Best way to Raise Calcium

[raseri]

We have been having a low calcium problem for a couple weeks now. We have been adding calcium and we would like to know how much calcium you can add in one day. The corals are doing fine but we can't seem to get the calcium above 300. We have a doser going of RO water and calcium. Anyone have any sugestions? And I would love to know the max amount of calcium you can put in one day.

 

[socalnano24]

This depends on your tank size. So whats your tank size?
Also what does your calcium supplement say on the back. It typically has instructions for how much to dose to raise the calcium by a certain amount and the maximum amount you can dose in a day. (it's normally based on 50 gallons, so you can increase or decrease that proportionally based on your tank size)

 

[raseri]

Yeah, it's a fifty five gallon. We have alot of LPS corals and a couple SPS corals. But we don't know what could be eating all of the calcium we keep adding.

 

[raseri]

I also just read the back of the calcium we are using and it doesn't say. :/

 

[socalnano24]

it doesn't say anything about dosing at all?! In that case I'd go get another form of calcium w/ instructions.
Chances are your SPS corals are using your calcium. Inverts are also known to use calcium when they are molting. I have a single monticap in my 24 that depletes my calcium at a rate of about 25 ppm per week.
So several SPS could definitley make yours an issue

 

[speg]

Originally Posted by Raseri
http:///forum/post/3254728
Yeah, it's a fifty five gallon. We have alot of LPS corals and a couple SPS corals. But we don't know what could be eating all of the calcium we keep adding.
Out of curiosity.. have you tested your premixed saltwater to see what the calcium level is before it's going into your tank? Also, what salt are you using?

 

[raseri]

It does talk about dosing but it doesn't give me a max it just says what I should use. I wanna know how much I can put in without putting the tank in danger.

 

[raseri]

Yeah we have, and we are drip dosing the calcium RO water mix into the refugeum, and it's H2ocean salt.

 

[speg]

Originally Posted by Raseri
http:///forum/post/3254747
Yeah we have, and we are drip dosing the calcium RO water mix into the refugeum, and it's H2ocean salt.
and then what did the calcium read on the premixed water?

 

[socalnano24]

Originally Posted by Raseri
http:///forum/post/3254745
It does talk about dosing but it doesn't give me a max it just says what I should use. I wanna know how much I can put in without putting the tank in danger.
mine the max dosing is somewhere in the range of 1-2 teaspoons. I think it amounts to 20 ml or something....

 

[socalnano24]

how many ml or teaspons does it say to raise 50 gallons 10 ppm?
I wouldn't recomend dosing more than can raise your tanks Ca 25 ppm/day.
One of the reasons for that is a quick increase in calcium to your tank is slightly acidic which will cause your pH to drop. So check both if your going to be making drastic changes

 

[nikesb]

Originally Posted by SocalNano24
http:///forum/post/3254773
how many ml or teaspons does it say to raise 50 gallons 10 ppm?
I wouldn't recomend dosing more than can raise your tanks Ca 25 ppm/day.
One of the reasons for that is a quick increase in calcium to your tank is slightly acidic which will cause your pH to drop. So check both if your going to be making drastic changes
more than 25 ppm is fine. 50 should be the max you add per day. as for ph drop, you counter that with a 2 part solution. calcium and soda ash. as far as how much you dose depends on what you have in your tank

 

[geoj]

What is your magnesium level?
Low mag will limit how much calcium will stay in the water.

 

[nikesb]

another good point. keep your mg between 1300-1500 and that will help keep your calcium and dkh in check.

 

[bang guy]

I agree. If you are having difficulty maintaining Calcium at 400ppm then make sure Magnesium isn't low and the Alkalinity isn't too high.

 

[beaslbob]

google holmes-farley diy 2 part

 

[raseri]

We just got a Magnesium test kit, so we will be doing that tonight and the back of our Turbo-Calcium says tje mix 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoons per gallon of water. We also have some Epson Salt to raise our Magnesium. So we'll find out if that is it tonight and hopefully that is the only thing. Does anyone else think that there could be anything else that could be effecting our Calcium?

 

[bang guy]

If Alkalinity is too high then Calcium carbonate will precipitate every time you add Calcium and it will never rise.
Also ensure salinity is 35ppt -37ppt.

 

[raseri]

We checked that all out. Our Alkalinity is fine right now. So I think all that leaves left is the Magnesium. Do you know how much of the Magnesium we can add to a 55gallon tank?

 

[raseri]

how much Mg ppm can be dosed per/day, so that my Ca will increase. pH-8.3, KH-8=143.2, PO4-zero, NO3-zero. Ca-320. i plan on drip dosing my Mg in 2gal RO H2O.