Calcium level kept Dropping

[GottaReef'EmAll]

Here is a problem I cannot find out from Google.
I have a 2 years old 90g mixed reef tank with about 12, 3 inches sps. most of them have encrusted the frags plugs. The parameters have been stable for a long time until 3 months ago. Since they are stable I got lazy on testing and I mostly tested KH, sometimes NO3 and PO4 but rarely Ca and Mg.
3 months ago I went on a trip and ask someone to tank sit for me for a week and when I came back just to be sure I tested water parameters -
KH - 7.8
Ca - 380
Mg - 1420
NO3 - 2.5
PO4 - 0.12
So... ok Ca is a little low so I brought it up to 410 over a week and tested Ca everyday and the levels did came up all the way to 410. So everything is stable again so I go on with regular maintenances and dosings. Everything is happy again.
Fast forward to a week ago I tested all major parameters again just to be sure.. again everything else is fine but Ca is 370ish again. So I was like what the heck and decided to write a post here.
Anyone got an explanation?

I use aquaforest products for dosing they are all suppose to be equal parts dosing. I test KH every other day and adjust dosage according to it.

Additional info
- 66ml of af Kh, Ca , Mg with strong components daily
- 2ml of redsea nopox daily
- 3 drops af amino acid, af vitality, af build, af energy every other day
- target feed reef roids once a week
- 2 cubes of mysis everyday
- 1 inch sand
- filter socks
- bioballs
- protein skimmer
- carbon
- chaeto reactor
- UV
- maxspect phosphate polymer
- 10% water change once a week
- I have aptasia, vermetid snails, flatworms, bryopsis, dinos but everything is in check.
- I did use maxspect aiptasia control about 3 times weeks apart (about 4ml each time)

PS - tested salt mix
- tested dosing products
- tested RODI water

I'm really confuse because I shouldn't be losing this much Ca.

 

[atoll]

Seems its not uncommon to the limes of calc to stay around the same level fir quite some time then in a shirt space to drop. Either the corals put on a growth spurt or its come out of solution due to a rise in KH. Happens to me as well.

 

[GottaReef'EmAll]

The thing is my KH is stable. Maybe 1 dkh swing once in a while.

 

[Dburr1014]

Time to bump up dosing a bit.

 

[GottaReef'EmAll]

bumping up has a problem with aquaforest dosing is they are all equal parts with trace elements added in, call strong components.
If I bumped up just Ca it will increase trace element disproportionately.

 

[atoll]

Then use something like calcium chloride to increase calc.

 

[GottaReef'EmAll]

now I'm using just calcium solution to increase calcium.
My question is, Is there a reason for a reef tank to be eating much more Calcium than Alk, much more than it is suppose to?

 

[Lavey29]

So your corals are growing. It's just time to rebalance your dosing. The AF build makes corals use calcium more efficiently to build their skeletal structure hence more calcium consumption.

 

[Dburr1014]

now I'm using just calcium solution to increase calcium.
My question is, Is there a reason for a reef tank to be eating much more Calcium than Alk, much more than it is suppose to?

There will always be the need to rebalance parameters from time to time. This is why we test.

 

[atoll]

what makes youbthink your tank is using much mire than its supposed to?
ciraks grow and so does the demands for calc and alcohol. It isn't used at a set amount for ever. A large SPS will draw on much more than the same species much smaller.

 

[Dburr1014]

what makes youbthink your tank is using much mire than its supposed to?
ciraks grow and so does the demands for calc and alcohol. It isn't used at a set amount for ever. A large SPS will draw on much more than the same species much smaller.

Is 5 o'clock somewhere! LOL
Let's have a drink.

 

[atoll]

Is 5 o'clock somewhere! LOL
Let's have a drink.

Was 6-30pm here when you sent that, near enough, cheers.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

bumping up has a problem with aquaforest dosing is they are all equal parts with trace elements added in, call strong components.
If I bumped up just Ca it will increase trace element disproportionately.

That's not a significant problem and would not agonize over it. Having those other ions there is better for ion balance than having none, but no one gets worked up over just a pure calcium or alk supplement to make corrections, despite it being WORSE for ion balance.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So your corals are growing. It's just time to rebalance your dosing. The AF build makes corals use calcium more efficiently to build their skeletal structure hence more calcium consumption.

What?

The AF recipe may or may not properly match the tank demand at 1:1, but there's no possibility that they are able to greatly shift the relative alk and calcium that corals take up and use to deposit calcium carbonate skeletons.

 

[Lavey29]

What?

The AF recipe may or may not properly match the tank demand at 1:1, but there's no possibility that they are able to greatly shift the relative alk and calcium that corals take up and use to deposit calcium carbonate skeletons.

So AF is false advertising?

AF Build accelerates the absorption of calcium and carbonate which are crucial for the development of hard corals. By providing the corals with all the necessary ingredients, it facilitates and accelerates calcification, favourably affecting the growth rate

This is from AF website

 

[Garf]

so does the demands for calc and alcohol.

Amen

 

[GottaReef'EmAll]

Thanks for all the answer.
So basically I just make adjustments once in a while.
I am just over stressing I guess.

Aquaforest said it is 1:1:1 and after 3 months Ca is about 50ppm less.

happy reefing!