When I first started checking the calcium levels in my tank (around December--the tank started in October) they were off the chart (salifert tops out at 500) and it took me quite a while to get them back to where I wanted. When I first started the tank, I was dosing calcium and alkalinity supplements separately, and obviously put too much calcium in. After that, I did some research and decided that the 2 part alkalinity/calcium supplements would be better. This research (I think it was Dr. Farley on ReefCentral) said that the reason to use these supplements was that they were balanced so that you didn't have swings in opposite directions with the two supplements (ie, no calcium level going up while the alkalinity goes down). So I started using B-Ionic and just dosed the alkalinity part until my calcium was around 480 and my alkalinity around 10. This happened to be around the same time that I started zeovit, and since these levels were too high, I started bringing them down. My understanding of the 2 part supplements is that if you add equal amounts of both supplements, the alkalinity and calcium levels will either both fall, both stay stable, or both rise. Given this, as I was dosing 10 ml of alkalinity, I started dosing 10 ml of calcium. This resulted in the alkalinity not moving, so I dropped the dose to 7.5 of each and then to 5 of each. Since my understanding was that both the alkalinity and the calcium would drop, I only tested for alkalinity, figuring that I'd test for calcium once the alkalinity was in range. Last night, I tested for alkalinity, and it's at 8.3. I was bored, so I went ahead and tested the calcium, and it's back at over 500!
I was hoping someone could help me here. Is the whole idea behind the 2 part system, that it keeps the levels from going in opposite directions, utter crap, or could something else account for it? The only thing that I've changed in my routine during zeovit is that my water changes are more frequent. I mix to 1.026 and use corallife salt; I know this is pretty high in calcium, but I've tested the water before putting it in the tank and the calcium is usually right around 480--higher than where I want to be with zeovit, but still under 500. Also, my magnesium level when I started zeovit was around 1200, now it's at 1350.
I've definitely learned my lesson on one thing; weekly tests should be on alkalinity and calcium, not just the alkalinity.
I was hoping someone could help me here. Is the whole idea behind the 2 part system, that it keeps the levels from going in opposite directions, utter crap, or could something else account for it? The only thing that I've changed in my routine during zeovit is that my water changes are more frequent. I mix to 1.026 and use corallife salt; I know this is pretty high in calcium, but I've tested the water before putting it in the tank and the calcium is usually right around 480--higher than where I want to be with zeovit, but still under 500. Also, my magnesium level when I started zeovit was around 1200, now it's at 1350.
I've definitely learned my lesson on one thing; weekly tests should be on alkalinity and calcium, not just the alkalinity.
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