I saved about $800 dollars buying my red sea reefer 450, my neptune apex(lab grade probe) 2 kessil a360 we lights, and my waveline pump all on black friday. Thank you brs for saving me from paying sales tax, free shipping of the very heavy red sea tank and cheaper prices. You put approx $800 back into my pocket!
Thank you Ryan, for helping the reefing community with your knowledge and passion about teaching and making this new hobby fun and interesting for me and my boyfriend, we have learn a lot from you, and understand a lot more about the basic fundamentals and elements needed for our tank! If corals can talk, they also want to thank you :)
I love the nerdiness of this. I like knowing how things work and really appreciate the education you provide. The unknown can be scary and theses videos remove the unknown. Thanks
When looking for advice/tips on RUclips your usually faced with sombody spending the first 10minutes explaining why your watching the video in the first place! Ive not come across anything else like these series, so well thought out and explained in such detail for all to understand. Cheers guy!
I think this might have been the BEST (i.e. easiest to understand) explanation of the Big 3 - Calc, Alk, and Mg that I've every seen. Every reefer should watch this. Thanks!
hey ryan I live in India ever since I started my saltwater aquarium.i used to think I would only have fowlr tank.but after watching your brs series I have now reef.thanks buddy
If you sit and watch all 52 videos and actually pay attention you will have everything you need to begin your own tank. Should be a must before anyone starts lol
I created a basic marine chemistry sheet for students learning about coral calcification, and a month later i discovered this video. You illustrate it so perfectly! Thanks so much :)
Obviously this caliber of info didn't just fall out of a tree and into Ryan's lap. The research, study, cross-referencing, trial and error, mistakes and successes comes at a huge price in time and money...and we get to benefit from it all. It's not often someone shares results with what works and what doesn't, AND has half a brain to be able to discuss it. You guys make me smarter....and poorer! :) Thanks for all you do.
This is BY FAR, the BEST video explaining Calcium and Akalinity. I feel like I have a solid enough understanding to potentially take my reef to the next level. Thank you very very much!!
My wife just doesn't understand my Saturday morning ritual of watching this series. :) I have just finished cycling a 1000L tank and am about to put a cleanup crew in today (yay) and without following this series i would have followed the advice of the LFS. Instead i went to the guy who i found i can trust as his advice seems always the same as yours and he has had Trochus snails shipped down from Broome. No crabs for me just Cerith and Trochus snails (20 of each) with some sand sifting stars. Without this series i almost guarantee i would have made mistakes on advice from the LFS's in my area so big Thanks to you guy's. This episode is another little gem, especially the part on Magnesium ... Brilliant work guy's
if one of these companies made all in 1 test strips that do ph,dkh, nitrate, phosphate, and magnesium accurately they would fly off shelf. BRS PULL SOME STRINGS FOR US!
whole lot to take in in one sitting! will have to rewatch it a few more times to get a better handle of what all was said. all i know from watching previous videos and reading forums is that using kalk at night on a doser and a reactor in the day will help keep the PH solid at what ever you have it preset at. or so i've read at least haha. love this series of videos, keep up the great work TeamBRS!
+BulkReefSupplyCom no joke, this series of videos has opened up so many different areas to look into. ozone I'm still doing research on but is a high possibility of going into the new tank. that along with a ATS and skimmer I'm wanting to use as my sole filtration in the sump. these videos have made me redesign a lot for my new tank to step out of the norm lol. it's more expensive but it's fun and I thank yalls team for making these series of videos!
I've been measuring alkalinity on a range of low to high and not measuring actual magnesium at all. This video has definitely encouraged me to get better testing kits.
this is the meat and potatoes of reef keeping imo, and also the most difficult for me to understand and implement :). Thanks for this video ill re-watch it and the next few episodes many times i hae no doubt :9
Very well presented! I now have a much better understanding of the role that calcium, carbonate, bicarbonate, and magnesium play in the reef; and how they work together to maintain desired levels.Also, GREAT SERIES!!! this is always something that I look forward to at the end of the week.
I love the videos and the service they are fantastic, my only complaint is the pop ups ads in the top right hand corner. I stop to read them while the video keeps on going and then I have to reverse and go back to what I remembered hearing last. I keep all of these videos for reference Thanks Guys as far as I'm concerned all my stuff will come from you unless you don't have.
Well explained as usual. I read or watched somewhere that you needed to does equal parts of calcium and alkalinity. I have been struggling with the concept and your explanation of Alkalinity dropping faster made me secure in not believing the source.
Once again great information. My dkh is at 11.8 MG at 1600 and CA at 450. I have a 65 gallon tank. My fish store said 11.8 is no big deal and MG at 1600 is high but did not tell me how to get them in the correct range.
Really enjoying this series as this is all new to me. Trying dosing on new build with low alkalinity. I dosed what the calculator showed to raise alk with little or no change. It sounds like maybe if low levels of magnesium can prevent alkalinity from raising with dosing? I have a magnesium test kit on the way..
