Kalkwasser falling short of calcium goal

[AKReefing]

I'm dosing calcium hydroxide (kalkwasser), and my daily pH cycle ranges from 8.0 to above 8.3, but my calcium drops from 450 down to 320 in about 6 weeks. I'm also dosing sodium carbonate for alk.

Should I stop dosing for alk?

 

[KStatefan]

I'm dosing calcium hydroxide (kalkwasser), and my daily pH cycle ranges from 8.0 to above 8.3, but my calcium drops from 450 down to 320 in about 6 weeks. I'm also dosing sodium carbonate for alk.

Should I stop dosing for alk?

Are you dosing calcium to balance out the Alk dosing?

 

[legalizedreefer]

Yeah it sounds to me like you’re only solving for a portion of your Alk and Calcium consumption with the Kalkwasser, so you’re doing additional dosing for the Alk (which is fine) but you’re not picking up the slack on the calcium with an additional product.

Essentially you are dosing your full requirement for Alk but only half of your requirement for calcium.

Either add in a calcium supplement alongside your alk or get rid of the bicarbonate and just increase your Kalkwasser

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Kalkwasser will supply both, but may not keep up with demand for both due to evaporation limitations. If you add other alk, you need to add other calcium as well.

 

[AKReefing]

Thanks everybody. That's what I was thinking. I've been making up the difference with CaCl, which I've decided is also the source of the increase in lithium levels.

 

[andrek787]

You should try supplementing your unmet demand with a small amount of Tropic Marin's Carbo-Calcium. It is calcium formate, calcium + simple organic acid that get broken down to calcium and bi-carbonate ions by bacteria in your tank. It is also balanced calcium/alkalinity like kalkwasser. It is pretty inexpensive when you buy the powder and mix it with RO yourself.

 

[14 foot reef]

Kalkwasser will supply both, but may not keep up with demand for both due to evaporation limitations. If you add other alk, you need to add other calcium as well.

@Randy Holmes-Farley -
A perfect simple explanation and direct solution. Bravo Randy !!!