Calcium dosing they say?? .....WHAT!....HOW do I do this?

[Emma01]

Hi all. Ok here goes.......

My calcium has been running at about 360-380 between water changes, so is pretty stable as it goes.
I’ve been advised to bring my calcium up to approximately 400ppm, seeing I’m now adding SPS corals. (At the moment in the tank x1 Acan frag, softies, shrimp and lots of snails)
I’ve seen many liquids out there (kalkwasser, calcium supplements etc etc) I’m petrified of adding supplements and basically killing my inhabitants!

I am COMPLETELY beyond confused!
And I think I’m over complicating it for myself!! (I hope)

So.......

• Would I need to dose all 3 chemicals into my tank (alk, Ca,mg)? Or just the calcium? (Parameters below)
• Will calcium adding throw off any other parameters that I should be aware of?
• How on earth do I calculate the required dose each day and do I have to take rock displacement value into consideration when calculating the dose?
• Can I add it to the fresh SW mix each time and add it like that or does it need to be directly to the main display every time/day?
• Can it be added to the ATO system? And if so..... my ATO can go off/top up sometimes once/ twice If not more a day. Would the more/less it tops up a day affect the amount of calcium being added each time?

I know this is lengthy and I’m sorry. But at the moment, this is giving me a headache through thinking! :(

Other parameters are......
KH-7.6-8.0 (stable)
PH-8.3 (stable)
Mg-1125 (last time I checked it was this, I don’t regularly check Mg)
Salinity 1025 (stable)


I’m Hoping someone out there can demystify the above for me, and hopefully explain it to me.

Thank you all! And to Reef2Reef for this amazing site! Xx

Emma xx

 

[ckalupa]

https://reefapp.net/en/maintenance/dosing/calculator

Here is a calculator you can use. Select the product you are dosing and fill in the parameters. Use 0 for you daily consumption to get what you need to get it where you want first. The calculator may show that some items need to be raised over a couple days so you don’t shock the system.

Calcium won’t be consumed as quickly as alk. As the corals grow likely you will need daily dosing

Dose the individual items into your tank or sump.

Magnesium is also a bit low. 1300 is better.

Water only volume. Dose and retest after - give it an hour or so to mix in.


After you get it up to baseline the. Check after a day or two and you will know your daily consumption and you can plug that in to the same calculator to know your daily dosing needs.

 

[BestMomEver]

https://reefapp.net/en/maintenance/dosing/calculator

Here is a calculator you can use. Select the product you are dosing and fill in the parameters. Use 0 for you daily consumption to get what you need to get it where you want first. The calculator may show that some items need to be raised over a couple days so you don’t shock the system.

Calcium won’t be consumed as quickly as alk. As the corals grow likely you will need daily dosing

Dose the individual items into your tank or sump.

Magnesium is also a bit low. 1300 is better.

Water only volume. Dose and retest after - give it an hour or so to mix in.


After you get it up to baseline the. Check after a day or two and you will know your daily consumption and you can plug that in to the same calculator to know your daily dosing needs.

That’s a great resource. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Emma01]

https://reefapp.net/en/maintenance/dosing/calculator

Here is a calculator you can use. Select the product you are dosing and fill in the parameters. Use 0 for you daily consumption to get what you need to get it where you want first. The calculator may show that some items need to be raised over a couple days so you don’t shock the system.

Calcium won’t be consumed as quickly as alk. As the corals grow likely you will need daily dosing

Dose the individual items into your tank or sump.

Magnesium is also a bit low. 1300 is better.

Water only volume. Dose and retest after - give it an hour or so to mix in.


After you get it up to baseline the. Check after a day or two and you will know your daily consumption and you can plug that in to the same calculator to know your daily dosing needs.

That’s a brilliant calculator, makes far more sense thanks!

I’ve just tested my calcium again today. (Hanna checker)
Tested it yesterday. And I’ve a variance of -46ppm/day. Since yesterday? This sound about right for a daily consumption with not much coral inside?
My KH consumption is -0.2ppm/day (since yesterday that is)

Do I need to add magnesium, calcium and KH individually then ??

Thanks.
Emma

 

[BestMomEver]

That’s a brilliant calculator, makes far more sense thanks!

I’ve just tested my calcium again today. (Hanna checker)
Tested it yesterday. And I’ve a variance of -46ppm/day. Since yesterday? This sound about right for a daily consumption with not much coral inside?
My KH consumption is -0.2ppm/day (since yesterday that is)

Do I need to add magnesium, calcium and KH individually then ??

Thanks.
Emma

I would. There are tons of options. Bulk Reef Supply has a great video on reef additives.

