What do you use? Calcium additives....

[gooyferret]

Just wondering what people here liked to use for a calcium additive for their reefs? Or calcium buffers and why you like what you use...how long you been using it....

 

[steve-s]

For daily additions I use C-Balance (less impact on pH) and every second day I use a gallon of RO/DI with 2 tspn of kalk (½ tspn vinegar). I have no sump so a reactor is not in the cards.

If/when the balance gets out of whack, I use Kent Superbuffer DKH and Turbo Ca for corrections. Both are very good and inexpensive.

Cheers
Steve

 

[MT79]

I use B-ionic 2 part Ca/Alk supplement. It works great IMO/IME. Just make sure to keep up on water changes.

For daily additions I use C-Balance (less impact on pH) and every second day I use a gallon of RO/DI with 2 tspn of kalk (½ tspn vinegar). I have no sump so a reactor is not in the cards.

If I had half the knowledge about SW chemistry as steve-s does I may THINK of doing the same to my tank LOL.

 

[gooyferret]

do you like b-ionic??? Someone told me you have to get the calcium raised before you use it. I have had many people recommend it actually and im wondering if alot of others do..

 

[JohnNLuc]

I also use ESV's B-Ionic. IMO is the best product (besides kalkwasser) to raise CA and ALK and keep them at constant levels. With B-ionic and a simple reef chemistry calculator it's almost impossible to screw up your additives. HTH

 

[seaham358]

B-ionic, easy to use and comes in several different sizes and the price is good.
make sure you get test kits for alk and cal and test before you add. I used to test every day till I got the levels up where I wanted them then I learned what my tank used every day. Now I just test after water changes and add as needed. If your low raise them up slowly...

 

[gooyferret]

B-ionic is only to keep the levels of calcium and alk at level just as a buffer correct? What do you use to raise the calcium up to the level you want?

 

[SeriousDude5]

I use B-Ionic as well. Works great for me havnt had any problems. Also coralline took off like crazy after a couple of weeks.

 

[malkore]

I'm using Kent superbuffer dKh and turbo calcium to keep my parameters in check.

 

[Phyl]

I use b-Ionic also. The couple of times a parm has gotten out of wack I've just used more of the b-Ionic. Seems to me that Steve's recommendation of using the Kent Superbuffer and Turbo Ca is probably a good one so that you're not having to burn through the b-Ionic so fast to play catch up.

 

[MT79]

I've used Turbo Ca a couple times when my Ca. has dropped. The B-ionic works well, once you get the daily amount correct. As corals grow or when you add corals/clams you'll need to up the daily B-ionic dose some IME. You can use the B-ionic to get things back in line, but as phyl mentioned you will use alot of it. The Turbo Ca makes it easier to bring Ca up b/c it is more concentrated.

 

[IndyReefMan]

After I got my Ca and Alk in balance, I set up a drip system with B-ionic and it has worked very nicely for 4 months now. Kent manufactures a IV style drip bottle in several sizes. I use the 1400ml bottle for the drip... actually, you need two of them, one for the Ca and one for the Alk. Don't mix the 2 parts together, you must drip them from 2 separate bottles. I fill the 1400 ml bottle with RO water and add 210 ml of the Ca solution. I then set it to drip once every 45 seconds or so. This will allow it to drip for one week (adding 30ml of Ca solution per day) before it runs dry and I have to fill it again. Do the same for the Alk component-- in a seperate 1400ml bottle add 210ml of the Alk solution and set up a 45 second drip. I have a 72 gallon display tank with a 35 gallon sump with a pretty heavy population of corals and I've found this drip rate and Ca/Alk ratio to be perfect. My Ca is pegged at 430 every time I test it and is always in balance with Alk. I also have a 2.5 gallon bottle set-up with a once per 10 second drip of straight RO water to replace the water that evaporates. Of course, your drip rate and Ca/alk concentrations will vary depending on system volume and bioload. It will take some experimenting to get it just right but once you do, life is a lot easier.