Low Calcium

FishinAround · 10/06/2006, 07:21 PM

For some reason I can't seem to get my calcium up to an acceptable level. Here's some basics 120g reef, no fish, not a very high coral load (clump of zoos, small shrooms, couple fairly large clumps of polyps & a small ricordea). All other water factors well within limits, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0, ph 8.2, alkalinity 10, temp 81, SG 1.024. But my calcium was down around 320. Over the last 7-10 days I have added at least 70 scoops of Tropic Marin Bio-Calcium and it doesn't seem to affect my calcium at all, just measured it today and it was 330, where is all the calcium going? Could it be precipitatiing out? I have also been periodically adding Kent Marine Superbuffer-dKH to make sure my alkalinity didn't drop. I've been adding scoops of the io-calcium directly to my sump on the return side, should I be adding directly to the tank and should that make a difference? Any ideas?

bertoni · 10/06/2006, 08:13 PM

I think we answered this thread in the chemistry forum already.

Avi · 10/06/2006, 08:14 PM

The thing that comes immediately to mind is that your magnesium levels are low. Magnesium should be maintained at 1300ppm and calcium levels are directly related and dependant upon magnesium levels. If the magnesium levels are low, no matter how much calcium additive you put in, it will not go into solution. You should get a magnesium test kit and determine what it is at. Use this to determine what you need to do depending on the magnesium supplement you would use if the the magnesium is low:

http://jdieck1.home.comcast.net/chemcalc.html

10/06/2006, 07:21 PM	#1
FishinAround Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 208	Low Calcium For some reason I can't seem to get my calcium up to an acceptable level. Here's some basics 120g reef, no fish, not a very high coral load (clump of zoos, small shrooms, couple fairly large clumps of polyps & a small ricordea). All other water factors well within limits, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 0, ph 8.2, alkalinity 10, temp 81, SG 1.024. But my calcium was down around 320. Over the last 7-10 days I have added at least 70 scoops of Tropic Marin Bio-Calcium and it doesn't seem to affect my calcium at all, just measured it today and it was 330, where is all the calcium going? Could it be precipitatiing out? I have also been periodically adding Kent Marine Superbuffer-dKH to make sure my alkalinity didn't drop. I've been adding scoops of the io-calcium directly to my sump on the return side, should I be adding directly to the tank and should that make a difference? Any ideas?

10/06/2006, 08:13 PM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I think we answered this thread in the chemistry forum already. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

10/06/2006, 08:14 PM	#3
Avi Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Westchester County, NY Posts: 7,327	The thing that comes immediately to mind is that your magnesium levels are low. Magnesium should be maintained at 1300ppm and calcium levels are directly related and dependant upon magnesium levels. If the magnesium levels are low, no matter how much calcium additive you put in, it will not go into solution. You should get a magnesium test kit and determine what it is at. Use this to determine what you need to do depending on the magnesium supplement you would use if the the magnesium is low: http://jdieck1.home.comcast.net/chemcalc.html __________________ I'd keep the whole ocean if my den were big enough Current Tank Info: 120 gallon reef with 210 lbs. of live rock, Aqua-C EV180 Skimmer, Aquactinic double 250W MH with blue plus t5 support; 58 gallon freshwater planted tank using CO2 and T5s; 30-gallon cube with a few fancy goldfish; and a 110 gallon FOWLR