Carbon and calcium

[mrdc]

Can filters such as carbon or other filters take out calcium? I ask because I am still having trouble keeping my calcium level up. My calcium goes up nicely when I do a water change and I continue to add turbo calcium but the level slowly falls. My alk and ph are fine. My magnesium is almost at the normal level. Kind of confused :notsure:

 

[thegrog]

nope, carbon does not remove calcium.

 

[mrdc]

Thanks. I didn't think it did since I have never seen anything statig that it could. Just trying to cover all my bases of what could be causing my calcium level to fall.

 

[usinkit]

When you say your alk is fine what is the actual reading?

 

[mrdc]

alk = 8.4 dkh
ph = 8.23

 

[usinkit]

your dkh i would get closer to 9.5 to 10. What is your calcium and how often do you dose for calcium? Do you have high calcium consumption corals?

 

[mrdc]

I dose twice a day with turbo calcium. I add 3/4 tablespoon each time which seems like a lot. My calcium was 200 and I got it to 380. It was 295 last night. My corals are
Orange Fungia
Candy Cane
Several Shrooms and Zoas
Xenia
Toadstool
Bubble Coral
Finger Leather
100+ lbs of rock
Acteeno red coral (not sure on the spelling)
Yellow polyps

 

[usinkit]

Have your tried anyother source of calcium. I use REEF ADVANTAGE CALCIUM from seachem and i dose once a week. I have basically the same corals as you. I use oceanic salt and my waterchange has 300 to 350 ppm calciumin it. what salt brand are you using and have you tested it for calcium?

 

[mrdc]

Thanks. I use Instant Ocean and it reads 350ppm. I have not tried another salt since I still have about a 1/4 bucket left. I plan to ty another brand when I need to buy more salt.

 

[usinkit]

I really dont think its your salt. i used to use IO but oceanic was on sale so I tried and just stuck with it. I think your calcium your using may be bad. I would try another brand of calcium supplement before switching salts.

 

[reefnut]

Turbo calcium is better used to raise calcium and not really as a maintainace... although I don't see that as the problem. How are you mixing and adding the turbo calcium??

 

[mrdc]

I do it during my topoffs. I fill a gallon pitcher, add the turbo and mix for about 30 minutes manually meaning I stir, leave it for about 10 minutes, stir again,... to make sure it's totally dissolved. I then drop it all into the filter.
Oh and I am using a slaifert test kit.

 

[reefnut]

Have you gotten it up to the 400s?? What is the reaction of your alkalinity after adding the calcium??

 

[mrdc]

Nope. Closest I have gotten is 380. I was using B-Inoic and started to experince bad calcium precipitation. My alk at that time was 14 dkh. It was due to the fact I was using superbuffer to raise the ph for about two weeks before the b-ionic. My alk seems to stay stable. It has been 8.4 for several weeks. I test it using a Fastest and verify it with a Seachem test. Kalkwasser was my next thought but it seems to require too much work.
Also, I have never tested the turbo before adding it. Would it be helpful to do so?

 

[reefnut]

Anytime you add calcium it effects the alkalinity. You need to watch it closely when adding the calcium. Your best bet IMO is start with a good water change to make sure there is nothing else effecting your levels. Be a little more aggressive adding the turbo calcium followed by a buffer about a hour latter and test both the ca and alk. Keeping both balanced bring it up over several days. After you get the calcium up maintain it with B-Ionic or kalk water. Watch the magnesium to make sure you're not precipitating.

 

[mrdc]

Thanks for the advice. What good buffer do you reccomend?

 

[the___jest]

Nope. Closest I have gotten is 380. I was using B-Inoic and started to experince bad calcium precipitation. QUOTE]
My cal is high like 540 I've read about calcium precipitation, what is that? Thank you

 

[mrdc]

Basically white chalky stuff on the glass, impellers, heater, ... The heater is usually the first place it will show up on. I read about that and that is where it popped up first for me. It can be a pain to get off the glass too.

 

[reefnut]

Originally Posted by mrdc
Thanks for the advice. What good buffer do you reccomend?
Kent supperbuffer... or baking soda.

 

[the___jest]

I know what it is now, my sons turtle tank has the same problem on his heater. Thanx a million