Calcium loss & want control Help

[squeeky131]

can seem to get my plate coral back to happy.. NEED HELP PLEASE THIS IS A LARGE CORAL HAVE HAD FOR A YEAR. Can not seem to get much help with what is worng. This coral seem so happy open up large every day. Then it skeleton began to show statered get water chech from all sorces here found out calcium had drop to 320 now adding aggramilk but can not get calcium up. How can i get this to stay in the range it should be and how or what can i use to do this? I do not want to kill my baby and i not goning to add anything to tank until i can get this under control. It has stop increasing and started going back but still not getting calcium leave up. Need some experienced help. I want to learn how to care for my tank right.
THANKS TO ALL
I NEED HELP NOW AND FAST
SQUEEKY lost in bottom of tank

 

[airforceb2]

What are your pH and Alkalinity readings? All three are directly related so if one is off, they all may be outta wack.

 

[mudplayerx]

airforceb2 is correct. The health of your corals' skeletons rely on a combination of all three of those readings, not just calcium. You can have 600 ppm of calcium in the water but it won't be able to be absorbed if your alkalinity and/or ph are out of whack.
You can keep your calcium levels steady by doing weekly 5% water changes and dosing with kalkwasser.

 

[hispaniola]

Would using SeaChem Reef Calcium work just as well as the kalk...?

 

[airforceb2]

Granted your Alk and pH are good, it will have the same effect. Not too sure if it will work just as good but it will work.

 

[reefnut]

The SeaChem Reef Calcium will only add calcium... it will do nothing for the alkalinity. Kalk is a balanced mixture of both calcium and alkalinity. The SeaChem Reef Calcium may do good to bring the calcium level up but not as good at maintaining the levels. You will need to test and supplement your alkalinity as needed while bringing the calcium so so you do not throw everything off balance.
Kalk works good or a two part additive will also work good to maintain your alkalinity/calcium levels and to keep them balanced with one an other.

 

[hispaniola]

Is there any type/brand of kalkawasser that you would recommend (or avoid) and what type of automatic dosing mechanism would you recommend for it? I am building a 75gal. reef tank.
Thanks.

 

[reefnut]

I use Ball's Pickling Lime. You can usually buy it from Walmart or the like at a fraction of the cost of kalk made for aquarium use and it's pretty much the same stuff.

 

[hispaniola]

 

[mudplayerx]

You sure its the same as Kalkwasser Reefnut? If so that is awsome because I am spending a hefty chunk of change on Kalkwasser supplement.

 

[reefnut]

It's calcium hydroxide which is the same thing that kalk mix is. The purity levels are supposable a little different but any impurities precipitate out after mixing... I have been using it for a LONG time now. Do a search and you'll find a lot about it.

 

[squeeky131]

TY all will check all the reading to see what up. If ph and alk or ok how do i bring up calcium, and to what so coral come back to it self it really bad looking.