Calcium question.

Pauliex77x · Nov 17, 2020

Shirak said:
BRS has small packages of pharma grade calcium chloride. 20 gallon tank though you could just do a large water change. What salt are you using? Have you checked salinity? If Ca and Mg low could also be your salinity is low What are you using to measure salinity?

probably should also ask what test kits are you using for Ca and Mg

I see the BRS packages and I guess I could go that route. I used randy's recipe for the diy soda ash to dose alk and I wanted to try the same for cal as it works really well.

I use Reef crystals and i do a 5 gallon WC every 7 to 10 days depending on work schedule. Never any more than 2 weeks test kits are all salifert. And I use a refractometer for salinity which I keep at 35ppt or 1.026.

I have a mix of lps and softies. The lps are starting to grow especially the favia. But also coralline growth has started and I have an explosion of baby snails which I suspect is the real reason the calcium is dropping fast. I added a doser with randy's solution and alk has been stable at about 9.

Shirak · Nov 17, 2020

Pauliex77x said:
I see the BRS packages and I guess I could go that route. I used randy's recipe for the diy soda ash to dose alk and I wanted to try the same for cal as it works really well.

I use Reef crystals and i do a 5 gallon WC every 7 to 10 days depending on work schedule. Never any more than 2 weeks test kits are all salifert. And I use a refractometer for salinity which I keep at 35ppt or 1.026.

I have a mix of lps and softies. The lps are starting to grow especially the favia. But also coralline growth has started and I have an explosion of baby snails which I suspect is the real reason the calcium is dropping fast. I added a doser with randy's solution and alk has been stable at about 9.

Sounds good! I don't know which of Randy's recipe you are thinking of for Ca. What Ca salt are you looking for? You could get food grade calcium hydroxide as pickling lime in the grocery store.

Have you checked the refractometer for calibration? Randy has a nice DIY refractometer calibration solution if you don't have any.

5 gallons a few times a month? that's over 50% a month and your Ca and Mg are still pretty low with Reef Crystals? Makes me suspect either low salinity or testing? Even with the coralline and some LPS. I use Salifert also sometimes and find the end point color change is a little questionable at times.

Pauliex77x · Nov 17, 2020

The one I was looking for was the dowflake or an equivalent from Home depot but they don't have any at my local store. I calibrate the refractometer about once a month or every other month. But 2.5 cups of IO salt is pretty consistent with keeping me at 35ppt with a 5 gallon mix.

Didn't know about the pickling lime I'll look into it more as well.

Shirak · Nov 17, 2020

Pauliex77x said:
The one I was looking for was the dowflake or an equivalent from Home depot but they don't have any at my local store. I calibrate the refractometer about once a month or every other month. But 2.5 cups of IO salt is pretty consistent with keeping me at 35ppt with a 5 gallon mix.

Didn't know about the pickling lime I'll look into it more as well.

Calcium hydroxide - Kalkwasser Used as pickling lime to make pickles stay crispy when canned

Might be an alternative to try adding to your top off water.

Ah ok Dowflake. Calcium chloride salt melter. Lots of different brands on the market. Don't know about the purity of them though. Randy might be able to help there. But with a 20g tank a small container of pharma grade CaCl should last a long time!

Pauliex77x · Nov 17, 2020

Yes sir. A gallon of it should last me at a minimum of 6 months. I figure the soda ash will last me just as long as well. It only takes about 8 ml a day to keep it stable