Calcium and Soft Corals

[earlybird]

I'm currently using oceanic salt and plan on having soft corals only in my 29 eventually. I tested my calcium once as I am cycling right now and it read 520 (I think but definitly above 500). I'm curious as to how much calcium softies use? I know there are a lot of factors but I assume they use less then sps/lps. Assuming my salt always has high calcium levels will I eventually need to dose or would weekly water changes be adequate?
thanks

 

[wifishman1]

on the bottle of purple up it says between 380-420. hope this helps.

 

[nereef]

all living things use Ca, at least for normal metabolism. soft corals would use substantially less than stony corals, because they lack the "skeleton." i would think weekly water changes would be enough added Ca unless you are keeping lps, sps, or clams. what salt are you using? 520 pretty high.

 

[earlybird]

Originally Posted by NEreef
520 pretty high.
I know and it was the first and only time I've used my salifert kits as I'm still cycling and using cheap kits for amm, trite, and pH. It may be user error but when I dripped the entire 1 ml syringe I didn't get a color change and had to use more reagent (?) and then it only took 2 drops to cause the color cahange per instructions. I'm using oceanic salt.

 

[conch]

Softies use some Ca but not much. However Coraline Algae Love Calcium, Keeping your Ca levels around 400-420 will be good for the tank, and promote good color for the tank. Water Changes on a regular basis should keep this level, if not, I use Bionic's 2 stage additions and it has worked well for me.
500+ Does seem Very high. If it persists, I'de try a different test kit or bring in a sample to your LFS to confirm is a little surprising that any Brand of Salt would yield a Ca reading of 500+

 

[earlybird]

Again it could be user error but I've been told not to worry about my high calcium so much. I could be wrong in this but I figure that once I get some corals and other inverts that use calcium my calcium would lower into optimal ranges but idk.

 

[bemrocs]

520 is pushing it a little. Anything in between 400-500 should be ok, as long as it does not make a change in your PH or alk.

 

[maxalmon]

Wouldn't you get snow with Ca that high?

 

[reefreak29]

Originally Posted by earlybird
Again it could be user error but I've been told not to worry about my high calcium so much. I could be wrong in this but I figure that once I get some corals and other inverts that use calcium my calcium would lower into optimal ranges but idk.
this is a normal calc reading for oceanic salt

 

[tahoetanks]

Originally Posted by reefreak29
this is a normal calc reading for oceanic salt
Any rec's for a salt that's a little lower in calc?

 

[aaron7405]

Originally Posted by tahoetanks
Any rec's for a salt that's a little lower in calc?
I use Red Sea salt.
Is good and phosphate free and allready have calcium, so you wont have to be aden some more. Well thats depend on your bioload, but if you are starting and you planing to put soft corals it wont be a problem.

 

[reefforbrains]

You wont get cal precip unless alk dives and drags PH along for the ride. With alk at 10 or betterand PH above 8.0 you can run cal up to the 600 range with no precip.
Very difficult to balance a tank so heavy with no swings. Mad growth but constant maint.
Bird Keep in mind that with an entire tank full of fresh mixed water the levels will be all maxed.
A standard waterchange sched might be using water that tests at 450+ but by the time you dillute it out with the rest of the tank (rest of tank under normal draw will be constantly lower and benifits from the intensity of fresh mix with higher concentrations to re-balance the system at proper levels)
So for a freshly cycled tank your sittin pretty. See once you start depleting those levels with addittions to the tank your system will be constantly lower due to the usage and this is where waterchanges benefit you.