Calcium Question

[ktkreegs]

I'm trying to maintain my calcium, however, I am not having successful readings on my test kits.

Tank Backround

29 gal tank
20 long sump
NW 150 octupus skimmer
I run phostphate reactor with carbon
30 lbs of rock
xenia
no fish
snails and crabs
250 watt aqua medic light

Tesk Kits
I bought generic test kits, they suck.
So I borrowed Salifert Test kits and I have some order and on the way.

So Salifert test kits...you add the purple chemical, then the solution and swirl. The color of the water is now purple. You take the 1mL syringe and add a drop at a time until you notice a change. Well, I never notice a change.

I use the two part ESV Bionic solution to maintain my alk and calcium, alk level is at 2.9, and I can't seem to figure out the calcium.

What should I do? Do I not have calcium? I do a weekly water change of 5 gals, I dose every night. I decided to purchase calcium booster...do you think that will help? How much should I put in?

Thanks for the help!

[Henry Bowman]

So Salifert test kits...you add the purple chemical, then the solution and swirl. The color of the water is now purple. You take the 1mL syringe and add a drop at a time until you notice a change. Well, I never notice a change.

Theres another chemical that you need to put into the vial before you start adding the titration chemical to create the color change. I am at work and cannot recall the name of the chem or the ammt.

You add the purple powder and then the second liquid chemical before adding the stuff with the syringe. Sounds like you are missing one of the 3 parts needed to do the test.


HTH

[UnderCoverDork]

i have the salifert CAL test kit

you take 4ML of tank water...add 2 drops of the stuff in the small blue bottle....fill the smaller syringe up with the clear solution...add drops and swril untill the color changes to a pinkish color...

works for me and my cal was at 320 now its up to 420..

[REMF]

Here you go, straight from the instructions on a fairly new test I just got.

1. Add 2 ml tank water to vial.
2. Add 1 level spoon of Ca-1, don't mix yet.
3. Add 8 drops of Ca-2, swirl (don't shake) for 10 sec.
4. Fill syringe with 1 ml Ca-3 and add drop wise until color changes from pink-red to a clear blue.

HTH

[FLReefGirl]

you must swirl a ltittle after each drop also. drop and swirl drop and swirl. that's what my instructions say anyway.
good luck!

[ktkreegs]

Henry... I'm not missing a step, I thing that I might have had wrote it down wrong.

My main question is: if the color never changes does this mean I have no Calcium?

Seems ridiculous, do to that I do weekly water changes with IO salt and that I dose the 2 part solution every night.


Second Question: when I get the calcium booster, how much should I put into the tank? Tank is 29 gal with 20 gal sump.

Thanks for the help so far.

[ktkreegs]

REMF...that's what I did to a 'T'

No color change!

[REMF]

ktkreegs,

Here are a couple of great links for you, first one will save you money on additive, and the second one will tell you what you need to dose.

Home made additive HERE

How much to dose HERE it also covers store bought additives.

[REMF]

Originally posted by ktkreegs
REMF...that's what I did to a 'T'

No color change!

After Ca-1, and Ca-2 are added and swirled is it pink-red?

[ktkreegs]

REMF.

Yes the color is a pink, purplish color

[REMF]

Originally posted by ktkreegs
REMF.

Yes the color is a pink, purplish color

If it is pink and you add the entire 1 ml of Ca-3, then your Cal is high, over 500.

What salt are you using? Some are higher in Ca that others.

I would do a 20% water change, and test again.

[ktkreegs]

That's what I thought! I thought it was high not low like the LFS suggested.

I use Instant Ocean. I do 5 gal water changes weekly.

&

I dose the 2 part ESV B-Ionic Original Ca Buff


So if it's high and out of the range, you suggest doing a water change to lower it. Should I stop or lower the dosing each night?

[FLReefGirl]

IMO... I'd do the water changes and stop dosing until you reach the desired Ca level (approx 425). Then dose to maintain from then on.
What's your PH, Alk, & SG?

[sunfish11]

Stop dosing until you see a reading on your kit. Decide where you want to be 400-450 and figure out how much your tank uses in a day or week. Adjust your dosing schedule to replace what you are using. Make sure your alk is balanced with your cal, then think about going to a kalwasser or 2 part additive to maintain your levels.

Lisa

[REMF]

Yea what FLReefGirl, and sunfish11 said. Also you could mix up a batch of fresh SW and do the test on that to see what the Ca level is.

Another thing is Magnesium, it helps to stabilize Alk and Ca.

Read it

HERE

[ktkreegs]

Thanks Everyone,

I know were to go from here. I wish I could go back on my purchase of Turbo Calcium, o well. $16 I can use at a later time or sell to a local reefer here.

My pH, Alk, and SG are all where they are suppose to be. The only problem I was having was with the calcium.

I'm going to do a water change tonight, test the new water going in, and then test the tank water after the water change to see if there is a difference.

I'm going to stop dosing the calcium additive...should I continue the alk buff solution? It's solution 1.

Once I figure out how much to add each night, I should then have my levels good. I will look into a kalkwasser for the future.

REMF...i do not have a magnesium tester. Should I purchase and how often do you test for it?

[REMF]

FWIW I use Randys 3 part and test for, and add Mag after I use 1 Gal of each Ca, and Alk. Per the previous articles.

[Henry Bowman]

Here is a Chemistry Calculator posted in the Reef Chemistry Forum by Jdiek

http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

It will let you know how much of a particular additive to put in the tank for a specific increase. It takes a little figuring to get all the information into it but once you use it, you will get very accurate results.

I agree with the above posts. Your Ca is too high for the test to read. FWIW I have measured Instant Ocean Ca and it runs in the 320-330 range. In addition, if your alk is in line as you noted above, I'd stop adding the buffer also, at least for a day or two. With your Ca off the scale you may be close to a precipitation event (you would rather not have this happen) and adding the buffer or an Alk supplement may also cause this precip.

HTH

[Teknagen]

You should stop dosing and only use it if alk/calc are low. I kept dumping the 2 part in my tank mix weekly as the instruction stated so. After only 2 weeks my calcium jumped from 300 to 700+!

[ktkreegs]

So...do a water change!

Stop dosing!

And keep testing to see if levels drop, and play around with the calculator and dosing requirements to get my levels in check!

GOT IT. THANKS EVERYONE