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/vide...tem-for-your-reef-tank-brstv-reef-gear-guide/

 

[Emma01]

I would. There are tons of options. Bulk Reef Supply has a great video on reef additives.

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/vide...tem-for-your-reef-tank-brstv-reef-gear-guide/

A great video also!
How long would you daily test for until you’re sure that’s how much your tank consumption is? Week? More? Thanks BestMomEver!!! Xx
Emma

 

[BestMomEver]

A great video also!
How long would you daily test for until you’re sure that’s how much your tank consumption is? Week? More? Thanks BestMomEver!!! Xx
Emma

I’m in the process of changing from the BRS system to Red Sea. It’s really an experiment. I’ve found that with the BRS product, I’m using a lot of chemical and I’m finding it hard to adjust. I think the problem is that my corals are growing so fast (which is a good thing) that it’s requiring more and more chemicals. I spoke to the Red Sea guy at Reefapalooza about their two part because I’m a believer in their coral colors products and I’m interested in trying a “one manufacturer “ system. I’ve recently ordered their salt and their calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium. I discontinued the BRS product and tested calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium every two days. Then I divide the loss by two. So if my dkh fell by 1 point in two days, then my one day consumption is .5. According to the Red Sea calculator I would be using 50 ml to bring the level back up. The calculator that @ckalupa just posted tells me how much to dose daily after.

 

[Emma01]

I’m in the process of changing from the BRS system to Red Sea. It’s really an experiment. I’ve found that with the BRS product, I’m using a lot of chemical and I’m finding it hard to adjust. I think the problem is that my corals are growing so fast (which is a good thing) that it’s requiring more and more chemicals. I spoke to the Red Sea guy at Reefapalooza about their two part because I’m a believer in their coral colors products and I’m interested in trying a “one manufacturer “ system. I’ve recently ordered their salt and their calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium. I discontinued the BRS product and tested calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium every two days. Then I divide the loss by two. So if my dkh fell by 1 point in two days, then my one day consumption is .5. According to the Red Sea calculator I would be using 50 ml to bring the level back up. The calculator that @ckalupa just posted tells me how much to dose daily after.

I’m just looking at the Redsea additives myself actually..(BRS wouldn’t have been an option anyway, living in the UK)
You’ve completely demystified and simplified the whole dosing process
for me, so I thank you for that!
Wish I had the problem of my corals growing too fast! Maybe when I start dosing, it’ll happen for me too! (Hopefully) I’ve a 30 litre nano cube, keeping parameters stable is an absolute nightmare, without having to do daily water changes and upsetting everything obviously!

Just a thought...... during making new water for a WC would you check the parameters and use the calculator to increase the levels in the new SW BEFORE adding to the main display. Or would you adjust once in the display tank?
Sorry for all the questions!
I’ve been looking at the A+B+C from Red Sea. I’ll order and hope for the best! Xx

 

[Jen Cristello]

I'm new to the hobby as well, but I found that once I got my levels right, all I needed to do is add some Kalkwasser every night. I mix up a 1 gallon container, then manually top off my tank with it every night. I go through a gallon every 3 or 4 days on a 20g tank. So far it's been keeping my readings stable, and my torches and duncans really started to show nice growth.

 

[BestMomEver]

I’ve only tested new water when I think something is off. That’s what started this whole thing. I was buying saltwater from the LFS in my area. They use Instant Ocean salt and I found I had to add a lot of chemicals just to get to where I want to be. So I started looking at salt options. I like the Red Sea salt because of the mixing options. I’m hoping that if I use salt that produces levels that I’m hoping to achieve, I won’t have to dose so much. I’ve haven’t tried it yet because I’m setting up a new tank and plan to use the new salt when I fill it the first time.

 

[BestMomEver]

I'm new to the hobby as well, but I found that once I got my levels right, all I needed to do is add some Kalkwasser every night. I mix up a 1 gallon container, then manually top off my tank with it every night. I go through a gallon every 3 or 4 days on a 20g tank. So far it's been keeping my readings stable, and my torches and duncans really started to show nice growth.

I used to use kalkwasser but over time I felt like it was throwing stuff off. Reason being, I couldn’t adjust calcium without changing alkalinity as well. I need things separated out. But many, many people use the kalkwasser method with great success. It’s just not right for me.