Worth noting my waveline dc 6000 pump broke 6 weeks in. Brs promptly sent me a replacement and i sent the defective pump back. Highly unusual for a brand new waveline pump to freeze up..but it did.
When will we get to see the BRS 160 again to see its progress. Also what other fish have you added or not added since your fish video? Great video I have had my 65 gallon set up for about a month now and this series has helped me from the start. Keep it up!
Ryan, first of all, I love watching your videos! So following your videos my tank and it's corals look better than ever, so thank you. The issue I'm having is after starting Kalkwaser 5 minths ago in my Tunze auto top off, my calcium always stays at about 398 (I would like it at 420) and my alkalinity can be anywhere from 11-15 dkh! I'm using a Hanna Checker to test both. I use 9 teaspoons of Kalk per 6 gallon ato. Even when I add calcium supplements my calcium doesn't seem to move. I don't supplement magnesium and rarely check it. Do you think that's my problem? Also, I have always used Instant Ocean Reef Crystals. PH is always between 8-8.1. Everything looks great, just really want to dial the numbers in. Thank you for your help!
BulkReefSupplyCom It was me not following the instructions on the Hanna Calcium checker! One done properly, my calcium and alkalinity are high. Partially because Reef Crystals have high alk #s to start with and I'm buffering with Kalkwaser. So I will dial backb the amount of Kalkwaser mix to provide less of a buffer to bring down the levels a bit. Thank you for your help!
All I can say is "WOW", I still have some brs two part which is great but I started using other 2 parts because they state that they introduce trace elements also so it's less to remember, maybe u guys should look into doing something like that!! After watching I'm changing my resume to add chemical engineer!!
I am just stepping up into the Alk/Ca world for my reef tank and am struggling to learn the chemistry... I would love to see a BRS video on what causes and then of course how to correct problems. for example my tank is 2.5 meq Alk and 520 ppm Ca! I would love it if you guys could explain what could cause imbalances like this and the best way to fix them. thanks!
Awesome video. How would I maintain my calcium and alkalinity? Do I check daily to see how much those levels drop by? Then dose daily according to how much it drops daily?
Always enjoy the weekly videos. Interesting about Ca, dKh, and Mg. I run a calcium reactor on 150 reef with soft and hard corals. My Ca is 430, Mg 1300, pH 8.3, and a higher dKh 12.6. My alkalinity always seems to on the high side with in general most corals alright. I wonder if I'm chasing the numbers of the dKh is I can't seem to get it much lower even after 30% bi-weekly water change. I use the Salifert kits for testing. Appreciate any thoughts here. Thanks
So one question is, which elements are well-replaced by regular water changes, and which still need additions? I'm guessing water changes tend to replace most of the trace elements with a good salt and actually DOING the water changes. Assuming Ca/dKH/Mag still need extra support.
So since soft corals don't have skeletons, for a softie only tank we don't need to dose these elements? Thank by the way, your videos have introduced me to this hobby very well.
Thanks guys. I'm finding even with just a few colonies that a lot of my Alk and Cal. is being used up. Just ordered some GFO and GAC and now need to pick up Cal, Mg, and your kalk diy kit One question does cyano or hair algae use any of these three elements? I am getting some growth hence the reason to get the GFO and alter my feeding. However, I'm wondering if its really the colonies and frags using up the elements or something else.
+BulkReefSupplyCom that would be fantastic as I'm experiencing high levels of calcium due to my auto doser dumping in the entire Red Sea calcium bottle :( thanks again for all your videos they are really great and have given me a good chance at reef keeping .
hey guys..love your videos.watch religiously lol! question...I'm gonna put t5 lights on my reefer 250. how many watts do you recommend I use? thanks for the help and keep the videos coming
Great video! But when is the best time of the day to dose KH? I`m also using the zeovit method on my tank. And i got no light in the sump, so my pH is dropping at night. Will you guys recomend dosing KH at night to keep the pH up? :)
Just have a quick question. I know that if you add the 2 parts together you get a calcium carbonate precipitate(don't ask how), but does this happen in fresh water as well? I only ask because I have added calcium and bi-carbonate to fresh water tanks without magnesium and had no problems. I also use these 2 additives in my pool with no issue.
Enjoyable vid Question:When measuring true magnesium levels in salt water do you need to minus your calcium result. Example mg =1600 Ca =400 Is the real mg level 1200 or 1600??
I understand that corals absorb calcium ions to make their calcium carbonate, and this is why we dose calcium. But i'm also gathering that corals build their skeleton in part from bicarbonate, the alkalinity additive. A result of this, I think, is that corals will acidify the water faster if I dose the tank for alkalinity and magnesium only, and not calcium too. Am I misunderstanding? I'm trying to keep an anemone. I don't think I need to dose calcium, but I think I do need to dose alkalinity along with something to raise my pH.
I have an important question. I have the Kent calcium. Right now my calcium is at 350 so o know I need to add some calcium. But I don't have any alk or mag. Can I just add some calcium without alk or mag? Or do all three have to be added together at the same time ? If not how much calcium would u recommend? It says 1-5 ml per 50 gallons and I have a 75 gallon. Thanks !
