Tropic Marin Bio-Calcium

hawks · 01-08-2007, 07:04 PM

Has anyone ever used this stuff? I bought a small bottle to try out since my alk was in line but my calc was only 300. I've used it a couple of days and also did a 10 gallon water change yesterday(always use Tropic Marine Pro salt) and it tested at 360 tonight. The directions say it will increase the calc by .28ppm every dose. I'm not finding that to be the case.

I find that everything works better keeping it simple stupid. I'm not liking the idea of using suppliments but I fear I'm going to need to since I've been increasing the amount of corals I have. I wish I had a reactor but I don't have any room for one.

Any Thoughts!
Brian

Weatherman · 01-08-2007, 08:11 PM

KALKWASSER!!!!

It's simple. It's easy.

hawks · 01-08-2007, 08:14 PM

So you do that by topping off the day's evaporation right? If that is the case then it probably won't work for me. In the summer I don't seem to evaporate much water. Right now I am though. How do you do it? Doesn't the calc level have to be right because kalk only maintains it? So confused. Kalk doesn't seem all that easy...

Weatherman · 01-08-2007, 08:24 PM

Yep. I just add Ca(OH)2 to the RO/DI water I drip into the sump.

The evaporation rate on my tanks is higher in summer than winter, since I rely on evaporative cooling to keep my water temperatures in line. I, usually, keep my indoor air temps around 78 in summer and 75 in winter.

Neither a calcium reactor or kalk is effective if you have to raise your calcium level. If you try to use either to raise calcium, your alk will get too high (2.8 dKH alk for every 20 ppm calcium). The best option, if you need to raise your calcium level, is to use calcium chloride. But, once your calcium level is where you want it, and your evaporation rate is high enough, kalk is a very effective way to maintain levels.

I use Kent's Liquid Calcium if I need to adjust my calcium levels. If you read the label, it's all the same stuff - calcium chloride.

hng · 01-08-2007, 08:34 PM

Kalk - yes and no. Kalk is good to maintain a balanced amount of calcium and alk in your tank once you get it to the proper concentrations. Adding a bunch of kalk probably will not get your calcium up to where you want it to be. Also, if you have high calcium demands, using kalk becomes tough because of the amounts you have to add. I think the biocalcium should be fine, I think it's mostly calcium chloride, Tom or some else can correct me if I'm wrong. Go ahead and use it to bring your calcium up to where you need it to be - aim for 400-420. Then you can drip kalk to maintain your levels. Also take care to check you alk, since as your calcium goes up, your alk may drop.

hng · 01-08-2007, 08:35 PM

If you want something very easy, use a 2 part calcium/alk supplement like B-Ionic.

hawks · 01-09-2007, 06:11 AM

So is Kent's Liquid Calcium better and easier to use then the Bio-Calcium? How do you use the Kent calcium stuff? Do you just mix in the sump and let it go? That is bascially what I do for the Bio-Calcium.

Hardhead Cat · 01-09-2007, 08:20 AM

I use Kent's Liquid Calcium too because I'm a knucklehead when it comes to dosing supplements, don't like to bother or mess with them much. I have a very scientific method - I squirt some Kent's stuff in to my RO/DI top off water! I don't even measure but I'm very conservative with the dosage. My calcium remains upwards of 480 - and the corals (SPSs, LPSs and zoas) are all doing very well. Even my clam seems happy!

HHC

afbengochea · 01-09-2007, 08:41 AM

is there such a thing as putting too much kalkwasser in your tank? Also how does one know how much powder to put in their reactor? Im in the middle of building one so now I need to find instructions on how to operate it. I know that water from my resevoir will go through the reactor and that will push a high ph solution into the sump but what if u evaporate a lot of water?

hawks · 01-09-2007, 09:31 AM

Hardhead cat - Wow 480 seems really, really high. I thought everyone tries to shoot for 420 - 450.

hng · 01-09-2007, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hawks

So is Kent's Liquid Calcium better and easier to use then the Bio-Calcium? How do you use the Kent calcium stuff? Do you just mix in the sump and let it go? That is bascially what I do for the Bio-Calcium.

Probably not any "better", just different. Go ahead and use what you have. I used the biocalcium before and it worked just fine. Use half as much as the directions say and add it to the sump in a high flow area and you should be fine. Remember to check the calcium and alk levels every other day until you get to where you want to be. Then, you can drip kalk to maintain your levels or use a balanced 2 part solution.