 

[Emma01]

I’ve only tested new water when I think something is off. That’s what started this whole thing. I was buying saltwater from the LFS in my area. They use Instant Ocean salt and I found I had to add a lot of chemicals just to get to where I want to be. So I started looking at salt options. I like the Red Sea salt because of the mixing options. I’m hoping that if I use salt that produces levels that I’m hoping to achieve, I won’t have to dose so much. I’ve haven’t tried it yet because I’m setting up a new tank and plan to use the new salt when I fill it the first time.

Thanks very much!! Totally Appreciated.
Well, I’ve ordered the redsea liquids, I’ll see how I go.
Thanks again
Emma xx

 

[BestMomEver]

You may also find great info on the reef chemistry forum here on R2R. Randy is probably the best reef chemist out there and always very helpful.

 

[Dkeller_nc]

Hopefully the Red Sea materials work out for you, they're very popular. Since I have a chemistry background, it'd be professionally embarrassing if I didn't make my own. ;)

If you decide you want to make your own at some point, it's actually really, really easy. Most of us that do water changes don't dose magnesium, since it's not consumed very rapidly by the organisms in the tank. So that leaves calcium and alkalinity which absolutely must be dosed in some sort of fashion unless you've a system devoid of corals. All you need to do this is calcium chloride and either sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) or sodium carbonate (washing soda), or both.

The calculators on BRS's website will work regardless of whether you bought the chemicals from them. Since both calcium chloride and sodium bicarbonate/carbonate are food ingredients, I'm betting you won't have any trouble getting them in the UK.

As "Mom" notes, Randy is the godfather of DIY reef chemistry. Here is his quite-famous-among-reefers original article on which the BRS 2-part solution calculator is based. Even if you don't plan to make your own solutions, you should definitely read his "Calcium and Alkalinity" article so that you have a good understanding of what you're dosing and why. Finally, you should take a look at his "Solving Calcium and Alkalinity Problems", which gives you some information about correcting imbalances in these components.

 

[Emma01]

Hopefully the Red Sea materials work out for you, they're very popular. Since I have a chemistry background, it'd be professionally embarrassing if I didn't make my own. ;)

If you decide you want to make your own at some point, it's actually really, really easy. Most of us that do water changes don't dose magnesium, since it's not consumed very rapidly by the organisms in the tank. So that leaves calcium and alkalinity which absolutely must be dosed in some sort of fashion unless you've a system devoid of corals. All you need to do this is calcium chloride and either sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) or sodium carbonate (washing soda), or both.

The calculators on BRS's website will work regardless of whether you bought the chemicals from them. Since both calcium chloride and sodium bicarbonate/carbonate are food ingredients, I'm betting you won't have any trouble getting them in the UK.

As "Mom" notes, Randy is the godfather of DIY reef chemistry. Here is his quite-famous-among-reefers original article on which the BRS 2-part solution calculator is based. Even if you don't plan to make your own solutions, you should definitely read his "Calcium and Alkalinity" article so that you have a good understanding of what you're dosing and why. Finally, you should take a look at his "Solving Calcium and Alkalinity Problems", which gives you some information about correcting imbalances in these components.

Great information! Thanks
Emma x

 

[Larry L]

Despite all the good advice above about how to dose, I don't think you need to dose at all.

You said your numbers all look stable between water changes, so that means whatever is in your salt mix is already making up for whatever consumption you have during the week. You just need to boost your calcium up to a bit higher baseline, not dose continuously. Pick any of the calcium supplements, figure out how much you need to add to get your calcium up from 380 to 425 or so, and follow the instructions on the supplement about how slowly or quickly you can add that amount to your tank. Then keep up your normal water change routine and make sure all your levels continue to stay steady.

Eventually as your corals grow they will start consuming more than you are making up for in your water changes, and at that point when you notice your levels dropping, then you can worry about dosing regularly.

 

[ckalupa]

Drizzle the alk and calcium in- don’t dump all at once. And there will always be some testing error if you do it back to back or even once every day. Look for the trend over a couple days is best.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

46 ppm calcium drop in one day is test error. If alk is stable, the calcium is not dropping.

 

[Jen Cristello]

I used to use kalkwasser but over time I felt like it was throwing stuff off. Reason being, I couldn’t adjust calcium without changing alkalinity as well. I need things separated out. But many, many people use the kalkwasser method with great success. It’s just not right for me.

I think I'm okay because I only have 2 SPS corals. I do have a bunch of LPS but from what I read they are less demanding when it come to calcium.

 

[BestMomEver]

46 ppm calcium drop in one day is test error. If alk is stable, the calcium is not dropping.

Are you speaking to her specific tank? I drop a good bit of calcium every day.... but I have SPS colonies/frags. My dkh drops about a point every two days. Say, from 8.8 to 7.8.