How to keep calcium levels up!!

[islandgirl]

I can't seem to keep my calcium levels up above 360. I add Kent Tech CB Type A & B every other day but if I don't add it for like one day....the calcium levels drop. How do you stablize these levels? I hear Seachem Reef Advantage (or one of those products) works pretty good. Any suggestions?

 

[i like fish]

I add calcium and alk supplements daily. Figure out how much it drops each day and dose daily accordingly

 

[islandgirl]

what product do you use?

 

[i like fish]

ESV B-ionic, but I think what you are using is pretty much the same thing. I used to use Seachem products, but mixing powders with water everyday was too much work.

 

[islandgirl]

Actually the products I use are liquid. Who makes ESV?

 

[stanton]

I also use the Kent tech cb and cannot get my calcium above 360. I use a salifert test kit. My corraline is really starting to take off though. Which test kit do you use Islandgirl?

 

[col]

If your calcium is 360, what is Alk and pH?

 

[i like fish]

Seachems' products are powders. That's why I switched to B-Ionic. ESV is who makes it.

 

[andrew79]

i use kent c+b to. it works very wellfor me. if your calcium is not raising you need to check your alk and make sure thats not too high and balance them out cal=420to 450 alk=3.75 to 4.00. also check your mag it sould be around 1300 and ph at 8.3. when i first started using c+b my cal was low,and alk was high, all i did was up the dose of the cal (part a) and cut back on the alk (part b) till my numbers were stable where i could add equal amounts. you need to add this supplement daily or you will have a very hard tine maintaining yor levals

 

[stanton]

I don't want to steel a post , but my alk is a little high at 4.4.
My ph is 8.2

 

[shanev]

Look at dripping kalk. Once you get the levels where you want them Kalk will maintain those levels and you dont have to worry about additives.

 

[islandgirl]

sorry guys...didn't mean to disappear for a few days! Well since then, I used up all my tech A & B so I went out and purchased Turbo Calcium by Seachem. I was told powder is better than liquid becuase it doesn't "evaporate". My calcium has been at around 380, my pH is 8.3 but I'm not sure what my alk is. Guess I should test that. I have an Eclipse tank so I don't really have any room to drip kalk...as much as I think that would be the ideal thing

 

[007]

I Like Fish:
I noticed that you used to use seachem powders but switched to ESV. I have been using seachem for about a year now and have been satisfied with it up until about three months ago. Now I seem to be adding more and more powder every day just to keep my levels at a minimum.
My question is have you noticed any significant differences in your levels after the switch to B-Ionic, or is it just easier to use?

 

[bdhough]

Im finding that liquid products for calcium and alkalinity are alot harder to use in a larger tank. I have a 20. I for the longest time could not get my calcium up. I had bought some liquid calcium and dosed enough calcium for a 200 gallon tank in 2 days and barely made a dent. It finally got up there after emptying half a bottle and is sitting at 450 ish for 3 days now. I also had to start using an alkalinity buffer to raise up my alk which was at 6/7. I used powder for that and it seemed to do the trick in 2 days which is now about 10....
Moral of the story try powder calcium to get it up there. It seems to do the job way better.

 

[islandgirl]

If you guys read my other post you will find out that a lot of people don't like the powder. For one thing, I'm using powder and my polyps are "in shock". Somebody said I could have burned them!! So I'm really not having much luck with finding a good and safe way to raise my calcium and keep it up

 

[thomas712]

Kalkwasser would be my recommondation,
Also check your magnesium level.
Thomas

 

[islandgirl]

Kalkwasser....is that a powder or liquid? Will that maintain my calcium and alk levels?

 

[thomas712]

New thread started by Kipass called "Kalkwasser 101" or something like that.
Old thread started by Thomas712 " OK all you kalkwasser users" Kip is heavy into that thread as well.
Find those threads and read.
Kalk is a powder that you mix, it is easy and has many benifits.
Thomas

 

[scottnj]

Islandgirl,
Kalk is a powder that you mix with fresh water and then add to the tank as a drip. With your eclipse hood, might be hard to do, but you could probably rig up some sort of dosing pump and put the kalk under the tank if you wanted to.
-Scott

 

[islandgirl]

Does it not do the same as Turbo Calcium then? That's what I have and is supposed to be good but I'm not having much luck with it and neither are my polyps. I guess I could try and rig up something to do a drip though....sounds like that would be the easiest way. Man, that Eclipse tank sure isn't user friendly!