Still new to this and need help to start dosing? My alk is at 7.7 my mag is 1350 and my cal is 475 this is on my 30 gallon. I have mostly soft corals and two Skelton corals should I start dosing or just stick with water changes? One last question how is all for reef it’s a three in one dosing?
If water changes are keeping your parameters stable where you are, then dosing isn't necessary for your situation. Once you do need to start dosing, All For Reef is a super easy option!
So how much should I add? And the frequency? I don't want my tank to crash I would cry!! So I'm a little nervous. It says 1-5 ml for 50 gallons and I have a 75.
If I use a salt (reef crystals) and the calcium and alkalinity of a fresh batch of water measure 440 ppm and ~11 dkh respectively, should those numbers be my target I want to keep my tank parameters at?
my dosing pump for alkalinity always seems to crystalize at the end and clog the hose. I am having to clean it evey few days. I have tried different levels off the water for the hose and more flow of alk through the pump but nothing seems to work. if I don't clean it then my alk drops and my corals get mad at me. any ideas?
What is the difference in 2 part soda ash, Dry sodium bicarbonate, and dry soda ash sodium carbonate. I only use 2part soda ash, since there is a proportion of bicarbonate and carbonate in the reef should I be proportioning the other 2 into my solution?
This video came at a pefect time. I have a question. i use BRS 2 part. I dose alk and ca using a dosing pump so i know exactly whats going in. but the Mg is high...1600 without even dosing. i did a water change and got it down a bit..down to 1500. any reasons why it climes? thanks..
I've been having an odd issue where my ph hangs between 8.0-8.13 (salifert test) but dkh is up around 14 (red sea pro). Calcium sits at 450 and magnesium 1320... How can I adjust the alkalinity down without driving the ph with it? Using ro water from local water store and Weigandt Reefer Salt and mix at 1.024... thanks in advance BRS
How do I up my alk and ph? Is it soda ash or sodium bicarbonate? I thought you had a video on this but cant find it. I am at 7.3 and like to go to about 9. I know one is to up it and I think the other is to maintain. My ph is about 7.8 like to be 8.5. Also what do I do when I do a water change? It ups to about 9.3 the within 10 days (which is when I do a water change) then fell pretty quicky to 7.3 and has been maintaing that for about a week or more. My alk had fallen to 6.5 after water change before last and up to 9 after so now that it is 7.3 it will probably up it to 10. My alk started falling and nitrates rising after I introduced a ton of new frags. I started dosing no pox and its getting much better now but it scares me to do the WC beacuse of it adding to much alk after I start dosing. Am I not supposed to dose alk on the day I do a WC? I use IO reef crystals? I hate to change because its so cheap! LOL
in our LFS the owner sells bags of crushed (large chips) oyster shells, in net bags, with a sign that says "buffer/replace your calcium naturally, just place a bag in your filter"... could this work to any real degree??
One option would be to stop dosing any calcium and let the corals use it up over time. Another option would be to do a water change with water lower in calcium than your tank water.
keep check back more then a month when are you guys going to get the reborn media main as well get the 44 just need to know when i even called NOT sure about the ETA
Unfortunately we're not sure. There have been issues getting our hands on reborn media for a number of months now. Originally, we were hoping to have more by the end of Feb, but it may be longer.
How about something somewhere in the middle? Check out our 5 Minute Saltwater Aquarium Guide series here on our RUclips channel. Ryan talks about the easiest path to success setting up a 40 breeder. It's a great size tank to get your feet wet, while not spending a fortune. Of course, the same lessons could be applied to a larger 70 gallon tank if that's your goal 🙂
Do you all know if there are any detrimental effects to having higher Mag levels? I've overdosed one time Mag went to like 1600, and I just left it that way; didn't wanna deal w more water changes that day. Two weeks later, and corals chillin like nothing, however, not sure what was going on at the molecular level in conjunction with the availability of Alk/Ca to the corals.
Hi! Hope some one can help. I was adding a PH buffer and also adding Alkalinity to my tank at the same time. Not knowing that the PH buffer also raced my Alkalinity. Currently my Alkalinity test is taking up to 17 drops to change my test solution from blue to yellow. I have done water changes but i am afraid because my PH went from 8.3 to 7.8 and I can't add any buffers because it will shot my Alkalinity up again. What should I do? Should I just keep changing the water every week and not stress the 7.8 PH level or can I get more corals to soak in the Alkalinity that is in my tank now? My calcium is perfect. Please help.
My suggestion would be to stop using the pH buffer. As you've learned, they raise alkalinity and the pH increase is only temporary. You can still have a healthy, happy reef tank at a 7.8 pH, so focus on getting your alkalinity back into range and if you feel that you need to raise pH, use a different method to achieve those pH goals.
Was is Vitamin D not considered. In most organisms need not only proper pH of body chemistries but also calcium and Magnesium. Is Vit D not needed in corals or is that something we overlook in this process. Sunlight, Vit D inactive form to active form through light exposure the use the Vit d to utilize calcium to build bone (tissue).
