Actually, the ones I use are not junk. My tank is 100% stony corals, and 90%
of those are SPS. I have 3 large (by aquarium standards) acro colonies, 5
medium various SPS colonies, 7 frags, a pavona (sp) a tubinaria (sp) a large
hammer and a large frogspawn. That is just off the top of my head. I very
well may have more frags than that. My calcium, using these blocks, stays
steady between 400-450 ppm. The blocks I use are not supposed to affect alk.
They are specifically used for calcium, and they do the job quite well. My
alk is controlled by a separate buffer that is added via a drip system
throughout the day.
I switched from kalk to these blocks and will never go back to kalk.
Perhaps we are talking about different products.
IME
Shane C.
-----Original Message-----
From: Dave Akard [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2001 11:19 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: RE: Alk and pH questions...
those blocks are junk, if you have any load at all they dont do
diddly, I never saw them affect ph alk or cal.
they say they add trace elements to the water but I havent used them
in 2 years and all is well in my 120.
fwiw
dave
----- Original Message -----
From: Guy Molinari <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: 6/3/01 6:54:16 PM
Subject: RE: Alk and pH questions...
I think these are what Shane is talking about. I have
bought them online at pet warehouse for 19.99
I have also seen them in the tanks at my LFS
http://www.petwarehouse.com/product_images/321781.jpg
<http://www.petwarehouse.com/product_images/321781.jpg>
Controls water chemistry and eliminates major water quality
problems! Limits phosphates, ammonia, and heavy metals; buffers pH; and
provides a constant supply of vital calcium, as well as all other essential
trace elements and microelements.
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[ mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ]On Behalf Of Shane Clays
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2001 9:42 AM
To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]'
Subject: RE: Alk and pH questions...
I like them a lot. They have been around for a long time,
and honestly,
might be hard to find because b-ionic and such have done a
much better job
marketing their products (does anyone on this list carry
them?). I get them
at the LFS. Basically, they are a small block of calcium and
the larger the
tank, the more blocks you use. My 70 gallon uses 4 of them
per week. It is
nice because you plop them in the system, and then the only
thing you need
to worry about it your alk. You, of course, have to keep an
eye on your
calcium levels, but once you get a pattern established, you
will know when
to replace the blocks, and how much alk buffer! to add
daily. I have them in
my sump. They also add strontium to the tank.
It takes a month or so of measuring calcium and watching the
blocks. Soon
you see a pattern of days where your calcium will go up a
bit (after the
addition of blocks), will level off and then as the blocks
dissolve, calcium
will drop. The goal is to know how many blocks to add to get
calcium to
level off at 420-450 ppm, and then when that starts to drop
and you need to
add more. I also watch my pH. If my pH starts to go up
higher than normal,
that is an indicator to me that the calcium levels are
starting to drop. I
then will test and add more. The nice thing is that if you
find your
calcium levels are not where you want them, you simply add
another block or
add less next time. I was struggling with the whole
pH/alk/caclium thing
then after I started using these, it has been smooth sailing
(well, except
for my recent concern of my alk being to high! ).
Honestly, these are probably the easiest calcium/alk system
that I have ever
used. I am sure a reactor would be even easier, but my
pocket book does not
think so, right now. Speaking of pocket book, these blocks
are a bit pricey.
I spend about 25 bucks every 6 weeks to keep the calcium
blocks in my 70.
Then I have to buy pH/alk buffer as well. To me, they are
well worth it.
Very reliable easy system to use.
IMO
Shane C.
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2001 9:21 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: RE: Alk and pH questions! ...
Havent heard of calcium blocks, what are they, are
they easy to
use and
control the calcium levels with??
Steve
---------- Original Text ----------
From: "Shane Clays" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, on 5/31/01
9:49 AM:
Calcium is running about 420-450. I add a pH/alk
buffer in a 2
gallon drip
daily. That keeps my alk up, and then I use Sea Lab
calcium blocks
for the
calcium. That keeps calcium steady at 420-450. I
think it has just
been the
addition of the buffer daily that has caused the alk
to rise. I have
noticed that it rose slightly from week to week, and
would counter that by
skipping
addition of buffer one day a week (my tank uses
about .20 meqs of
alk per
day). I had recently switched products. I think the
new product is a
little
more effective than the other and thus caused the
alk to rise more
than I
expected. When I did my test this weekend, it was
higher than
normal, but my
calcium was still at 420. Now that the alk has gone
down (back down
to 3.6
over 3 days) my calcium is around 440ish. I have
started adding the
buffer
again, and am watching it to see how fast it causes
the alk to rise
back! to
the 4-4.5 meqs level. Since this is acceptable, I am
no longer
worried about
it!
Thanks,
Shane
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2001 8:31 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
&nb! sp; Subject: RE: Alk and pH
questions...
How is your calcium Shane, if my
understanding of water
chem is
right a low
calcium could cause alk to rise.
Steve
---------- Original Text ----------
From: "Shane Clays" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, on
5/31/01 9:19
AM:
Thanks. I figured as much, and based that
question on the
assumpti! on
that an
alk of 4.6 was way to high for a reef tank.
Now that I am
not
concerned
about that anymore, I have started my normal
daily dosage of
pH/alk
buffer.
My problem was I thought I needed to bring
the alk down, and
I knew
that
when I did so, the pH would drop as well, so
I wanted to
keep the pH
up
! while the alk dropped. No worries now
though!
Thanks again,
Shane C.
-----Original Message-----
From: DBW [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2001 7:18
PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
&nbs! p; Subject: Re: Alk and
pH questions...
Shane,
>Also, are there any good products
to help keep pH
up
without
affecting the
>alk?
No such thing. You mess with one,
you ! mess with the
other
too.
If you are having low pH problems,
and have
satisfactory
alkalinity
levels,
then you should be looking at gas
exchange not
adding
something else
to
"fix" the problem.
! Catch ya,
DBW | The Caretaker, OZ
REEF Marine Park
Melbourne | http://ozreef.org/
<http://ozreef.org/>
Australia | [EMAIL PROTECTED]
! ;
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
When the only tool you own is a
hammer,
every problem begins to resemble a
nail.
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