Cheapest way to raise calcium???
- Thread starter new_noob
- Start date
greatfullreefer
Active Member
How old is your reef? I seem to remember when my tank was just a few months old having the same problem. As far as i can tell whilst the tank is establishing the coraline will chew up a large chunk of calcium but will raise as time goes by. Mine is a steady 450 with no additives besides weekly water changes.
T
thomas712
Guest
A water change
Please check your magnesium levels or have the LFS do it for you.
You could try this if mag is low. Add a teaspoon to tablespoon of epsom salt to the tank, or rather dilute it first in RO water, then add it to the tank. Then tomorrow add the same amount of your calcium and check the levels an hour later. Personally I might double what you are adding but I forget what size tank you have.
The ebsom salt that you are looking for is very cheap and is Magnesium sulfate.
Thomas
Please check your magnesium levels or have the LFS do it for you.
You could try this if mag is low. Add a teaspoon to tablespoon of epsom salt to the tank, or rather dilute it first in RO water, then add it to the tank. Then tomorrow add the same amount of your calcium and check the levels an hour later. Personally I might double what you are adding but I forget what size tank you have.
The ebsom salt that you are looking for is very cheap and is Magnesium sulfate.
Thomas
T
thomas712
Guest
Originally posted by krowleey
Thomas can you over dose Magnesium ??
Yes you can.
Excessively high Magnesium can relax or anaesthetize and can do harm in marine organisms. In one article that I was reading they were talking about 5 or 6 times NSW mag levels causing problems within 30 min. As you may know 1300 ppm is normal. I remember having mine near 1500ppm before with no apparent harm.
It also seems that Magnesium Chloride is a better choice. I have read where Mag Chloride at a certain excessive dose makes a good relaxant,, the same dose of Mag Sulfate (which is what I have used in the past , Epsom salt) can cause death, not a good thing, but so far after a couple of years no problems on that with me. Just last year I did go to EVS magnesium.
Thomas
new_noob
Member
Ok im back here are some specs on the tank
-55 galllon long reef,
-30 gallon refugium,
-Mangroves and calupre,
-no skimmer (wasent pulling anything out, my mangroves now do all that work)
-VHO lights
-I dont know what my ALK is, i dont test for that
- everything else is fine
-Ammonia - 0
-PH - 8.3
-rite and rate - 0
-calcium - 360
Im going to have my mag checked at my LFS today.
-55 galllon long reef,
-30 gallon refugium,
-Mangroves and calupre,
-no skimmer (wasent pulling anything out, my mangroves now do all that work)
-VHO lights
-I dont know what my ALK is, i dont test for that
- everything else is fine
-Ammonia - 0
-PH - 8.3
-rite and rate - 0
-calcium - 360
Im going to have my mag checked at my LFS today.
bang guy
Moderator
Originally posted by New_Noob
My LFS said i have to start dripping ALK, thats why my Calcium is soooooo low.
The statement by your LFS makes absolutely no sense. I would avoid them as a source of information in the future.
With Magnesium in low levels (<1200) Calcium will precipitate right out of the water and bring two parts of Carbonate (ALK) down with each part of Calcium.
Ya gotta get that Mg level up. I agree that your level is far too low to use Magnesium sulfate (Epsom Salt). You need a good dose of Magnesium chloride or a series of large water changes.
Your situation is the typical result of a precipitation event. Precipitation can occur when Calcium or Carbonate levels are raised too fast or too far.
Bang
T
thomas712
Guest
Agreed water changes are the way to go right now and I believe that 25% is a good amount here. I've gone through this before and did 30 gallon water changes on my 90, it took about 4 such changes in a 4 week period.
It would take way to much of the Magnesium sulfate to get it back up and keep it up. The magnesium cloride would do a much better job and be safer all around.
Kent or EVS are good, I use the EVS, I have a one gallon jug of it. Just follow the directions.
I would also save up and purchase the B-Ionic for your alk and cal dosing. This product has magnesium in it and helps to maintain it better than some. Just using a buffer and calcium suppliment without the mag and some people try to push the limit to fast, only to watch the chemistry fall out of solution time and time again.
Your LFS needs some more learning I think, without the magnesium you will never hope to keep your levels where they need to be.
Good luck and let us know if there is anything else.
Thomas
It would take way to much of the Magnesium sulfate to get it back up and keep it up. The magnesium cloride would do a much better job and be safer all around.
Kent or EVS are good, I use the EVS, I have a one gallon jug of it. Just follow the directions.
I would also save up and purchase the B-Ionic for your alk and cal dosing. This product has magnesium in it and helps to maintain it better than some. Just using a buffer and calcium suppliment without the mag and some people try to push the limit to fast, only to watch the chemistry fall out of solution time and time again.
Your LFS needs some more learning I think, without the magnesium you will never hope to keep your levels where they need to be.
Good luck and let us know if there is anything else.
Thomas
T
thomas712
Guest
No you don't have to drip kalk. It would be nice once you got everything back in line, but now you don't have to.
Its simple just do the water changes for now and don't worry about the rest of it. After the first water change then get your mag tested again, same with the other water changes. You should see an improvment.
One step at a time my friend
Thomas
Its simple just do the water changes for now and don't worry about the rest of it. After the first water change then get your mag tested again, same with the other water changes. You should see an improvment.
One step at a time my friend
Thomas
H
hlp
Guest
I am starting a reef. What test kits need to be kept "in house" and which ones should be left to the LFS? I want to get a handle on parameters before I spend a lot of money on inverts.
T
thomas712
Guest
Good to purchase many at first.
Ammonia and Nitrites, just so you can practice with them and know how they work. After that its always good to have them on hand, but mostly not necessary. Things happen though and they are good to have around, water cloudy and you don't know why, could be an ammonia spike.
Nitrates you should always have on hand. As well as
Alkalinity - A must for reef
Calcium - A must for reef
Magnesium - comes in handy once in a while, more than once in a while in my case.
Then if you add any other suppliments then you should have a test kit for it. For example if you add Iodine then you should have a Iodine test kit.
Got it?
THomas
Ammonia and Nitrites, just so you can practice with them and know how they work. After that its always good to have them on hand, but mostly not necessary. Things happen though and they are good to have around, water cloudy and you don't know why, could be an ammonia spike.
Nitrates you should always have on hand. As well as
Alkalinity - A must for reef
Calcium - A must for reef
Magnesium - comes in handy once in a while, more than once in a while in my case.
Then if you add any other suppliments then you should have a test kit for it. For example if you add Iodine then you should have a Iodine test kit.
Got it?
THomas
H
hlp
Guest
I have the KH, Amm, trate, trite, ph, PO4, and ordered the Ca today. I hope to have a good handle before stocking.