+Timothy Mayes I aint no scientist and these are just my thoughts but i'd imagine that the breakdown of dead corals over the centuries that form white beach sand would attribute to this. I'd also think that with the vastness of the ocean the amount that corals actually take out would be negligible. But i would like to know the true answer to this also
+Warren Carthew I think that your answer seems logical. I think that the ocean does have to replenish it's calcium often because there are millions upon millions of corals in the ocean.
So I've got kh at 8.9 Ca at 500 and Mg at 1500, I seem to have a lot of white bits floating in my DT, is this precipitation if so what's best way to cure
Very new to saltwater so excuse my ignorance. My ph is 7.8 I wanna rise it and my lps recommends a buffer but my KH is high and from what I've read on the back of the buffers they all rise KH. Can anyone help me out and recommend me something that will just up my PH?
We never recommend using a pH buffer as it will increase your alkalinity quite a bit and the pH jump is only temporary. The reason for most low pH issues is the amount of CO2 in the surrounding room. The most effective piece of equipment you could add would be a CO2 scrubber attached to the air intake of your skimmer. That said, a pH of 7.8 isn't terrible and 99% of the time, I'd suggest leaving it alone and not over complicating things.
@@BRStvI have a bio cube 32 so my options are very small I wouldn't know where to begin to put a co2 scrubber in such a small tank. I'm not sure if it was answering me but someone from BRS Said where I have such a small tank water changes would be better then a skimmer so I dont have a skimmer. I was under the impression from your videos that corals like a higher ph to grow so I was trying to raise it to give them the best parameters
having a healthy tank and having low PH is it posible? don't chase the dragon my PH is 7.78 never get up to 8.0 and i don't want a buffer the PH i did open windows everyday also got m skimmer running air vent.
You can lower your alkalinity by either doing water changes with a lower alk salt mix or by discontinuing dosing alk and letting your corals consume the alk slowly over time.
Too many reefers talk about alkalinity as if it were a substance, like calcium, instead of realizing that it's a measure of water's ability to resist a drop in pH when you add an acid. Yeah, you can add substances to the water to raise the alk. but you aren't adding alkalinity. You can only raise you water's alkalinity by adding buffers of one form or another. Maybe I'm nit picking here, but I think a lot of people get confused because the language the community uses to talk about it is confusing.
This is my second time through all the vids, love them. Understand a lot more now since the tank has been up and running vs watching prior to the tank. Hey would be great if BRS would sub to my channel and help out a newb to the tube. Cheers! And thanks for the vids.
Another great video Ryan. Looking forward to this series. I loved the throwback video. Should have dropped the resolution a bit and made it more 80's looking too! Also, hope the new married life is as sweet as you deserve. But just to give you a heads up of your future....ruclips.net/video/T0Zl9t8o6Es/видео.html
I saved about $800 dollars buying my red sea reefer 450, my neptune apex(lab grade probe) 2 kessil a360 we lights, and my waveline pump all on black friday. Thank you brs for saving me from paying sales tax, free shipping of the very heavy red sea tank and cheaper prices. You put approx $800 back into my pocket!
Thank you Ryan, for helping the reefing community with your knowledge and passion about teaching and making this new hobby fun and interesting for me and my boyfriend, we have learn a lot from you, and understand a lot more about the basic fundamentals and elements needed for our tank! If corals can talk, they also want to thank you :)
I love the nerdiness of this. I like knowing how things work and really appreciate the education you provide. The unknown can be scary and theses videos remove the unknown. Thanks
When looking for advice/tips on RUclips your usually faced with sombody spending the first 10minutes explaining why your watching the video in the first place! Ive not come across anything else like these series, so well thought out and explained in such detail for all to understand. Cheers guy!
I think this might have been the BEST (i.e. easiest to understand) explanation of the Big 3 - Calc, Alk, and Mg that I've every seen. Every reefer should watch this. Thanks!
hey ryan I live in India ever since I started my saltwater aquarium.i used to think I would only have fowlr tank.but after watching your brs series I have now reef.thanks buddy
If you sit and watch all 52 videos and actually pay attention you will have everything you need to begin your own tank. Should be a must before anyone starts lol
I created a basic marine chemistry sheet for students learning about coral calcification, and a month later i discovered this video. You illustrate it so perfectly! Thanks so much :)
Obviously this caliber of info didn't just fall out of a tree and into Ryan's lap. The research, study, cross-referencing, trial and error, mistakes and successes comes at a huge price in time and money...and we get to benefit from it all. It's not often someone shares results with what works and what doesn't, AND has half a brain to be able to discuss it. You guys make me smarter....and poorer! :) Thanks for all you do.
This is BY FAR, the BEST video explaining Calcium and Akalinity. I feel like I have a solid enough understanding to potentially take my reef to the next level. Thank you very very much!!
The best and the easiest to understand video on this subject. Cheers Guys
My wife just doesn't understand my Saturday morning ritual of watching this series. :)
I have just finished cycling a 1000L tank and am about to put a cleanup crew in today (yay) and without following this series i would have followed the advice of the LFS. Instead i went to the guy who i found i can trust as his advice seems always the same as yours and he has had Trochus snails shipped down from Broome. No crabs for me just Cerith and Trochus snails (20 of each) with some sand sifting stars.
