Im at a loss

[oneradtek]

how the heck do i raise my calcium? i tested my ca prior to dosing to riase it and it read 340, i dosed, retested and it read 340, i dosed again(still within daily limits) and still no change!?
how the heck do i raise this stuff? im using seachem product
my alk is on the low side also...... 7 dkh

 

[tpigg81]

I use a two part additive. Usually B-ionic or similar product, many are available. Also allow an hour or 2 before testing after dosing and never dose anything you don't test for first. Water changes also help.

 

[stanlalee]

are you using reef calcium or reef complete (reef complete has over 3x the calcium and will raise calcium 3x as much using the same amount)? with either one if you dose the recommended 5ml/20g you will only raise calcium 3ppm and 10ppm respectively. To many test kits thats not going to read any different than what you started with. you could probably dose twice that and not see a different test reading. If your using sechems reef calcium stop and get a calcium chloride supplement like reef complete. Not a fan of adding gluconate plus that product simply has the lowest concentration of any popular calcium supplement (which is the claim to begin with, being organic corals can utilize it much easier and at lower calcium levels). Is your reef heavily or moderately populated with stony corals (LPS or SPS)?
whatever the case you shouldn't be trying/expecting to raise anything in one shot. you need an alk product (reef carbonate if your into seachem) and should be dosing both on alternate days (5ml/20g is fine for both). dose daily alternating calcium and alk (alk monday, calcium tuesday ect) for 6 days then test on the 7th day. Unless you have a highly populated stony coral reef it will go up.

 

[oneradtek]

hey thanx a bunch for the info, i use reef complete. and my reef is a 90 total gallon system, with a mix of many corals but mainly sps and lps. I will dose both for a few days and retest now. So i will add 4 cap fulls (20ml) of reef complete every other night and alternate between that and reef carbonate.
ok thank you , ill keep you all posted on how this goes.

 

[groupergenius]

What's your Magnesium level? If it's low (below 1350) it's darn near impossible to get your calcium and alk numbers up.

 

[cranberry]

Originally Posted by GrouperGenius
http:///forum/post/2828351
What's your Magnesium level? If it's low (below 1350) it's darn near impossible to get your calcium and alk numbers up.
Bingo.
Get a mag test kit. I use saliferts but it's a pain in to booty.

 

[oneradtek]

not sure ill have my budddy test that, but my seachem reef complete doses mg along with ca. But ive been thinking that same thing

 

[stanlalee]

yep low mg will inhibit the ability to raise cal and alk BUT thats not often the case if your using a good "reef" salt and using reef complete (has mg too). mg uptake is relatively slow compared to calcium (if your calcium levels dont drop fast from coral uptake rest assured mg isn't being depleted quickly either. if it does you could have a low mg issue). Also since you have mostly stony and LPS you may need to up the dose if 5ml/20g isn't working.

 

[spiderwoman]

I might check on getting another calcium test to be sure that it's not the culprit. Read up on the holy trinity... alkalinity/calcium/magnesium and how they affect each other. Until we get the calcium reactor hooked up, we are using two part solution. My problem is sinking alkalinity... the 150 reef has so much softies in it.