Calcium low

[Buklau]

I started dosing two part. Before that I was using kalk in my ato. Cal was staying at 460 and alk stayed at 8. After I started using two part, and brought up alk to 10 my cal is staying very low. At around 368-380. I have bumped up the timers on the cal by 10 min each time, but cal will not come up. I am using shitty API test kit, but it worked before and I would think I would see some rise on the test. Any thoughts?

 

[Buklau]

Anyone?

 

[Sniperhank]

Your calcium won't go up until your alk goes down. They move together. Do a water change and cut down on the kalk since it is raising your alk to 10. Your calcium will go back up.

 

[ccCapt]

What exactly are you using to dose calcium? If you are using a dry calcium chloride, how much of it are you adding to what volume of water? How much are you dosing each day?

Your calcium won't go up until your alk goes down. They move together. Do a water change and cut down on the kalk since it is raising your alk to 10. Your calcium will go back up.

That makes no sense. What makes you think you can't raise calcium if alk is 10 dKH?

 

[Sniperhank]

Im not sure why i said that in hindsight. Sorry for spreading bad advise.

 

[Buklau]

I am using brs recipe 1 two part solution. The tank is 90 gals. I am dosing about 110ml of cal aday, and 93ml of alk.

 

[Schism]

MAGNESIUM!!

Wow, there i got it out. Get yourself a mag test kit asap. Never dose any calcium/alk supplement without test mag. All 3 are interconnected. If your mag is low you never be able to raise your calcium and you will overdose.

This problem is one of the leading causes of people overdosing. Calcium cannot raise with insufficient magnesium levels.

 

[Buklau]

Magnesium is at 1300. Little low but not bad... I'm wondering if I am dosing the right amount, because the cal is staying at 380 an not going down. I am going to bring it up to 420 then see if the dosing pumps will keep it there. What do y'all think?

 

[Sniperhank]

A Simplified Guide to the Relationship Between Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium and pH by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

This might help.

 

[ccCapt]

How much of the dry calcium chloride are you adding to how much water?
The proper mixture should be aprox 2½ cups of calcium chloride to 1 gal of water. Then, if you mixed it at that ratio, a 50ml dose in a 90g system will push calcium from 380 to 420.

 

[Buklau]

Ok. That is the ratio that I am using on the mixture. When I am on the reef calculator on brs they say it will take 368 ml to bring it up to 420.

 

[Schism]

Mag is fine at 1300 then. My guess is your not dosing enough for your system or your test kit is flawed which is very easy with API kits. Other than that, recheck your math, dose, test, and retest.

 

[ccCapt]

Ok. That is the ratio that I am using on the mixture. When I am on the reef calculator on brs they say it will take 368 ml to bring it up to 420.

Yes, that is correct. (Not sure what I entered to get the # I got) If your dosing 110ml a day it will raise your calcium by 12ppm. Being you use an API test kit and they only measure in increments of 20ppm, you more than likely won't see the rise.
As you are aware, the API test kits are very cheap...and for a reason. They are not very accurate. Look into picking up either a Salifert or Elos test kit. They cost considerably more than an API but they are much more accurate. You may have to purchase it online since not alot of local pet shops carry them.

 

[Buklau]

Sounds good. Thanks for the help!