Without this series i almost guarantee i would have made mistakes on advice from the LFS's in my area so big Thanks to you guy's.
This episode is another little gem, especially the part on Magnesium ... Brilliant work guy's
Love this series 😍 I used to use BRS around 2007. So much has advanced since then!
The visual aids of the ions themselves where especially helpful. Demystifies the chemistry aspect of this practice quite a bit.
if one of these companies made all in 1 test strips that do ph,dkh, nitrate, phosphate, and magnesium accurately they would fly off shelf. BRS PULL SOME STRINGS FOR US!
BulkReefSupplyCom we can clone people now. the sky is the limit
whole lot to take in in one sitting! will have to rewatch it a few more times to get a better handle of what all was said. all i know from watching previous videos and reading forums is that using kalk at night on a doser and a reactor in the day will help keep the PH solid at what ever you have it preset at. or so i've read at least haha. love this series of videos, keep up the great work TeamBRS!
+BulkReefSupplyCom no joke, this series of videos has opened up so many different areas to look into. ozone I'm still doing research on but is a high possibility of going into the new tank. that along with a ATS and skimmer I'm wanting to use as my sole filtration in the sump. these videos have made me redesign a lot for my new tank to step out of the norm lol. it's more expensive but it's fun and I thank yalls team for making these series of videos!
I've been measuring alkalinity on a range of low to high and not measuring actual magnesium at all. This video has definitely encouraged me to get better testing kits.
+BulkReefSupplyCom So would you say Red Sea kits are the better of the 2?
BTW, another awesome episode
+Warren Carthew
I have both and I personally like the salifert kits. The end point seems a little easier to read. Both yield the same results.
I can't believe how little views this has compared to others! This should be super super important!
this is the meat and potatoes of reef keeping imo, and also the most difficult for me to understand and implement :). Thanks for this video ill re-watch it and the next few episodes many times i hae no doubt :9
Excellent as always
The Holy Grail of reef keeping videos.
Very well presented! I now have a much better understanding of the role that calcium, carbonate, bicarbonate, and magnesium play in the reef; and how they work together to maintain desired levels.Also, GREAT SERIES!!! this is always something that I look forward to at the end of the week.
THANK YOU!!!
We appreciate your lessons. This was very helpful.
Thanks for this
Awesome videos. I look forward to them every week.
Awesome video!
I love the videos and the service they are fantastic, my only complaint is the pop ups ads in the top right hand corner. I stop to read them while the video keeps on going and then I have to reverse and go back to what I remembered hearing last. I keep all of these videos for reference
Thanks Guys as far as I'm concerned all my stuff will come from you unless you don't have.
Another great video
Woah!! I feel like doc brown now. Science me up!!!! Keep up good work Ryan.
Great and informative video as always!
Well explained as usual. I read or watched somewhere that you needed to does equal parts of calcium and alkalinity. I have been struggling with the concept and your explanation of Alkalinity dropping faster made me secure in not believing the source.
+BulkReefSupplyCom This example is sooo helpful. THANK YOU!
+BulkReefSupplyCom see!! Like I said... well explained!!
Once again great information. My dkh is at 11.8 MG at 1600 and CA at 450.
I have a 65 gallon tank. My fish store said 11.8 is no big deal and MG at 1600 is high but did not tell me how to get them in the correct range.
Really enjoying this series as this is all new to me. Trying dosing on new build with low alkalinity. I dosed what the calculator showed to raise alk with little or no change. It sounds like maybe if low levels of magnesium can prevent alkalinity from raising with dosing? I have a magnesium test kit on the way..
super helpful!
Worth noting my waveline dc 6000 pump broke 6 weeks in. Brs promptly sent me a replacement and i sent the defective pump back. Highly unusual for a brand new waveline pump to freeze up..but it did.
When will we get to see the BRS 160 again to see its progress. Also what other fish have you added or not added since your fish video? Great video I have had my 65 gallon set up for about a month now and this series has helped me from the start. Keep it up!
Ryan, first of all, I love watching your videos! So following your videos my tank and it's corals look better than ever, so thank you. The issue I'm having is after starting Kalkwaser 5 minths ago in my Tunze auto top off, my calcium always stays at about 398 (I would like it at 420) and my alkalinity can be anywhere from 11-15 dkh! I'm using a Hanna Checker to test both. I use 9 teaspoons of Kalk per 6 gallon ato. Even when I add calcium supplements my calcium doesn't seem to move. I don't supplement magnesium and rarely check it. Do you think that's my problem? Also, I have always used Instant Ocean Reef Crystals. PH is always between 8-8.1. Everything looks great, just really want to dial the numbers in. Thank you for your help!
BulkReefSupplyCom It was me not following the instructions on the Hanna Calcium checker! One done properly, my calcium and alkalinity are high. Partially because Reef Crystals have high alk #s to start with and I'm buffering with Kalkwaser. So I will dial backb the amount of Kalkwaser mix to provide less of a buffer to bring down the levels a bit. Thank you for your help!
