1 of the Ionic it starts to solidify immediatly and turns into little white balls, is that normal?

How do I keep alk high?

[marxsman]

I've been looking, but there seems to be no answer to why the B-ionic #1 solution solidifies when I put it in the tank. Can anbody answer why it does that.

[Ninong]

I have never experienced that with B-ionic. I used one set of 32-oz bottles of the stuff in the very beginning before switching to limewater (Kalkwasser).

I keep my alk around 10-11 dKH and my calcium around 450-475 ppm and I have coralline algae all over the place. It forms on the glass within nine or ten days if I don't keep up with cleaning the glass.

[marxsman]

I was wondering if I got a bad batch but I put kalk in my tank earlier this week and it did the same thing. I'm stumped. I mixed 1 teaspoon of kalk in ro and put in about 2 cups of the solution and it solidified into clumps too.

I have never had coraline algae grow in this tank except in a few small patches.

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by marxsman

I was wondering if I got a bad batch but I put kalk in my tank earlier this week and it did the same thing. I'm stumped. I mixed 1 teaspoon of kalk in ro and put in about 2 cups of the solution and it solidified into clumps too.

You mixed one teaspoon of "Kalk" in how much R.O. water? And then, after allowing it to settle for several hours first, you added about two cups of the clear solution all at once? I realize some people do add small amounts of limewater all at once but I have never done it that way. I have always dripped it at night into my sump. It usually takes me about five hours to drip about 1.5 gallons of limewater.

P.S. -- The maximum amount of calcium hydroxide that will dissolve in one gallon of water is two teaspoons.

[zhenya]

Originally Posted by marxsman

I was wondering if I got a bad batch but I put kalk in my tank earlier this week and it did the same thing. I'm stumped. I mixed 1 teaspoon of kalk in ro and put in about 2 cups of the solution and it solidified into clumps too.

I have never had coraline algae grow in this tank except in a few small patches.

Did you buy it as a concentrated solution in a 1 gallon jugs? If so, did you ad water to it to mix it up? I can't see why Alkalinity part would solidify into a ball unless it was super saturated solution.
What are your Alkalinity in the tank lately?

[marxsman]

Alk is the one thing I havent tested lately. I have to buy more test kits.

but I never add kalk exept for the other day. I always use the B-ionic solutions. I just bought new (i think 32oz) bottles. this was the first time it has ever balled up. I usually add 15 ml of each.

[NoSump]

Originally Posted by marxsman

Alk is the one thing I havent tested lately. I have to buy more test kits.

but I never add kalk exept for the other day. I always use the B-ionic solutions. I just bought new (i think 32oz) bottles. this was the first time it has ever balled up. I usually add 15 ml of each.

I use a two part solution, C-Balance. I initially had a problem, by dosing Parts A and B too closely together. Now, It is working to maintain my calcium and alkalinity at the appropriate levels, and corline algae is growing on every surface. The cost was less than $30.00 for two gallon containers, containing concentrate.

Although it sounds as though B-ionic has been working for you for some time, it may be worth giving C-Balance a try.

Chuck