Calcium

Reef Fever · Dec 29, 2014

I Pm'd you but figured you may get flooded with PM's, so this may be easier for you to get back to me.

After I moved my tank I had some parameters get out of whack. I've been slowly bringing my mag up, as a result of low mag it became difficult to keep calcium stabilized (naturally). Calcium is testing out at 260ppm. Id like to raise it 140ppm to Acheive an optimal level of 400. Based on the supplement I'm using, I've calculated I need to dose 378mL to Acheive that level. My question is, does calcium need to be slowly dosed or is it possible to add that entire amount in a day? My tank is SPS dominant (mostly acros). Or do you recommend breaking that up over a week?

thanks!

Cory · Dec 29, 2014

Since calcium doesn't effect ph too much I'd think it be safe to add it all at once. However don't be lazy, do it slow, you already know it's better to do it over a week. Fast only applies to emergencies, and low calcium isn't really an emergency, low alkalinity is an emergency and would need to be raised fast imo.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 29, 2014

Are you sure it really dropped that much?

Unless you dosed alkalinity and little or no calcium, it can't have dropped that much.

But if it did, I'd add calcium chloride over several days. The calcium rise is not the concern, but the impurities that may come in with it.

Reef Fever · Dec 29, 2014

Yes I'm pretty positive it's that low. I've been battling with numerous issues since the move 4 months ago. My dosing regiment got quite screwed up so I'm not entirely surprised. The calcium supplement I have is a mix of DI water and calculus chloride. I feel like every time I dose a significant amount I do get a necrotic response in some of the acropora tissue