Great video
saving reefer Ryan !
Dang not a reefer but i want to learn more after watching this!! Reefer might seem like a lot of work but also a lot of fun and learning to do!!
All I can say is "WOW", I still have some brs two part which is great but I started using other 2 parts because they state that they introduce trace elements also so it's less to remember, maybe u guys should look into doing something like that!! After watching I'm changing my resume to add chemical engineer!!
I am just stepping up into the Alk/Ca world for my reef tank and am struggling to learn the chemistry... I would love to see a BRS video on what causes and then of course how to correct problems. for example my tank is 2.5 meq Alk and 520 ppm Ca! I would love it if you guys could explain what could cause imbalances like this and the best way to fix them. thanks!
Mg is 1600
Reef Crystals - I tested a fresh batch of water and the levels are elevated
Awesome video. How would I maintain my calcium and alkalinity? Do I check daily to see how much those levels drop by? Then dose daily according to how much it drops daily?
Always enjoy the weekly videos. Interesting about Ca, dKh, and Mg. I run a calcium reactor on 150 reef with soft and hard corals. My Ca is 430, Mg 1300, pH 8.3, and a higher dKh 12.6. My alkalinity always seems to on the high side with in general most corals alright. I wonder if I'm chasing the numbers of the dKh is I can't seem to get it much lower even after 30% bi-weekly water change. I use the Salifert kits for testing. Appreciate any thoughts here. Thanks
+BulkReefSupplyCom Thanks. I slowed the bubble count slightly and increased the drip into the sump. I will let u know how that works
So one question is, which elements are well-replaced by regular water changes, and which still need additions? I'm guessing water changes tend to replace most of the trace elements with a good salt and actually DOING the water changes. Assuming Ca/dKH/Mag still need extra support.
So since soft corals don't have skeletons, for a softie only tank we don't need to dose these elements?
Thank by the way, your videos have introduced me to this hobby very well.
I finally really understood what alkalinity is. Thank you.
At the end where you mention the optimal levels, you didn't say what the best ph level is.
he did say pH and dkh were synonymous and generally a dkh of 7.8-8.5 depending on who you ask is considered acceptable and he keeps his dkh at 8.5
What is it about the winter that causes the pH drop?
Thanks guys. I'm finding even with just a few colonies that a lot of my Alk and Cal. is being used up. Just ordered some GFO and GAC and now need to pick up Cal, Mg, and your kalk diy kit
One question does cyano or hair algae use any of these three elements? I am getting some growth hence the reason to get the GFO and alter my feeding. However, I'm wondering if its really the colonies and frags using up the elements or something else.
Great video ! Would you be able to make a video on how to correct out of balance levels please ?
+BulkReefSupplyCom that would be fantastic as I'm experiencing high levels of calcium due to my auto doser dumping in the entire Red Sea calcium bottle :( thanks again for all your videos they are really great and have given me a good chance at reef keeping .
+BulkReefSupplyCom OK great I will do this thanks for the info again . Without kissing butt you do the best videos by far !!!
hey guys..love your videos.watch religiously lol! question...I'm gonna put t5 lights on my reefer 250. how many watts do you recommend I use? thanks for the help and keep the videos coming
Thanks
Great video! But when is the best time of the day to dose KH? I`m also using the zeovit method on my tank. And i got no light in the sump, so my pH is dropping at night. Will you guys recomend dosing KH at night to keep the pH up? :)
+BulkReefSupplyCom ok, thanks! :)
Just have a quick question. I know that if you add the 2 parts together you get a calcium carbonate precipitate(don't ask how), but does this happen in fresh water as well? I only ask because I have added calcium and bi-carbonate to fresh water tanks without magnesium and had no problems. I also use these 2 additives in my pool with no issue.
Enjoyable vid
Question:When measuring true magnesium levels in salt water do you need to minus your calcium result.
Example mg =1600
Ca =400
Is the real mg level 1200 or 1600??
+jedi ways real mg is 1600...
Why test for alk if it's closely related to ph? I would assume if your ph is at 8.3 your alk would be on point. Is this correct?
1:54 "teaspoon of calcium deluxe every full moon" LOL he barely kept it together there.
I understand that corals absorb calcium ions to make their calcium carbonate, and this is why we dose calcium. But i'm also gathering that corals build their skeleton in part from bicarbonate, the alkalinity additive. A result of this, I think, is that corals will acidify the water faster if I dose the tank for alkalinity and magnesium only, and not calcium too. Am I misunderstanding?
I'm trying to keep an anemone. I don't think I need to dose calcium, but I think I do need to dose alkalinity along with something to raise my pH.
What fish should I choose to stock a 10g saltwater tank and how much gph should I flow through the tank
What size tank was used in this video?
I have an important question. I have the Kent calcium. Right now my calcium is at 350 so o know I need to add some calcium. But I don't have any alk or mag. Can I just add some calcium without alk or mag? Or do all three have to be added together at the same time ? If not how much calcium would u recommend? It says 1-5 ml per 50 gallons and I have a 75 gallon. Thanks !
