How to increase calcium?

[Blackice615]

Good morning,

How can I only or primarily increase calcium without increasing alkalinity? As of yesterday my calcium was at 370-380, previously it's always at 420-460 consistently. Alkalinty is at 9 and magnesium is at 1440.

Two weeks ago I increase magnesium from 1240 and the contents were close to being expired. Over the past month, my coraline algae began peeling off the back glass in sheets.

Using IO Reef Crystal's salt.
Nitrate 5-10 Red sea kit
Phosphate .50 Salifert
Temp 78
ph 7.8-8.2 API

 

[SPR1968]

Add a calcium additive only ?

Your phosphate is a bit high, a good target it around 0.03ppm so might be worth looking into getting that down a bit

 

[BestMomEver]

Pour in more calcium additive. Depending on the product you use, there are calculators that will tell you how much to add to reach your target reading.

 

[WWIII]

Calcium carbonate. You can adjust calcium independent of alkalinity no worries!

 

[Blackice615]

Thank you, greatly appreciated. I've always dosed kalkwasser. Will have to purchase calcium carbonate.

Biopellets arrived Monday and pump arrives today. May start with phosguard to get the phosphates down in the interim

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Thank you, greatly appreciated. I've always dosed kalkwasser. Will have to purchase calcium carbonate.

Biopellets arrived Monday and pump arrives today. May start with phosguard to get the phosphates down in the interim

I was reading about calcium carbonate. It doesn't dissolve in water quickly does it dissolve faster in saltwater? Thanks

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I read it but I forgot carbon dioxide if it's saturated in the water will dissolve calcium carbonate and also acids will

 

[Erasmus Crowley]

Calcium carbonate. You can adjust calcium independent of alkalinity no worries!

Calcium Carbonate won't dissolve in saltwater in any helpful or meaningful amounts. That's what all of our rocks and sand are made of, and also all our coral skeletons. And even if calcium carbonate did dissolve it would increase both calcium alkalinity just like calcium hydroxide does, because it would break down into calcium and carbonate/bicarbonate.

I think maybe you meant to type Calcium Chloride?

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Reading about calcium chloride I might stay with calcium hydroxide. Calcium chloride by itself effects buffering, in other words it can affect alkalinity

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

Use a Calcium supplement, I personally use Red Sea Foundation A but there a plenty of good options out there.

 

[Blackice615]

Thank you. I like red sea products

 

[Erasmus Crowley]

Reading about calcium chloride I might stay with calcium hydroxide. Calcium chloride by itself effects buffering, in other words it can affect alkalinity

Calcium Chloride will NOT raise alkalinity and it will not effect PH buffering.
Calcium Hydroxide will definitely raise alkalinity, and it will raise the PH of the water, and effect buffering.

You might have meant salinity, not alkalinity. Calcium Chloride will raise salinity very, very slowly because of the chloride component, but most people don't care because chloride is by far the largest component of ocean salt mixes anyway, and the amount added with your calcium is very, very low compared to the amount already in your water. You can easily offset the salinity drift by throwing away the output of a protein skimmer, for example.