Calcium Trouble!

.357 · May 22, 2006

I have a few things working against me at this point and I need some help. All advice is appreciated. I just got rid of my big fish. I have cleaned up my tank added more live rock brought in some new fish. My nitrates are on a sharp decline and I just did another 55 gal water change on my 140 gal system.
I bought some nice mushrooms at my lfs today and a calcium test. Popped in the shrooms and started the test. 300 ppm. Now I know what is coming next. This tank has been fish only for years and I never thought about calcium that was for you reef guys. As I was reading the stuff that came with my Red Sea cal test is says that Red Sea salt (the brand I have always used is only set to about 350ppm tops because tap water has about 100 ppm) Funny thing is it doesn't say that on the salt bucket.

and it says to use ro water with nothing about adding calcium.
Now I need to know how to get it up. :help: The calcium that is. I also think that I need a new brand of salt.
I am also thinking that I should remove the carbon I have in there as well.
I would also like to know about adding other supplements. At this point it has been water changes only.
Thanks

alyssia · May 22, 2006

You can raise it with kalkwasser or purple up.

alyssia · May 22, 2006

Originally Posted by .357
Now I need to know how to get it up. :help: The calcium that is.
Thanks

.357 · May 22, 2006

I have never used that Kalkwrasser and I have heard about poeple getting bad lots of purpleup. How quickly can or should it be done?

alyssia · May 22, 2006

Their is an article about dripping kalk in the archives.
I'm sorry, I'm not sure about the purple up. I never heard about any bad batches of it.

.357 · May 23, 2006

I am thinking of changing to Tropic Marine Reef Pro salt. It looks like it has the highest Ca level.
Should I also be adding liquid Ca to get the level up? Could I be causing problems by adding it too quick? or would I be better off adding kalkwrasser to the water I use to top off?

seannmelly · May 23, 2006

We use Crystal Sea salt in our reef tank and drip with Kent Marine Kalkwasser and our calcium is around 440ppm. We have always used this salt and never had a problem with it.

.357 · May 23, 2006

In the past I have been topping off my 125 High (only 112 by the math -overflow-rock-sand maybe 95 gl) with RO/DI water only. I have a sump that holds about 15 gl and a refug that holds 27 gl I think. I guess that the total system is about 140gl. I have been looking a doseing system, but just don't have room for one more thing under my stand. I add about 2 - 2.5 gl (all at once, pooring it into the sump) of RO/DI about every 3 days. Would it be good or bad to add Kalkwasser to this top off water? I have read that it won't hurt if done with the lights off on a system my size. Any thoughts?

seannmelly · May 23, 2006

Kalkwasser, in my experience is meant to be dosed slowly. We have a 125rr and a 40 gallon sump and we just mix up 2 gallons of kalkwasser and water and drip it with an airline hose.(its a make shift dripper but does the job nonetheless). We let it drip a couple drips a second.
Melly

alyssia · May 23, 2006

Originally Posted by seannmelly
Kalkwasser, in my experience is meant to be dosed slowly. We have a 125rr and a 40 gallon sump and we just mix up 2 gallons of kalkwasser and water and drip it with an airline hose.(its a make shift dripper but does the job nonetheless). We let it drip a couple drips a second.
Melly

Correct, if you don't drip kalk it will screw up your ph.

nemo's mom · May 23, 2006

I would advise against using a whole lot of supplements. You add one thing, screw up something else. I use instant ocean. I have a lot of different cloars in my tank and my salt stays between 400 and 450ppm. All my corals are doing great, except my zoas but I had a sundial snail...
If any of my levels get out of whack I do a 20% water change...maybe every 2 weeks??
I haven't lot a fish or coral in close to 6 months...

reefnut · May 23, 2006

Kalk is good for maintaining calcium and alkalinity but not so good to raise it.
First thing... what is your alkalinity level?? A high alkalinity level will cause a low calcium level. Also, what is your magnesium level?
Products such as Kent Turbo Calcium and Kent Superbuffer are good for adjusting the levels. Kalk or a good two part additive is good to maintain the levels.

reefnut · May 23, 2006

Originally Posted by Nemo's Mom
I would advise against using a whole lot of supplements.
I would agree with the exception of calcium/alkalinity/magnesium. These three elements need to be balanced and maintained. IF water changes do the trick then that's great but often supplements are needed.

.357 · May 23, 2006

I hope I am not breakin the law with this link but this guy says that all at once is the way to do it. http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/...alkwasser.html

.357 · May 23, 2006

sorry, look near the end of the artical

.357 · May 23, 2006

I had hoped to do it all with water changes, but the Red Sea salt has a low Ca level. Changing the water with that stuff is just pooring it down the drain. I will get the alk when I get home however in the middle to low range. Last time I checked.

.357 · May 24, 2006

Last night I ran some test just to see where everything is at. All done with Red Sea test kits.
Ph 8.2
Alk Normal
Nitrate <10
Ca 300ppm or 400ppm.
The point with the calcium is that with the Red Sea kit you add 4 drops of A, shake, add 5 dorps of B, shake = start color. Kind of pink. Next you add dorps of A one at a time shaking between each until you reach the end color. Kind of Peach. Each drop of A = 50 ppm of calcium. The point is that 4+2=300 ppm and at the 2+drops I could say that it looked a lot like the peach color. It also looked a lot like the peach color at 4+4 or 400 ppm.
100 ppm is a big differance for guess work like this. Any ideas?

alyssia · May 24, 2006

Originally Posted by ReefNut
Kalk is good for maintaining calcium and alkalinity but not so good to raise it.
First thing... what is your alkalinity level?? A high alkalinity level will cause a low calcium level. Also, what is your magnesium level?
Products such as Kent Turbo Calcium and Kent Superbuffer are good for adjusting the levels. Kalk or a good two part additive is good to maintain the levels.

That's what I was told on here but when I started dripping kalk my calcium went through the roof.

reefnut · May 24, 2006

There could be a few reasons... but I'm not saying that kalk will not raise your ca/alk levels but with its high PH, kalk is not a good choice to use for trying to raise the ca/alk.
.375, get a alkalinity kit that gives you the actual level in numbers... a "normal" reading doesn't tell you anything.

.357 · May 25, 2006

The closest LFS is over an hour from her. I am placing an order today. what is the best brand for Ca and Alk? I did get some Kalkwasser to day. The turbo calcium says that you should be using Kalkwasser before you start the turbo. I also need to order salt. Which brand has the highest Ca level?
Thanks for the help

Calcium Trouble!

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