trouble keeping Alk up?

[bprewit]

Hi I just found this place and figured I would see if anyone here has some answers for me. I have a 55g tank that has been running for about 2 years now. a few fish and lots of different sps, lps, and soft corals. I even added a crocea clam a while back. I have cc substrate, maybe 60lbs live rock, two powerheads for current and surface agitation, emperor filter (removed bio-wheels), sump with re-built sea clone skimmer that actually works decent now. I run MH and NO lights, no cover on the tank or sump, sg. 1.026, calcium 450, mag 1300, amm/nitrite 0, nitrate less than 5ppm. I add seachem reef calcium and reef complete to keep cal levels up but very seldom do I add other additives (dont add anything without testing to see whats needed). Now my problem lately is my alk wont stay above 3.0 for more than 24hrs. I add seachem reef builder to raise Alk and with daily additions I can get the Alk to 4.5 or so and then if I miss one day it drops right back to 3.0. Is it normal to have to add alk every day? Until a couple of months ago I only added once a week but now its daily. My corals all are growing and healthy, coraline algea covers everything and constant battle to keep it off the front of the glass and hiding the tank. Anyone have ideas or suggestions?

[bprewit]

I dose calcium 3 times a week. I used kalk to maintain levels for quite some time but found the seachem reef calcium maintains the calcium level just as good and is much easier to use. It is some type of polygluconate calcium that supposedly dosent deplete alk or mess with ph. I use it twice a week and then the reef complete once a week since it has mag and stronium and everything seems to balance out. Are other calcium additives much better like the two part B-ionic?

[Jimnorris]

On the Seachem products (which are very good) if you are using the calcium additives then to balance the calcium & Alk you must use the Reef Builder as a equal. These two additives are Seachem's version of a 1-2 system like B- ionics.
I now use a Kalkreactor and B-ionics because I have a huge calcium demand in my tank. I have found (IMO) this system is easy and keeps my calcium at 430 to 450, alk at 11 to 12 and ph right at 8.3. I add nothing else to my tank.
Jim