Dosing calcium?

[Fish-guy]

I am keeping some torch corals and frogspawn. My calcium level is at 480. But I have heard of people adding calcium to the tank. Is it a good idea or a waste of money?

 

[EVMIII]

If your Calcium stays at 480 you don't need to dose. I dose to keep my level at 420. A lot depends on how frequent you do water changes, salt, etc... your torch and frogspawn prabably aren't using up much calcium. Good luck.

 

[MikeYQM]

It's likely you will eventually need to dose Ca if your levels drop below 400. If you can keep it up through water changes, no need to worry yet. Keep in mind, alkalinity & magnesium are equally important in the calcification of coral skeletons.

 

[TeamTrash]

Hmmm I tested my water for the first time today and got a reading of 300 with kH of 13.... I need to do it again to see if I get the same reading.

 

[mr_X]

If you use a reef grade salt mix, it should maintain things for you as Mike stated. Weekly partial water changes are usually all folks need to keep a moderately stocked reef.

 

[TeamTrash]

If you use a reef grade salt mix, it should maintain things for you as Mike stated. Weekly partial water changes are usually all folks need to keep a moderately stocked reef.

I wonder what my lfs uses. Maybe I need to test their water before I put it in the tank.

 

[MikeYQM]

What's your pH normally? An Alk level of 13 could be depressing your Ca. Are you adding any buffers or other additives?

 

[TeamTrash]

What's your pH normally? An Alk level of 13 could be depressing your Ca. Are you adding any buffers or other additives?

7.8. Added API buffer per Petco fish guys recommendations. Ph is now 8.0. Not sure what I need to do to lower alkalinity a little, increase calcium and get the ph up to 8.2. How does Mag affect it? I still don't have a kit to test it.

 

[uh.oh...]

magnesium, strontium...etc, all of it adds to alkalinity, ie: the measure of dissolved minerals and salts in your water. Magnesium seems to run separate of calc and alk, which have an inverse relation when added in extremes. Dose with a 2 part additive system, with two separate bottles, and you can get into some crazy situations if you're not careful. Add a good marine buffer, and you're getting both at the same time, much harder to screw up, but less control. Read this: Chemistry And The Aquarium: Solving Calcium And Alkalinity Problems — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

My advice? Do a water change, measure again in say a day. If ph is less than 8.0, calc less than 400, or alk less than 10dkh then consider dosing with that overall buffer (high quality marine buffer stuff). If everything is good but alk, which might around 3-8dkh, do more water changes, add more buffer, and test in another day. Same for other craziness, like low calc. Read the article. Good luck

 

[mr_X]

Adding calcium will lower alk, providing mag is at a reasonable level. Ph can be raised by increasing surface agitation (pointing a power head upwards so it breaks the water surface).

 

[uh.oh...]

Oh, and make sure you're adding a marine buffer, not rift lake or some silly freshwater planted seachem money scheme. I've read some awesome stories about petco employees telling a guy to superglue is bubble tip to the LR. Reef builders makes my day.

 

[uh.oh...]

Adding calcium will lower alk, providing mag is at a reasonable level. Ph can be raised by increasing surface agitation (pointing a power head upwards so it breaks the water surface).

unless you have a gas furnace, like mine. Pumping wonderful C02 into the air, crashing my alk all winter long.

 

[mr_X]

That sounds like a ventilation problem, not a water chemistry problem. I have gas heat as well.

 

[uh.oh...]

hmmm, is your furnace old? My landlord hasn't done anything for this bucket since the 60's... which is when she put in the electric stove. (Gas heat, electric stove?) anyways, I dose extra when the heats on to keep it up, otherwise I get funny readings on my kits. I thought it was just an expired kit, but that wasn't the case.

 

[TeamTrash]

Lots of food for thought First I'll test again tomorrow - the calcium test was a wee bit more complicated than the standard tests

I have been considering adding another circulation pump. Right now I have just one hydor koralia evolution 550. I would be hesitant to move it as my corals seem to placed pretty good. Would it be okay to add the small nano version and have that pointed towards the water surface?

 

[MikeYQM]

hmmm, is your furnace old? My landlord hasn't done anything for this bucket since the 60's... which is when she put in the electric stove. (Gas heat, electric stove?) anyways, I dose extra when the heats on to keep it up, otherwise I get funny readings on my kits. I thought it was just an expired kit, but that wasn't the case.

I hope you have a carbon monoxide alarm. Seriously.

 

[melosu58]

If you use a reef grade salt mix, it should maintain things for you as Mike stated. Weekly partial water changes are usually all folks need to keep a moderately stocked reef.

Totally agree with this. Maybe I missed it but what brand of salt are you using?

 

[uh.oh...]

I hope you have a carbon monoxide alarm. Seriously.

sure do!