Raising Calcium Safely

jharding08 · 02/16/2016, 04:46 PM

I have added some SPS to my display tank a month or so ago and noticed that my calcium is now pretty low as of three weeks ago. I measured it on January 18th to be 335 ppm with alk at 10.1 and Magnesium at 1500. I use BRS Calcium Choride, Soda Ash and Magnesium 2 part on drews dosers. I have an Apex that drips for a certain amount of time per hour for a range of hours.

Ca - 4 min every hour from 9:00 to 15:59
Alk - 4 min every hour from 22:00 to 4:59
Mg - 1 min every hour from 17:00 to 20:59

I have been raising my calcium every week from 1/18 (3 min every hour) to 1/31 (3.5 min every hour) to 2/6 (4 min every hour) to get it back to around 420ppm.

Is this the right way to raise it safely. My alk has been falling with every increase in calcium (9.9 on 1/31 and 9.5 on 2/6). MG has been 1410 on both 1/31/ and 2/6

I havent measured this week yet. I am seeing some of my corals acting strange. My green slimer has burnt tips and is browning out on most branches. My tricolor valida is bleaching out on some of the tips.My strawberry shortcake is losing its color but still have polyp extension. My sunset millipora has tips that are dying on the inside, but the outside tips are hairy and good color.

Is it because of the change in calcium/alk? I am trying to raise calcium to accomodate the coral load gradually, but in 3 weeks with raising, the levels have not increased at all. Should I dose a large batch at once to raise it based on the calculator at BulkReefSupply.com?

I normally check my parameters on the weekend before I do a water change. I change 25 gallons weekly of a 125 gallon tank with 25 gallon sump. I used Red Sea Coral Pro.

Eventually, shouldnt I get to a point in the dosing of the calcium where I will have 420 after a water change and then 420 at the end of the week before the next water change?

thegrun · 02/16/2016, 05:02 PM

You can safely increase your calcium 50ppm per day, so add 50 ppm per day in addition to what you are dosing until you reach your desired level. Then start adjusting the amount dosed to keep it stable.

jharding08 · 02/16/2016, 05:15 PM

Does dosing more than 50 ppm on top of maintenance levels start to affect alkalinity and coral health?

bobbravo2 · 02/16/2016, 05:30 PM

Calcium is independent of alkalinity. Only add 50ppm of calcium per day, in addition to normal dosing

jharding08 · 02/16/2016, 05:41 PM

so based on the BRS calculator for calcium in a 140 total volume tank, raising calcium from 330 to 380 ppm (50 ppm raise), I would need 716.4 ml. To get to my 420 ppm (90 ppm raise) i would need 1289.6 ml

I am dosing using a drews doser (1.6 ml.min) for 4 min for 7 hours a day. That is 44.8 ml per day total.

If I do the calcium calculator for 330-331 (1 ppm raise) it is 14.3 ml, so 14.3ml/ppm?

I that is accurate then I am only raising my ppm around 3 ppm, and that is before the maintenance levels.

Does this seem right? Should I really be cranking up the doser more? or just measure out 716 ml and dump it in on top of the dosing schedule per day?

bobbravo2 · 02/19/2016, 09:51 AM

Don't just add 716ml at once. Split that up into 100ml doses manually, and keep the dosing schedule where it is. Slow changes make the hobby successful

