tropic marin Bio - Calcium

[Caige]

who uses this? How often and do you like? Are you adding directly to tank?

[melosu58]

Just PWC`s do it for me. What calcium readings are you getting just doing PWC`s?

[Caige]

Mike- you mean you add it during PWC's? I'm using instant ocean and without any additional chems... i'm getting 300-340 calcium consistantly. I do have a bubble coral, green duncan that are doing great. I have a frogspawn that doesn't seem to be doing great... i was thinking it's the low calcium.

Anyhow this tropic marin stuff says it will NOT affect any other levels (particularly PH) and that it also adds 60 other trace elements... and I can just add directly to tank. So was thinking about just using this like once a week or when needed.

[Caige]

oh, another reason I'm really concerned is my wife surprised me yesterday with two additions to the tank. A green flower pot (LPS) and Yellow Polyp (SPS).... however, after reading about them they both seem to be very difficult to upkeep... so want to do the best I can.

[melosu58]

Yes if that`s all you are getting then you will need to dose. I was just making sure you were testing before you dose to make sure you needed it. I do agree that the flowerpot coral is difficult.

[Caige]

Thanks -- so do you have experience with this type? I'm curious to see how often I will have to add it and if it's true it doesn't mess with the PH / Alk.

also, do you recommend I go up in 20 increments a week instead of jumping straight from 300 to 400?

[ccCapt]

If you need to dose calcium, dose only calcium chloride....like Kent Turbo Calcium. I don't believe in using supplements which add "trace elements" which we can't test for and have no idea if we need them. Use this Reef Chemistry Calculator to determine how much you need to dose to get to your desired level.
You can raise your calcium 20ppm per day with no side affects. Have you tested a freshly made mix of your water to see what the calcium level is? The older bags/buckets of Instant Ocean usually ran around 340-360 calcium and the new IO runs around 440 calcium.

[Caige]

Thanks... that is what I have to figure out. IO website says with a SG of 1.026 IO should be 400 calcium. I keep SG at 1.024 but that shouldn't make the difference between 340 and 400, right?

[ccCapt]

1.026 SG has about 8% more ions than saltwater mixed at 1.024, so figure aprox 370 ppm calcium if you mixed it at 1.026. That pretty much matches what is expected out of the older batches of Instant Ocean. The place you bought your salt still may be stocking the older stuff.
If you buy a 200g box, that is the new formula. I'm not sure how to tell the new from old on buckets or smaller bags.

[Caige]

Thanks Capt. I do buy the 200Gal boxes. I am going to mix some more on Tue and will pay special attention to SG and Calcium while mixing my 25gallon batch. If I can get calcium at 370 i would be happy and not even add anything else.