Calcium question guys

[maplereef]

I am having a hard time with getting my Cal levels up past 350...
I have a salinty of .121 and dkh of 14+.
i use e bionic a 2 part additive by EVS andi use a liquid cal by sechems,
I just started to add Kalk by using an IV dripper and a 2 liter container, it drips about 2 liters in a day and a half but i have noticed that my skimmer is getting really fluffy bubbles that don't seem to turn to liquid but just push the lid off the top of the skimmer... go figure...lol
To mix the Kalk i put 2 teaspoons in the 2 liter container and shake it well and let it sit for 24 hours then i let it drip... is this right???
my level just don't seem to get where i want them.. I have aprox 165 lbs of live rock in a 125 gallon reef.. 2 small frags of stony corral and the rest is soft corrals.. I also have a 20 gal refugium with a 5 inch sand bed but i only have a small amount of sand in the main tank...mabey inch to cover the bottom My lights are MH and VHOs.
I hope i can find out why it stays low cause i can't seem to grow corraline on my glass either but the tank criiters look really healthy and happy
thanks for any advice
Have a super weekend and i should have pics soon :)
Leo

[Andy]

Hi Leo

Sounds like your high alkalinity may be the problem. If your alkalinity is too high, it can be very difficult getting your calcium levels up. You may wish to hold off on your alkalinity additives and let its level drop naturally to 10-12 dKH. When my calcium levels are lower than desirable, I use Kents Turbo Calcium to bring them up. I usually dose at double the recommended level. It works very well. Your alkalinity will fall a little quicker as your calcium levels come up too. Calcium and alkalinity sort of have an inverse relationship. When one goes up, the other comes down and vice versa.

HTH

Andy

[maplereef]

Thanks Andy...

I just did a 18 gal water change this morning...
I had used Reef Builder a few weeks ago and the alk got a little higher than i thought... but ..even when i had alk levels in the 10 - 13 dkh.. I still have a hard time keeping then any where near 350 or better.. I know alot of people don't use a Cal reactor and still maintain higher levels..
What do most people use for Calcium?.. The liquid or the power?. and what levels do they think that is the best for growing coraline aglae???
Just looking for peoples input and thoughts..
Thanks again
Leo

[Greg Moore]

Maple reef
Prior to building a reactor, I had my best luck with the A/B combinations (couple different ones, all seemed to work). They are usually ballanced to work together and you can use twice the dose of calcium (usually A) with half the does of carbonate (usually B) until you reach a balance.

Others do really well with Kalkwauser but I hated using it and it never worked out that well for me.

Greg Moore

[Jayson]

I would look at your salinity levels. I am sure that you had made a typo. I would raise your salinity levels up to atleast 1.024 -25. Having a high alk like yours will also cause you calcium level to fall. You also have to look at your magnesium levels. Low levels will affect your calcium. I would recommend correcting the salinity and adding a product called reef Advantage by SeaChem. Just do not dose advantage and builder together. It will take you atleast 2 days to raise you cal levels to norm. These 2 products will cause your corraline to take off.

[EmilyB]

Your SG 1.021 I believe you mean ? Why so low ? Ca levels are linked to SG/salinity as well. NSW SG is 1.026, or salinity 36ppt.

This site helped me understand the Ca/Alk relationship. Check out Bingman's article on it.

http://www.aquariumfrontiers.net/


HTH
:)

[afss]

another potential is that ther is a problem with the kit you are using, or the method used. Try getting a fellow reefer or store to test it using a different kit, possibly a different brand name.. if the 2 check against each other then you atleast know its not the kit.

When i used to test alot i had a new ph kit that kept giving me really low ph levels. I tried everything I could to bring my ph up. I went as far as to mount the air pump outside so that completly fresh air was being pumped into the tank (this was while i lived in florida so the air was warm enough to do this). It brought the ph up a bit but not enough. I ended up going to a store to get it tested and it tested low, but only by 0.1. My kit was testing consistently low by .6-.7

Any way just something to think about
Scott

[Ocean Images]

You don't mention how long you have been trying to get your calcium levels up? I have seen MANY "fish only" hobbiest taking their first try at reef keeping, they hear that to keep corals that the tank must have a calcium level of 450+ and then rush home to blast their tank with Turbo Calcium. To do this process takes time, all parameters have to be balanced to be sucessfull, in my own experience a couple weeks of A/B and a good test kit and you will see your levels starting to climb.

Good luck :D

[maplereef]

I did make a typo in my sal levels.. its up to 1.024 now and i use a salifert test kit so i don't think i have a prob with my kit.. I think there about the best you can get?..
well Ocean.. one of my biggest assets is i am very patient as u might have seen in some of my posts.. I never expect things to happen over night and i have been reefing for over 3 1/2 yrs now.. I have always had a prob getting my cal level up.. i have never been able to get colaline algae to grow on the back glass but my tank is extremely healthy.. I do use a/b...bionics by EVS.. I just got my new klaes skimmer and i hope this will be a big improvement to my tank.. I got my alk levels back to aprox 11 DKH and my cal level are at 360.. I don't expect to get 450 or 500 but i would like to see 400 or so...
have a good weekend guys..
Bryopsis is totally gone :)

[afss]

just because they are the best you can get doesn't mean they don't make a bum kit every now and again. Like i said, its easy to test.. just mix up a bit of new salt mix and test it... it should be above 400.

[Greg Moore]

Afss
Don't assume a fresh mix of salt and water will check a test kit! Many brands, actually most brands, do not hit 400ppm. Instant ocean for example is about 365, Reef Crystals last time I checked it was about 380..

Greg Moore

[maplereef]

I agree with test kits possably gone bad.. I used to use Red Sea kits and i was disapointed with the results..
I have a fellow hobbiest that we compare out kits to see if they read the same.
I know it might differ a bit but it could be in the user.. A few points isn't to bad but i know my Cal levels are low when it reads 320 ppm.:(.... I now am reading aprox 370 :)...things are getting better..
........ Thanks for the input guys........
Cheers!!!
Leo

[Brian L]

I agree that some test kits are suspect. I used B-Ionic and found that my calcium always lagged, no matter how I tested it. I added part one, then part two the next day; and supplemented the Ca with Turbo Ca. How old is the tank? I liked the product, but it took a while to get the tank right, as it will for any system.