Causes of low cal.

[adacaro]

Can not get my cal. up used a 8 onz.bottle of concentrated cal. and nothing. What can be the cause of tiis, in a week I have gone frome 260 to 300 to 400 to 300 the next day. what is this, need help fast.

 

[skennelly]

perhaps your test kit is inaccurate. Take a sample to the LFS and see what reading they get. CAL should drop that much in a days time. Coral consume calcium over time, but not overnight.

 

[hcuellart]

Check your test kit it might have expired. What test kit are you using? Also what were you using to supplement? There are some cheap stuff in the market that just aren't quality products...

 

[hcuellart]

Forgot to ask what brand of salt were you using? and how often are you doing your water changes...

 

[Salttanker]

It could also be the type of water you're using for top-offs and water changes that are depleting the calcium. Try getting another kit like Salfert to see how close they are.

Mike

 

[adacaro]

I am using salfert, new kit. also am using seachem kit for the same readings. I am using DI water for 15 gal water change and have this service done every 15 days using oceanic salt,which I prepare 1 day before this service. my tank is 72 gal.

 

[Salttanker]

You could do what some here do and add a calcium reactor for consistency.

Mike

 

[seaham358]

Have you tested you alkalinity also? you need to balance them both..
bionic 2 part system is some great stuff

 

[adacaro]

My alk is high my kit measures low med. high and I |was using calcium reactor 2 times a week before this started.

 

[MarineFlake]

Depressed mg levels are usually behind low ca levels or boncing ca levels. At 400 - 450 ppm ca, you need about 1350 ppm mg. CHeck your mg (Salifert rocks) and post the results.

 

[adacaro]

found out what was my problem. I have a 600 gal. water tank for my house, we get alot of huricains over here in Puerto Rico, and the moter had rust and red dirt in the part that pushes the water to my DI water filter. The rust and dirt in my home filter lower my ph so I used alot and I mean alot of buffer to rise my ph which hardly went up This caused my cal. to go down and stay down due to that large amount of buffer. I already put a stainless steal moter to my tankand a new filter in my multi-pure system. Did a 50 percent water change and back to normal. Thanks alot you guys here in this forum, it is so nice to know that when you have a problem you have so much support and someone their for you. Again I thank you all.