Still new to this and need help to start dosing? My alk is at 7.7 my mag is 1350 and my cal is 475 this is on my 30 gallon. I have mostly soft corals and two Skelton corals should I start dosing or just stick with water changes?
One last question how is all for reef it’s a three in one dosing?
If water changes are keeping your parameters stable where you are, then dosing isn't necessary for your situation. Once you do need to start dosing, All For Reef is a super easy option!
with a nano im 30 gal aio is regular water changes not enough to replace trace elements , required?
im doing primarily lps and softies, and a nem
i m bringing in 2 part liquid easier to dose for a small tank i think
Amazing vid! Learnt a shit load.
So how much should I add? And the frequency? I don't want my tank to crash I would cry!! So I'm a little nervous. It says 1-5 ml for 50 gallons and I have a 75.
If I use a salt (reef crystals) and the calcium and alkalinity of a fresh batch of water measure 440 ppm and ~11 dkh respectively, should those numbers be my target I want to keep my tank parameters at?
my dosing pump for alkalinity always seems to crystalize at the end and clog the hose. I am having to clean it evey few days. I have tried different levels off the water for the hose and more flow of alk through the pump but nothing seems to work. if I don't clean it then my alk drops and my corals get mad at me. any ideas?
What is the difference in 2 part soda ash, Dry sodium bicarbonate, and dry soda ash sodium carbonate. I only use 2part soda ash, since there is a proportion of bicarbonate and carbonate in the reef should I be proportioning the other 2 into my solution?
This video came at a pefect time. I have a question. i use BRS 2 part. I dose alk and ca using a dosing pump so i know exactly whats going in. but the Mg is high...1600 without even dosing. i did a water change and got it down a bit..down to 1500. any reasons why it climes? thanks..
+BulkReefSupplyCom lately its been at 1.027 and its coral pro by Red Sea.
So when using Red Sea test kits and additives it says for a mixed reef 11.5 alk is this incorrect? Should I keep it lower around the 8.5 as suggested?
BulkReefSupplyCom thanks
I've been having an odd issue where my ph hangs between 8.0-8.13 (salifert test) but dkh is up around 14 (red sea pro). Calcium sits at 450 and magnesium 1320... How can I adjust the alkalinity down without driving the ph with it? Using ro water from local water store and Weigandt Reefer Salt and mix at 1.024... thanks in advance BRS
How do I up my alk and ph? Is it soda ash or sodium bicarbonate? I thought you had a video on this but cant find it. I am at 7.3 and like to go to about 9. I know one is to up it and I think the other is to maintain. My ph is about 7.8 like to be 8.5. Also what do I do when I do a water change? It ups to about 9.3 the within 10 days (which is when I do a water change) then fell pretty quicky to 7.3 and has been maintaing that for about a week or more. My alk had fallen to 6.5 after water change before last and up to 9 after so now that it is 7.3 it will probably up it to 10. My alk started falling and nitrates rising after I introduced a ton of new frags. I started dosing no pox and its getting much better now but it scares me to do the WC beacuse of it adding to much alk after I start dosing. Am I not supposed to dose alk on the day I do a WC? I use IO reef crystals? I hate to change because its so cheap! LOL
in our LFS the owner sells bags of crushed (large chips) oyster shells, in net bags, with a sign that says "buffer/replace your calcium naturally, just place a bag in your filter"... could this work to any real degree??
What are some ways to decrease the amount of calcium you have in your tank?
One option would be to stop dosing any calcium and let the corals use it up over time. Another option would be to do a water change with water lower in calcium than your tank water.
whats the connection between ph and dKh though?
If alkalinity is used more than calcium how does kalkwasser maintain a even level of calcium and alkalinity?
keep check back more then a month when are you guys going to get the reborn media main as well get the 44 just need to know when i even called NOT sure about the ETA
Unfortunately we're not sure. There have been issues getting our hands on reborn media for a number of months now. Originally, we were hoping to have more by the end of Feb, but it may be longer.
I am scared to start a reef tank. 😭😩😢 should i start with a 70 gallon or just a 10 or 15 gallon?
How about something somewhere in the middle? Check out our 5 Minute Saltwater Aquarium Guide series here on our RUclips channel. Ryan talks about the easiest path to success setting up a 40 breeder. It's a great size tank to get your feet wet, while not spending a fortune. Of course, the same lessons could be applied to a larger 70 gallon tank if that's your goal 🙂
Do you all know if there are any detrimental effects to having higher Mag levels? I've overdosed one time Mag went to like 1600, and I just left it that way; didn't wanna deal w more water changes that day. Two weeks later, and corals chillin like nothing, however, not sure what was going on at the molecular level in conjunction with the availability of Alk/Ca to the corals.
A lot of people keep high magnesium. I keep mine around that. Hammers specially like it high
Hi! Hope some one can help.
I was adding a PH buffer and also adding Alkalinity to my tank at the same time. Not knowing that the PH buffer also raced my Alkalinity.