02/16/2016, 04:46 PM	#1
jharding08 BlueWorldAquatics.com Join Date: May 2012 Location: Murrieta, CA Posts: 657	Raising Calcium Safely I have added some SPS to my display tank a month or so ago and noticed that my calcium is now pretty low as of three weeks ago. I measured it on January 18th to be 335 ppm with alk at 10.1 and Magnesium at 1500. I use BRS Calcium Choride, Soda Ash and Magnesium 2 part on drews dosers. I have an Apex that drips for a certain amount of time per hour for a range of hours. Ca - 4 min every hour from 9:00 to 15:59 Alk - 4 min every hour from 22:00 to 4:59 Mg - 1 min every hour from 17:00 to 20:59 I have been raising my calcium every week from 1/18 (3 min every hour) to 1/31 (3.5 min every hour) to 2/6 (4 min every hour) to get it back to around 420ppm. Is this the right way to raise it safely. My alk has been falling with every increase in calcium (9.9 on 1/31 and 9.5 on 2/6). MG has been 1410 on both 1/31/ and 2/6 I havent measured this week yet. I am seeing some of my corals acting strange. My green slimer has burnt tips and is browning out on most branches. My tricolor valida is bleaching out on some of the tips.My strawberry shortcake is losing its color but still have polyp extension. My sunset millipora has tips that are dying on the inside, but the outside tips are hairy and good color. Is it because of the change in calcium/alk? I am trying to raise calcium to accomodate the coral load gradually, but in 3 weeks with raising, the levels have not increased at all. Should I dose a large batch at once to raise it based on the calculator at BulkReefSupply.com? I normally check my parameters on the weekend before I do a water change. I change 25 gallons weekly of a 125 gallon tank with 25 gallon sump. I used Red Sea Coral Pro. Eventually, shouldnt I get to a point in the dosing of the calcium where I will have 420 after a water change and then 420 at the end of the week before the next water change? __________________ Stats: 180 g Mixed SPS/LPS reef tank, 30 gallon sump, live rock, GFO\Carbon, AquaMaxx AM250 in-sump skimmer, felt filter socks, cleaning crew

02/16/2016, 05:15 PM	#3
jharding08 BlueWorldAquatics.com Join Date: May 2012 Location: Murrieta, CA Posts: 657	Does dosing more than 50 ppm on top of maintenance levels start to affect alkalinity and coral health? __________________ Stats: 180 g Mixed SPS/LPS reef tank, 30 gallon sump, live rock, GFO\Carbon, AquaMaxx AM250 in-sump skimmer, felt filter socks, cleaning crew

02/16/2016, 05:30 PM	#4
bobbravo2 Reef Addict Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 967	Calcium is independent of alkalinity. Only add 50ppm of calcium per day, in addition to normal dosing __________________ Bob G. - O.R.C.A Member Current Tank Info: 65 Gallon \| Radion Pro G3 \| MP40 \| MP10 \| Apex \| Jaebo DC9000 \| KNOP Calcium Reactor \| Mated Picasso Clowns \| Mix of LPS, SPS and Softies

02/16/2016, 05:41 PM	#5
jharding08 BlueWorldAquatics.com Join Date: May 2012 Location: Murrieta, CA Posts: 657	so based on the BRS calculator for calcium in a 140 total volume tank, raising calcium from 330 to 380 ppm (50 ppm raise), I would need 716.4 ml. To get to my 420 ppm (90 ppm raise) i would need 1289.6 ml I am dosing using a drews doser (1.6 ml.min) for 4 min for 7 hours a day. That is 44.8 ml per day total. If I do the calcium calculator for 330-331 (1 ppm raise) it is 14.3 ml, so 14.3ml/ppm? I that is accurate then I am only raising my ppm around 3 ppm, and that is before the maintenance levels. Does this seem right? Should I really be cranking up the doser more? or just measure out 716 ml and dump it in on top of the dosing schedule per day? __________________ Stats: 180 g Mixed SPS/LPS reef tank, 30 gallon sump, live rock, GFO\Carbon, AquaMaxx AM250 in-sump skimmer, felt filter socks, cleaning crew

02/19/2016, 09:51 AM	#6
bobbravo2 Reef Addict Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 967	Don't just add 716ml at once. Split that up into 100ml doses manually, and keep the dosing schedule where it is. Slow changes make the hobby successful __________________ Bob G. - O.R.C.A Member Current Tank Info: 65 Gallon \| Radion Pro G3 \| MP40 \| MP10 \| Apex \| Jaebo DC9000 \| KNOP Calcium Reactor \| Mated Picasso Clowns \| Mix of LPS, SPS and Softies

02/16/2016, 05:02 PM	#2
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	You can safely increase your calcium 50ppm per day, so add 50 ppm per day in addition to what you are dosing until you reach your desired level. Then start adjusting the amount dosed to keep it stable.