Increasing Calcium Question??

[Keswick]

I need to raise my calcium from 240 ppm to 400 ppm...all other parameters are fine...except alkalinaty is a bit low, but i want to work on Calcium first.

I have Turbo Calc (Kent) and want to use it. It says to use 1/8 tsp or 1/4 tsp per ea 50 gal of water. I have 150 gal tank w/ 125 lbs rock, 10 small fish and some softies.

Question: How do I 'use' it? Disolve it in RO/DI water and pour it in the sump or just drop a teaspoonfull in the tank??

Keswick

[wharyat]

Dissolve it into some ro water and slowly drain it into the tank (via airline tubing) or dump it into the sump if you have one.

[Geoff]

you need to work on both at the same time. they are interdependant. you will run into bigger problems if you do not try and raise them both at the same time. they should both be raised in equal parts. this is why Kalk reactors are nice.

G~

[Keswick]

So I used a couple on-line Ca Calculators and they say to add x amount of grams or x amount of teaspoonsful.

What percent of the total grams needed to reach optimum Calcium do I drip into the tank at one dose? Can I drip 10 Tsp/day? The Kent Turbo Calc container says to add very little per day. It will take me 2 months to get Ca where it needs to be.

Also, I'm a bit worried that if I try to raise the Alk at the same time as Ca, then I might precipitate Calcium Carbonate and waste the additives and it won't raise the Ca at all cuz it's unusable.

I don't have any Reactors....yet...

K

[drsyme]

Originally Posted by Keswick

So I used a couple on-line Ca Calculators and they say to add x amount of grams or x amount of teaspoonsful.

What percent of the total grams needed to reach optimum Calcium do I drip into the tank at one dose? Can I drip 10 Tsp/day? The Kent Turbo Calc container says to add very little per day. It will take me 2 months to get Ca where it needs to be.

Also, I'm a bit worried that if I try to raise the Alk at the same time as Ca, then I might precipitate Calcium Carbonate and waste the additives and it won't raise the Ca at all cuz it's unusable.

I don't have any Reactors....yet...

K

Then use kalkwasser. You are very unlikely to precipitate calcium carbonate. Both calcium and carbonate are supersaturated in our tanks.

What is your alkalinity? What is your pH?

Generally, if both Calcium and alkalinity are low, you should raise both using a balanced additive, both parts of the buffer solution, kalkwasser, etc.

[Keswick]

Thank you everyone for your info so far...makes sense to me.

PH 8.2
Alk 2.6

So if i do decide to add both buffer and calcium chloride (not Kalk system or other methods at this time), then can someone answer my quantity of teaspoons per dose question above?

I have Kent Turbo Calc and Kent Superbuffer and just dont know if i can dose higher than what the container says...especially for the Calcium Chloride.

Anyone know?

I'll look into Kalk and Calcium Reactors later...just want to do something now with what i have.

Thanx

[LISound]

how i used turbo calc.

i recently did a 25% water change--adding it to the makeup water a little at a time.
tested water...added more to get it to about 200ppm.
added make up water to tank...and 6 hours later added bi carbonate.
today...ca 400 kh 12.

that's where i want it.

this stuff is dangerous stuff if added to quickly. take your time.
it may take a few days of water changes.

I couldn't figure out why my ca was so low...but when i swithed to DI water...it takes all the ca out and there was not enough in the salt i was using.
Insant ocean.
thinking about reef crystals...anyone>?

you don't have to do that big a water change either...10% should do.

just check the levels of the makeup water.
if it's higher than 400ppm-start over!

i added 1/2 of an 1/8 teaspoon...then checked ca level, added more to get to about 200ppm.

good luck.

[Keswick]

Thanx little fishy....I'll give it a whirl this weekend!

[Tasher80]

Reef Crystals don't really have a good CA level either. I use it and even after a typical water change I get a reading of 280. So I use ESV B ionic 2 part additive.

[drsyme]

I would use a balanced additive and follow the directions on the bottle for adding both parts. But I would add both. Water changes help too.