Calcium issues!

[MizTanks]

Where is my calcium going? I just tested and my calcium is reading 320/340
I doesed with Kent CB parts A&B everyday for a week at 2ml part A and 3ml part B. Ya think it'd be higher with the dosing right? I've had this low calcium issues ever since setting up my tank. Never have been able to get it above 400, let alone stay there. I'm not keeping any sps/lps so how worried should I be about the low levels. I do have snails and a shrimp though. I use RO/DI water, and Reef Crystals.

[jojo22]

I wouldn't be too worried. You took a big bite with such a small tank for a first (and congrats on doing this well).

How much evap do you get each day?? Do you have to top off daily like I did with my 10 gallon??

If so I could walk you through setting up a drip type top off with Kalk that may help.

[speedstar]

why are you not dosing equal amounts? is something out of wack to start?

[jojo22]

Speed, I don't remember if it was the same stuff but I had a Kent product for nano reefs, and the directions said to dose more of one than the other, the instructions always worked well for me. So it may just be the product.

[MizTanks]

I never top off! No need, no evap. I do WC every fri, 2+g. I just tested my new water and it reads: ph 8.4 cal= 460 and sg=1.030 it's a little higher cause I'm trying to raise it from 1.023 to 1.025
However all these readings change once the water gets into the tank. I was dosing cause of the low cal, it was suggested to me that I do it less of A then B. I'm not totally edu on the chemestry part of water as of yet.
I do got to say though, that my tank is doing great! No losses of corals (all softies) all other water parameters are right on, Kh is 12, 0 nitrites, 0 nitrates, 0 ammonia, and 0 phos ph has always been around 8.4 and my fishes are happy!!

[speedstar]

I never top off! No need, no evap. I do WC every fri, 2+g. I just tested my new water and it reads: ph 8.4 cal= 460 and sg=1.030 it's a little higher cause I'm trying to raise it from 1.023 to 1.025
However all these readings change once the water gets into the tank. I was dosing cause of the low cal, it was suggested to me that I do it less of A then B. I'm not totally edu on the chemestry part of water as of yet.
I do got to say though, that my tank is doing great! No losses of corals (all softies) all other water parameters are right on, Kh is 12, 0 nitrites, 0 nitrates, 0 ammonia, and 0 phos ph has always been around 8.4 and my fishes are happy!!


your doing better than me with all the zero's/ KH seems highs what brand salt?

[MizTanks]

Reef Crystals. 1 cup per 2 gallons give me an sg of 1.030 a ph of 8.4 and an cal level of 460. Am I maybe not changing enough of the water to raise my levels? Leaving to much of the old water in the tank? I thought a kh level between 10-12 was ok, no?

[Tom@HaslettMI]

Reef Crystals. 1 cup per 2 gallons give me an sg of 1.030 a ph of 8.4 and an cal level of 460. Am I maybe not changing enough of the water to raise my levels? Leaving to much of the old water in the tank? I thought a kh level between 10-12 was ok, no?

Ca and alk influence each other. If one is high the other is low. 10-12 alk is fine but you will have a tough time getting Ca levels up. I'm not familiar with the product you're using but are you sure that you're dosing more of the Ca part and not more on the alk part?

Here's a link to some info and a dosing calculator to help with Ca/alk balance: http://reef.diesyst.com/flashcalc/flashcalc.html

and another on a DIY two part system that many people (myself included) use: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

HTH,
Tom

[MizTanks]

I'm using Kent CB Parts A&B and guess what, it doesn't say which is what? I do know that when added to the water part B turns cloudy, does that help?

[BeakerBob]

A would be the calcium and B would be the Alkalinity (turns water cloudy).

[Tom@HaslettMI]

Where is my calcium going? I just tested and my calcium is reading 320/340
I doesed with Kent CB parts A&B everyday for a week at 2ml part A and 3ml part B. Ya think it'd be higher with the dosing right? I've had this low calcium issues ever since setting up my tank. Never have been able to get it above 400, let alone stay there. I'm not keeping any sps/lps so how worried should I be about the low levels. I do have snails and a shrimp though. I use RO/DI water, and Reef Crystals.

You've been dosing more of the alk this whole time. You'll need to switch and dose more A and less B. Once you have your Ca/alk balanced you may be able to meet your tank's demands with water changes alone. Since you don't have high demand organisms and you're changing (what I'm assuming to be) a good percentage of your total volume each week.

Tom

[MizTanks]

NO FREAKING WONDER!!!! 2ml of A and 3ml of B sure aint gonna raise my cal now is it? Jeeeeeeeez, well now I know Thank you guys, concider yourselves kissed!!! I'm changing almost 2g's a week. I measure!!!

p.s.

Ok, I just tested my Kh and it's at 10, good right? I also did a cal test after adding 4ml of Kent CB part A only and my reading is now 400. Do I still need to add part B?

[Tom@HaslettMI]

10 and 400 seem pretty good. I wouldn't worry about it.

I may have missed it, but I don't know how many gallons your tank is. That's why I hedged on how much a 2 gallon water change represented for your tank. So, what size tank were/are we talking about?

[MizTanks]

It's an 8g biocube. I change no more then 2g's every friday. I start the water thursday night, test the sg/cal/ph before I add it to the tank. I've got 5 and 1/2lbs of LR in the tank, with about 1lb of LR rubble in 2nd chamber along with 16oz bag of Chemipure Elite. 1st chamber is factory made filter. I switch up between that and just floss. To much info? LOL.