Calcium Debate Help

gtiguy

gtiguy

Member
Ok question on Calcium here:
My friend has a 90g reef and does daily calcium doses to keep the corals strong, i on the other hand a fish only tank minus the 2 anemoies and about 12 turbo snails and have been told to do the same, so i started today on a very small dose, was this wise? I have 30+ lbs of live Rock and 40 lbs live sand ....tank is a 36g with 250 wtt power compact .....tank up and running for about 2 months with pinkish red coraline growing on one rock and the others blooms of yellow brown algae and on sand floor (gobies take care of that)
What do you think?

Oh using oceanic and tap water(i know i know)
distilled for changes
Havent done a calcium test yet but all other levels are good.
 
malounsbury

malounsbury

Member
Here's something I ran into. My first purchases from the LFS were a coral banded shrimp and an emerald crab. When the guy at the LFS was bagging them, we were talking and I was saying how I had tested my water and everything, made sure everything was right before I added anything. The next thing he says is "what are you doing for calcium? You know the crab will need a proper calcium level for his shell." And tries to sell me this B-Ionic stuff that's about $15. Now I'm thinking two things, one you didn't even ask me what my current level was, and two its only one freaking crab. So I posted on here about it and myself and a few others got a good laugh out of it.
At any rate to help with the debate, if you aren't testing your calcium its pointless to add anything because you don't even know if its necessary or not, and if it is how much you should be adding. Also, I think its more required if you're keeping a reef tank which obviously you're not. So, personally I wouldn't add any more doses, do regular water changes and get a calcium test to test it and make sure its really needed.
 
gtiguy

gtiguy

Member
Yeah your prob right although i am all of a sudden seeing my yellow brown algae blooms turning green in some areas and am wondering if this is due to my recent calcium dose? Also whats a good calcium test? seen many but very expensive compared to the other testing supplies....... :help:
 
mudplayerx

mudplayerx

Active Member
Yes, it is pointless and dangerous to dose anything without the corresponding test kit.
Dosing calcium is a wise move if you want healthy calcareous algae, corals, clams, etc. However, you cant just add it to a gallon of topoff water and pour it in. You have to slowly drip it in as the water evaporates. You will also have to monitor and maintain ph and alkalinity if you want to dose calcium as they are integral to the eqution.
ps- use kalkwasser... most of the professionals do.
 
jlem

jlem

Active Member
Originally Posted by mudplayerx
Yes, it is pointless and dangerous to dose anything without the corresponding test kit.
you cant just add it to a gallon of topoff water and pour it in? You have to slowly drip it in as the water evaporates..
Why can't you add the calcium to your top off water. I add a tablespoon of Reef Complete calcium suppliment twic a week when I add my gallon of top off water every day. I add buffer to my top off water the other days and have never had any problems. Granted I would not dump 2 cups of calcium suppliment directly into my tank.
 
jlem

jlem

Active Member
Originally Posted by mudplayerx
Because that way it is skimmed out and whatnot before it has a chance to be absorbed by the inverts.
If your skimmer skims out calcium that quick then dripping it would be the worse way to introduce calcium and trace elements because that small amount of calcium being introduced would be instantly removed by the skimmer as well as every other trace element. :notsure:
 
jlem

jlem

Active Member
Originally Posted by mudplayerx
Oddly enough, it doesn't work that way.

I am curious why not. I added 2 tablespoons of calcium in a glass of water last night and my skimmer producedno more skimmate than usual.
 
mudplayerx

mudplayerx

Active Member
I'd ask the question in the reef forums. The guys there really know their calcium.
ps- I think it has to do with calcium saturation. If you have only a little in the water, it dilutes and becomes a solution. If you have a lot of calcium, it doesn't dilute, but remains suspended in the water and is easily skimmed out.
 
ophiura

ophiura

Active Member
It is imperative that you also test alkalinity...dosing calcium without following alkalinity and pH can have pretty drastic consequences. They are closely related.
 
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