I have had a trying to get my calcium up. I ahve been dosing with kalkwasser for the last two months but i would just not go up t is only around 290 and it has stayed around there since i could remember. So at LFS i talked to the guy who knows the most about reeds and he said to try Kalkwasser Plus by WM resaerch. He told me it should raise it up and then to keep it stabalized with regular kalkwasser. So i mixed it up and dripped three gallons worth today and brought it up not much. I dotn use R/O water to mix it so coulld it be that not much is dissolving and it is all settleing to the bottom of the bucket. Any experience or help would be appreciated. Also i only have Xenia, Open brain coral, bubble coral, and green star polyps, and mushrooms. SO as you can tell there isnt much there to take the calcium yet because i am still adding. It is a 90 gallon started in june.
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calcium i ant get up
- Thread starter kipreefer
- Start date
How often do you do water changes?
What brand of test kit are you using?
What time of day are you testing?
I think most will agree that salifert is one of the best brands for testing calcium.
Do a search on kalkwasser, there is old thread that talked about dosing kalk, chemical reaction process and how too much kalk can even lower calcium in tank.
What brand of test kit are you using?
What time of day are you testing?
I think most will agree that salifert is one of the best brands for testing calcium.
Do a search on kalkwasser, there is old thread that talked about dosing kalk, chemical reaction process and how too much kalk can even lower calcium in tank.
Do a search on the boards for kalkwasser and vinegar. We had some lengthy threads recently.
Another thing to consider may be your levels of Magnesium, which is necessary in large amounts to keep Calcium in solution in salt water. There are anecdotal reports that some aquarium salt mixes are cutting back on Magnesium salts in their mix due to higher costs of that material.
If you suspect Magnesium depletion, try doing some gradual water changes with Instant Ocean salt, if you are not already using it. Kent liquid Magnesium supplements also work well for me.
Some knowledgeable folks on the board have expressed doubt that Magnesium depletion is likely to occur in a reef tank to the degree that Calcium actually falls out of solution, so testing for Magnesium levels may be the logical way to eliminate that as the cause. They should be 1300 - 1500 ppm on the Salifert test.
(Salifert makes far and away the best test kits for both Magnesium and Calcium.)
If all else fails, do a series of gradual water changes with fresh salt mix to get Calcium back up and then use kalk or kalk/vinegar to keep it there.
By the way, Ca+ levels around 300 are not exactly catastrophic, so unless your animals are showing some sort of distress from Calcium starvation, go slow on any changes.
Another thing to consider may be your levels of Magnesium, which is necessary in large amounts to keep Calcium in solution in salt water. There are anecdotal reports that some aquarium salt mixes are cutting back on Magnesium salts in their mix due to higher costs of that material.
If you suspect Magnesium depletion, try doing some gradual water changes with Instant Ocean salt, if you are not already using it. Kent liquid Magnesium supplements also work well for me.
Some knowledgeable folks on the board have expressed doubt that Magnesium depletion is likely to occur in a reef tank to the degree that Calcium actually falls out of solution, so testing for Magnesium levels may be the logical way to eliminate that as the cause. They should be 1300 - 1500 ppm on the Salifert test.
(Salifert makes far and away the best test kits for both Magnesium and Calcium.)
If all else fails, do a series of gradual water changes with fresh salt mix to get Calcium back up and then use kalk or kalk/vinegar to keep it there.
By the way, Ca+ levels around 300 are not exactly catastrophic, so unless your animals are showing some sort of distress from Calcium starvation, go slow on any changes.
Well sorry it took me awhile to return. My alkalinity is at 3.0 am bringing it up. I do a five gallon water change every week and a half with instant ocean. I use a red sea pharm. calcium test kit. How much does a magnessium test kit cost 20 bucks im guessing. Maybe i will look into the kalkwasser and vinager mixture to help bring it up. I have no problem keeping it stabilized at these lower levels so it may actually have to do with my alkalinity and possible magnesium. I would do more water changes but i dont use R/O water or deionized water for changes so i dont try to do water changes faster then what the various CAulepra species can absorb the nutrients from my water. Because when i do water changes fast cynobacteria comes around. Well i hope maybe this gives you guys and gals some more ideas of what i may not be doing effectively. Thanks for the replies.
kIP, don't try to raise your alk any. 3.0meq. is just fine for the reef. Just try to keep it stabe as you raise the calcium. But of course I would do the mag. test first. The mag. in my tank was low, and by raising it made the raising of calcuim, and the maintaining of alk a lot easier. After you get the mag. at a desired level, raise the calcium slowly while maintaining the alk. Otherwise you will dump a lot of calcium in and the alk will plumit. and visaversa. Good luck.
If he's doing weekly waterchanges, then I doubt the lack of magnesium is a problem.
How long have you been trying to bring Ca up? It will take a little time (a week or so), and you may need to bump up the amount of kalk your using. Also, there's a great chance that the test kit is out to lunch.
Ty
How long have you been trying to bring Ca up? It will take a little time (a week or so), and you may need to bump up the amount of kalk your using. Also, there's a great chance that the test kit is out to lunch.
Ty
Well i think i will figure it out. I dripped ina gallons worth of Kalkwasser Plus with 10 ml. of vinager. It seemed super consintrated so i let it drip very slowly through out day. I got home from school and alk was low it was at 1.8 and i tested calcium and it was at about 295. SO i shut it off maybe i will try again tommorow once my alkalinity goes back up and i will drip it even slower this time. I dont know im just going crazy i just cant get a happy medium. CAn any one see what im doing wrong in critisism would be great i need a humbling experience right about now. So i can buckle down and get this calcium up.
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by tyoberg:
<strong>If he's doing weekly waterchanges, then I doubt the lack of magnesium is a problem.
Ty</strong><hr></blockquote>
I myself use instant ocean for my water changes. And after a water change I can check my mag. and it will drop some after the change. I have never checked the mag. level of the new water before added thou. Be patient kip, it took me months to get mine equaled out.
<strong>If he's doing weekly waterchanges, then I doubt the lack of magnesium is a problem.
Ty</strong><hr></blockquote>
I myself use instant ocean for my water changes. And after a water change I can check my mag. and it will drop some after the change. I have never checked the mag. level of the new water before added thou. Be patient kip, it took me months to get mine equaled out.
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