Need a Reef Dosing Product Without Calcium
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Randy Holmes-Farley
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There are many choices. Most trace element supplements do not contain important amounts of magnesium or calcium, since those need large amounts to be dosed while the trace element amounts are very tiny. Do you know which trace elements you might need?
What are your calcium and magnesium levels?
What are your calcium and magnesium levels?
That is not true. Almost all of them do, you can read the ingredients. I wouldn't be asking if they were easy to find. The only one I've seen that doesn't is Seachem Reef Trace, but that doesn't have magnesium. I could buy something separate for Magnesium, but it would be nice if it were combined.
My calcium is about 550 ppm. So I really don't want to add more, if anything, I'd like it to be lower.
My calcium is about 550 ppm. So I really don't want to add more, if anything, I'd like it to be lower.
Nibejeebies
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There's always 2 part (which really is three part)
Couple of large water changes with fresh mix would also do the trick, if you can space them out. But if your alk and mag are in a good range I'd think percipitation would deal take care of the excess cal with time
Couple of large water changes with fresh mix would also do the trick, if you can space them out. But if your alk and mag are in a good range I'd think percipitation would deal take care of the excess cal with time
beaslbob
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read Dr
randy holmes-Farley's diy 2 part system.
To answer your question more directly, increasing kh (with baking soda) will probably cause calcium to come down.
But read the diy two part.
my .02
read Dr
randy holmes-Farley's diy 2 part system.
To answer your question more directly, increasing kh (with baking soda) will probably cause calcium to come down.
But read the diy two part.
my .02
Randy Holmes-Farley
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It is true. Perhaps you are not using the term trace element correctly, or perhaps you are not thinking of the amounts needed (which I pointed out). EVEN if they list calcium as an ingredient, you typically add so little that it makes no difference to calcium.
If you start with calcium at 550 ppm, and add appropriate amounts of calcium iodide, calcium vanadate, calcium molybdate, etc., for every negatively charged trace element, calcium will still likely be at 550 ppm and will not have risen to 551 ppm.
Even if you somehow don't beleive that, look at these products which do not have calcium:
Brightwell Aquatics Replenish Liquid Trace Elements
Ingredients
Purified water, Barium chloride, Sodium metavanadate, Zinc sulfate, Nickel chloride, Chromium chloride, Sodium feredetate, Manganese chloride, Hafnium chloride, Cobalt chloride, Lanthanum chloride, Neodymium chloride, Cerium chloride, Silver chloride, Dysprosium chloride, Gadolinium chloride, Ytterbium chloride, Erbium chloride, Scandium chloride, Samarium chloride, Praseodymium chloride, Holmium chloride, Lutetium chloride, Terbium chloride, Europium chloride, Thulium chloride
or
Seachem Reef Trace:
Ingredients: copper sulfate, cobalt sulfate, manganese sulfate, boric acid, sodium molybdate, zinc sulfate, rubidium chloride, nickel chloride, vanadium sulfate
Randy Holmes-Farley
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So you DO NOT want a magnesium additive that is also a trace element additive. This is why knowing the amounts needed is critical.
To add the full NSW amount of magnesium in a 100 gallon tank would take about 9 POUNDS of dry magnesium chloride hexahydrate.
To add the full amount of iron will take so little ferric chloride that you might not even see it with your eyes.
So a few drops of a trace element supplement can supply lots of trace elements, but will do NOTHING useful for the major ions calcium and magnesium (that us why they are not called trace elements), and they should be dosed separately.
To add the full NSW amount of magnesium in a 100 gallon tank would take about 9 POUNDS of dry magnesium chloride hexahydrate.
To add the full amount of iron will take so little ferric chloride that you might not even see it with your eyes.
So a few drops of a trace element supplement can supply lots of trace elements, but will do NOTHING useful for the major ions calcium and magnesium (that us why they are not called trace elements), and they should be dosed separately.
GainesvilleReef
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From all your posts I gather that this is a new tank. When you first start out in the hobby you see all these additives for sale and dosing equipment and you think you are going to need these right away. The reality is that most of these are designed to replace what is consumed by the inhabitants of your tank. It takes a while for a new tank to start consuming enough to be on a regular dosing scheme. I maintain a 28 gallon LPS tank with nothing but water changes of simple IO. On my larger mixed reef tanks I dose kalk, 2-part and mag totally based on consumption.
For a new tank I would recommend starting with just water changes. Then when alk and Ca consumption increase enough add kalk, and mag as needed.
Also, when measuring Alk, Ca and Mag always measure salinity at the same time with a good calibrated refractometer. Small differences salinity can effect these values a lot. High salinity will increase these values and low salinity will lower them. So they should only be compared with same salinity. A good refractometer is important because you will find mixing salt it is not always consistent and sometimes you have to adjust it a little to get the salinity right.
Last read Randy's articles on maintaining alk and Ca in the sticky threads on this forum. I learned so much from them when I was starting out. And, if you have any questions about them ask them here. Good luck and have fun.
For a new tank I would recommend starting with just water changes. Then when alk and Ca consumption increase enough add kalk, and mag as needed.
Also, when measuring Alk, Ca and Mag always measure salinity at the same time with a good calibrated refractometer. Small differences salinity can effect these values a lot. High salinity will increase these values and low salinity will lower them. So they should only be compared with same salinity. A good refractometer is important because you will find mixing salt it is not always consistent and sometimes you have to adjust it a little to get the salinity right.
Last read Randy's articles on maintaining alk and Ca in the sticky threads on this forum. I learned so much from them when I was starting out. And, if you have any questions about them ask them here. Good luck and have fun.
