solution and additives

[hermit]

can any one guide me on what type of additives should i dose into my tank for maintaining the marine life ?????

currently i am using seachem marine traces element for fish, seachem pH buffer powder.......

what else should i need ??????????

[lightningstrike]

actually depends on what corals u r keeping...... ph buffer and trace elements r okie....... if u r keeping softies, then use iodide, for hard corals u might wanna consider using strotium and magnesium. other additives r calcium and kalk. for water quality, might wanna add activated carbon, phosguard, denitrator, etc.....

correct me if i m wrong.

[hermit]

actually depends on what corals u r keeping...... ph buffer and trace elements r okie....... if u r keeping softies, then use iodide, for hard corals u might wanna consider using strotium and magnesium. other additives r calcium and kalk. for water quality, might wanna add activated carbon, phosguard, denitrator, etc.....

correct me if i m wrong.

okie thank you.............

but what is kalk ?????

what is the use with calcium ??

what about phosguard ??

[terryansimon]

phosguard = phosphate removing media by Seachem.

[fishchemist]

okie thank you.............

but what is kalk ?????

what is the use with calcium ??

what about phosguard ??

I think it is chalk? Chalk - Calcium carbonate - (CaCO3) which can also act as a buffer.

[terryansimon]

kalk. and not chalk.

[ah^siao]

kalk and chalk--> difference of heaven and earth

[Achilles Tang]

It is good advice to not dose what you can't test. Overdosing due to not testing beforehand is not a good idea because of possible water chemistry imbalance, which can be a headache to solve.

[fishchemist]

Paiseh, paiseh . New to this hobby. Just found out that Kalk is a short form for Reefez Kalkwasser - a chemical additives. Will be more careful in the future.

[sunfish]

kalk. and not chalk.

kalk = chalk, just difference in language.

kalkwasser is German, means chalk water, ie calcium hydroxide

[lightningstrike]

dosing kalk only maintains the calcium level in ur tank and not increasing it........ dosing calcium, like what it says increases the calcium level in ur tank.

[ai[k²]wan]

kalk can increase your calcium level, not just maintain, its just slow process.

[lightningstrike]

even if kalk increases ur calcium level, it doesnt increase it by much right? if u really wanna raise calcium, then u should use calcium. IMO that is....

[fishchemist]

If kalk = calcium hydroxide, then it should increase both the Ca and pH, isn't it? However, isn't it risky to pour alkaline into marine tank?

[mAriNe_enthusiast]

I think tat's why we have been advised to introduced it slowly...Drop by drop

[fishchemist]

IMO if I would to increase the pH of a solution, I would add a basic salt eg gulconate. This salt can increase the pH slowly and also act as a buffer.

If I would to increase the concentration of Ca, I would add a neutral Ca salt. From a chemical point, we should not adjust the pH via direct addition of acid or alkaline.

Are there some aspects about the marine tank that I am ignorant about?

Cheers

[bawater]

IMO if I would to increase the pH of a solution, I would add a basic salt eg gulconate. This salt can increase the pH slowly and also act as a buffer.

If I would to increase the concentration of Ca, I would add a neutral Ca salt. From a chemical point, we should not adjust the pH via direct addition of acid or alkaline.

Are there some aspects about the marine tank that I am ignorant about?

Cheers

its a mini ecosystem and its alive. or should i say we try to make water in a glass box into a living community.

there are many living things that you see and there are many more that you don't. The major filtration players are bacteria.

Messing with the water parameters needs to be done gradually- a sharp increase in anything will stress the animals. which is the reason for dripping kalkwasser . It is a balanced solution which will maintain all 3 (pH,Alk and calc. if used correct*) . Saturated limewater will have a ph of 12 to 14 .this is why pouring in the mixture in large amounts will raise pH almost instantly.

If something is out of line and needs to be individually raised e.g pH,alk,Calc.,magnesium then there are buffer products on the shelf that will do it which are reef safe.

Most of us will need these sooner or later because some things are used up faster then others.

Always have a test kit for something you want to add and follow the written instructions as it can be overdosed.

[fishchemist]

its a mini ecosystem and its alive. or should i say we try to make water in a glass box into a living community.

there are many living things that you see and there are many more that you don't. The major filtration players are bacteria.

Messing with the water parameters needs to be done gradually- a sharp increase in anything will stress the animals. which is the reason for dripping kalkwasser . It is a balanced solution which will maintain all 3 (pH,Alk and calc. if used correct*) . Saturated limewater will have a ph of 12 to 14 .this is why pouring in the mixture in large amounts will raise pH almost instantly.

If something is out of line and needs to be individually raised e.g pH,alk,Calc.,magnesium then there are buffer products on the shelf that will do it which are reef safe.

Most of us will need these sooner or later because some things are used up faster then others.

Always have a test kit for something you want to add and follow the written instructions as it can be overdosed.

Thanks for the info really appreciate it.

Just that some of these chemical additives IMO is really expensive. Thinking of doing a little research/testing to see if there are cheaper alternatives like using some lab grade chemicals which is asessible too. However, safety of the animals comes first. Will never put these lovely creatures to risk. Newbie like me will surely play safe and pay a little more first while learning takes place.

[fishchemist]

By the way, I saw your marine tank at your homepage. Really, really, really impressed!

[weisoon]

Guys

Since we are on this topic, need some advice on how to increase my tank's PH only. Does those products like seachem PH buffer actually increase the PH only or it more or less also increases the Alk? Tanks para:

PH 7.9 - 8.0

Alk 10

Cal 400

Mg 1300

Sal 1.023

PO4 0

NH3/NH4, NO2, NO3 all 0

Just want to increase PH to 8.4

Thanks.

[lightningstrike]

use ph buffer 8.3 from seachem or coralife...... not 2 sure. go look it up!!!!

[lightningstrike]

normally, for me, i add kalk solution, strotium, iodide and marine trace elements inside my diy dripper and juz let it drip at a rate of 1 drop per 10 secs. works well so far.

[mAriNe_enthusiast]

normally, for me, i add kalk solution, strotium, iodide and marine trace elements inside my diy dripper and juz let it drip at a rate of 1 drop per 10 secs. works well so far.

So u just rojak every solution into a bottle and drip it ?

It's certainly convenient but is it safe to mix them together?

There might be reactions when u mixed them...and undesirable salt may be precipitated as a result.

[woonming]

So u just rojak every solution into a bottle and drip it ?

It's certainly convenient but is it safe to mix them together?

There might be reactions when u mixed them...and undesirable salt may be precipitated as a result.

u are not suppose to dose everything at the same time. Worst would be mixing them all into a container..

never mix them all into a same container..

[lightningstrike]

point taken. i've oredi stop doing that. juz using the dripper to dose kalk now.