Calcium Question

ameno

ameno

Active Member
My new 125 tank has been running for three months now, I first set it up using instant ocean salt, which I have found out only has around 360 on calcium so I've been having to work on raising that from the start, I have since gone to reef crystals for water changes which is suppose to be around 420. I Plan on having quite a bit of sps corals so I need to get these levels over 400. right now I don't feel I have a heavy load on the tank with corals that require a lot of calcium, I have one large sps some lps and softies, I built a kalk stirrer about a month ago and am still working on the right amount of mix to put in it,
I'm up to five tsp. a week. I would also dose with the two part b-ionic and with the kalk and dosing was able to raise my cal. up to 420 but within a week it was back down to under 380 when I didn't dose the two part. I would like to get away from dosing all together.
My alk and mag seem to be running were it needs to and staying consistent with the calcium. so I feel everything is in balance, just usinging a lot of calcium.
I do have a lot of coraline growth and my one sps has almost doubled in size in about 6 weeks. So my question is what do I do to keep calcium levels up without dosing the two part? am I not adding enough kalk to the stirrer? should I continue to added the amount of kalk and see if it finally keeps up, or am I going to have to end up adding a calcium reactor to the system?
I have a close to 200 gal. total system. and I have a safety switch over if the ph goes to 8.5 it switches over to frsh water instead of kalk water.
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
I am not familiar with the proceedure you are asking about but you didnt mention this and I am just tossing out as an FYI. If you are dosing calc you need to test your magnesium levels too. Other wise the calcium you are dosing wont be any good if your mag levels are not up to where they should be.
 
R

rcreations

Guest
Reef Crystals does not have 420 calcium. I tested the last batch I used and the calcium was 380 at 1.025 density.
 
ameno

ameno

Active Member
Originally Posted by PerfectDark
I am not familiar with the proceedure you are asking about but you didnt mention this and I am just tossing out as an FYI. If you are dosing calc you need to test your magnesium levels too. Other wise the calcium you are dosing wont be any good if your mag levels are not up to where they should be.
I did mention I have been testing mag. and alk alone with cal. everything seems to be running were it needs too with the cal.
Rcreations-the numbers are from a post from a cemistry forum on -- were a comperasion was done, and I do know some batches will vary but overall averages is were these two salt mixes are suppose to be running. I did not check the last batch of reef crystals that I added, but a good point I should check and be sure were it's at.
 
cubsfan

cubsfan

Member
reef crystal actually had some bad batches with low calcium levels. Test yours and see where it is.
 
teen

teen

Active Member
just buy a calcium reactor. dosing 2 part in a system that large is rediculous and using name brand products will cost you more than a calcium reactor in no time. if you dont want to go the reactor route, look into ordering the 2-part in bulk. its much cheaper that way.
and whats your magnesium/alk at? exact numbers.
 
ameno

ameno

Active Member
the alk and mag change with cal. levels. but when cal. is 400 to 420 the alk is around 4.2 meg/l and mag is around 1400.
So you don't think a kalk stirrer is going to be good enough to keep the cal. level up?
I do want to get away from dosing the two part, but hope I can do this without a reactor, but if all else fails I will look into it.
 
ameno

ameno

Active Member
I was hoping someone with a similiar set-up with a kalk stirrer would have some input that would help me figure out what would be the best thing to do. Or how much kalk they put in at a time.
 
trippkid

trippkid

Active Member
I would say eventually a calcium reactor will be needed, until then it sounds to me like there is not enough evaporation, you may need to allow more of the kalkwasser mix in via the ATO, you could try to increase the evap, and see if that helps, or better yet, do some searches about adding vinegar to the kalk mix, will allow you to supersaturate the mix, I forget the exact amt, I don't drip kalk anymore, but when I did I also used vinegar to help in the supersaturation of the mix. If you are going to be doing a SPS dominated tank, then I'm afraid a reactor is in your future, mine too. When the stuff is healthy and growing, they really can use up the supply quickly, and the only way to keep up is via a reator, two-part or supersaturated kalk, or a combination for some, IMO.
Matt
 
ameno

ameno

Active Member
yea from what I'm seeing I'm afraid a cal. reactor will eventually be needed. When you say not enough evaporation and to increase evaporation, does that mean adding more kalk to the reactor? letting it stirr longer? not sure.
I have looked a bit into the viniger mix but not enough to give it a try yet, but that could be a fix for now, looks like I have some research to do. right now I have one large sps, so if it's already a problem it will get worst as I add more I'm sure.
Thanks for the help
 
trippkid

trippkid

Active Member
No, what I'm saying is that you don't have enough evaporation going on in your system(sump,DT, etc), if you increase the evaporation loss, you will be adding more top off water, increasing the CA through the Kalk. I still think if that is the only method you want to use you will need to use vinegar to supersaturate enough for the demand. For my tank, a 120 with about an additional 30gal between sump and fuge, I change 20gal water every week(Red Sea Pro Coral salt)I also add Strontium and Magnesium to my WC water when mixing, I use a two part every day 30ml part A and 20ml part B along with daily Mag dosing and every other day Strontium dosing, that's it. I guess it is a lot but that is what my system calls for. I'll have to see, when I get one, how much the CA reactor will help. Good luck, I hope you can figure it all out, part of the problem though is as the stuff gets bigger and you add more to it, it uses even more, kind of always changing a little, IMO.
Matt
 
ameno

ameno

Active Member
Ok I understand now, sounds like your system is around the same size as mine, I have a 125gal DT and 65gal fuge/sump. I don't think I'll be able to increase evaporation much more then what I have, which is around 1 gal. a day. I'll try the vinegar idea and see what it does. Keep me posted on the reactor if you get one, as to type and how it does, that's probably something I'm going to have to end up doing, just didn't really want to have to tell the wife (honey I need to spend another $500 on the tank)
 
trippkid

trippkid

Active Member
Originally Posted by ameno
just didn't really want to have to tell the wife (honey I need to spend another $500 on the tank)

Tell me about it, I'm in the same boat. Good luck, yeah I don't think a gallon is enough to keep up with the demand especially when it really starts consuming CA and the other elements.
Matt
 
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