Currently my Alkalinity test is taking up to 17 drops to change my test solution from blue to yellow. I have done water changes but i am afraid because my PH went from 8.3 to 7.8 and I can't add any buffers because it will shot my Alkalinity up again. What should I do? Should I just keep changing the water every week and not stress the 7.8 PH level or can I get more corals to soak in the Alkalinity that is in my tank now? My calcium is perfect. Please help.
My suggestion would be to stop using the pH buffer. As you've learned, they raise alkalinity and the pH increase is only temporary. You can still have a healthy, happy reef tank at a 7.8 pH, so focus on getting your alkalinity back into range and if you feel that you need to raise pH, use a different method to achieve those pH goals.
PH buffer is a hoax dont use it!!!!
Do tanks without corals (FOWLR) have to dose all this stuff? The chemistry is very confusing
+Dylan Quadros no
Was is Vitamin D not considered. In most organisms need not only proper pH of body chemistries but also calcium and Magnesium. Is Vit D not needed in corals or is that something we overlook in this process. Sunlight, Vit D inactive form to active form through light exposure the use the Vit d to utilize calcium to build bone (tissue).
How is calcium replenished in the ocean?
+Timothy Mayes I aint no scientist and these are just my thoughts but i'd imagine that the breakdown of dead corals over the centuries that form white beach sand would attribute to this. I'd also think that with the vastness of the ocean the amount that corals actually take out would be negligible.
But i would like to know the true answer to this also
How is it used?
+Warren Carthew I think that your answer seems logical. I think that the ocean does have to replenish it's calcium often because there are millions upon millions of corals in the ocean.
Rivers flow into oceans. Freshwater also contain certain amount of calcium, chloride, minerals and other trace elements.
+Soe Min Paing I would day not.... The amount of calcium in the ocean is constant
So I've got kh at 8.9 Ca at 500 and Mg at 1500, I seem to have a lot of white bits floating in my DT, is this precipitation if so what's best way to cure
+BulkReefSupplyCom how do I add video?
I've emailed you video, have you had chance to look at it yet please
I bought a dieing sps coral from a pestered over here. What is the best way to bring it back to life?
Pet store
Can't wait for next week; Ryan ALWAYS talks about Kalkwasser lol
What if my cal is 500 and mag is 1500ppm?
what happens if the mg is up around 1600?
Very new to saltwater so excuse my ignorance. My ph is 7.8 I wanna rise it and my lps recommends a buffer but my KH is high and from what I've read on the back of the buffers they all rise KH. Can anyone help me out and recommend me something that will just up my PH?
We never recommend using a pH buffer as it will increase your alkalinity quite a bit and the pH jump is only temporary. The reason for most low pH issues is the amount of CO2 in the surrounding room. The most effective piece of equipment you could add would be a CO2 scrubber attached to the air intake of your skimmer. That said, a pH of 7.8 isn't terrible and 99% of the time, I'd suggest leaving it alone and not over complicating things.
@@BRStvI have a bio cube 32 so my options are very small I wouldn't know where to begin to put a co2 scrubber in such a small tank. I'm not sure if it was answering me but someone from BRS Said where I have such a small tank water changes would be better then a skimmer so I dont have a skimmer. I was under the impression from your videos that corals like a higher ph to grow so I was trying to raise it to give them the best parameters
having a healthy tank and having low PH is it posible? don't chase the dragon my PH is 7.78 never get up to 8.0 and i don't want a buffer the PH i did open windows everyday also got m skimmer running air vent.
How do I lower alkalinity mine is at 10.8 dkh
You can lower your alkalinity by either doing water changes with a lower alk salt mix or by discontinuing dosing alk and letting your corals consume the alk slowly over time.
Too many reefers talk about alkalinity as if it were a substance, like calcium, instead of realizing that it's a measure of water's ability to resist a drop in pH when you add an acid. Yeah, you can add substances to the water to raise the alk. but you aren't adding alkalinity. You can only raise you water's alkalinity by adding buffers of one form or another. Maybe I'm nit picking here, but I think a lot of people get confused because the language the community uses to talk about it is confusing.
my ph rises to 8.45 and at night it drops to 7.9 - 8.0. i keep my alk at 8.26 and my cal at 380. why does my ph drop so much?
Hey guys I mean to be rude but why have the uploads become inconsistent lately?
420 ppm Ca for corals to get stoned.
that's how i was able to remember it!
Can I use the Alkalinity increaser that I use in my swimming pool?
This is my second time through all the vids, love them. Understand a lot more now since the tank has been up and running vs watching prior to the tank. Hey would be great if BRS would sub to my channel and help out a newb to the tube. Cheers! And thanks for the vids.
So that's means a sub is coming? Haha 😁👍🇨🇦
Do a few videos without a hat! :P
Langosh Locks
Another great video Ryan. Looking forward to this series.
I loved the throwback video. Should have dropped the resolution a bit and made it more 80's looking too!
Also, hope the new married life is as sweet as you deserve. But just to give you a heads up of your future....ruclips.net/video/T0Zl9t8o6Es/видео.html