Calcium question for Noob

[kmknoize]

I have researched a great deal and have not found a simple explanation for dosing calcium please help!! I have a 120 g tank w,200lbs LR and 29 g refugium it doesnt have any livestock because I just set it up. Now should I does limewater if so how can I do that with a kent marine aquadose? I have B-ionic should I use it? if so how much?
tank paremeters
nitrate-0
nitrite-0
ammonia-0.5
Ph-8.2
Ca-0 I suppose cause its a new tank

I have been stumped on this Calcium thing for awhile so any input would be greatly appreciated Thanks Matt

 

[reefr4kps]

Hmm, Calc 0 huh? That's unusual, the salt that you use should have sufficient amount of calc? What type of test kit are you using to check calcium? I use b-ionic alk and calc, start by using the recommended dose and check it every day until it levels out.

 

[pjhoehn]

I don’t think the Ca is 0 it will be low if it’s a new tank because the live rock will suck some up. Ca is the base building block in stony corals with out it they wont grow. You will also want to keep the dkh, Magnesium and Strontium up as well, invest in at least those test kits. I used kalkwasser for all my top up and did a touch up with turbo Ca once a week for years with great success. Check out the first post below and it should answer your questions and the last link is a quick calc. for turbo Ca

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showt ... did=102605

http://www.andy-hipkiss.co.uk/index.htm ... cacalc.htm

Sea-Ya
Pete

 

[Anonymous]

>...Hmm, Calc 0 huh? That's unusual, ....

It is not unusual, but impossible.

Check to see if your tank need calcium additive (I know you just did it when you do the test, but you need to redo the test....). For a rock only tank without any livestock, there is no calcium output other than the coralline algae, and it should not be difficult to keep up the demand with the instruction on the B-ionic. Once you finish the B-ionic, then you will need to drip kalkwassor via the Kent's doser. But you should not have to do that until you have some hard coral. Basically, you mix the kalk mix with RO/DI water, decant it, and put the solution in the doser and drip as water evaporates.