Calcium dosing

[simonellis86]

Hi Guys/Girls I'm fairly new here and to marine fish keeping and am in the cycling process of my 850l tank, i have been trying to raise my Ca levels from 350 by dosing Kent marine purple tech, now the thing is I'm on my third day of dosing the stated amount on the bottle and it hasn't raised at all could it be that the Ca is being used up that quick i don't have all the rock i need yet and only a couple of pieces have coralline algae traces on them.

Tests
Ca 350
NH3/NH4 0
No2 0
No3 5
PH 8.2
SG 1.024
Temp 26 c

Stocking
4 x Chromis2 x Turbo Snails

Equipment
850l custom built tank 6x2.5x2 (Drilled)210l Sump
Reef Octopus 3000 XP Skimmer
Phosban 550 Reactor with 150g phosban media
Running a small external filter with a uv sterilizer inline
16,000 lph sump pump
2x 3200 lph pumps
1x 6000 lph pump

Any more info needed just ask thanks in advance

 

[simonellis86]

oh and Kh is 9

 

[Newb_reefer1]

Um you can't raise calcium by using a coralline algae stimulator...... What you are dosing has no ability to raise cal just help with coralline growth

 

[simonellis86]

Um you can't raise calcium by using a coralline algae stimulator...... What you are dosing has no ability to raise cal just help with coralline growth

lol so it is good job i have a bottle of sera marin calcium to hand, well that was a newb error

 

[glb]

lol so it is good job i have a bottle of sera marin calcium to hand, well that was a newb error

We've all made newbie errors. No worries!

 

[Palting]

One reason your calcium is low is because you have your salinity at 1.024. Most likely, your magnesium is low as well. If you raise your salinity to 1.026, all your numbers across the board will go up, including calcium. In a young tank, keeping your salinity at 1.026 using a good salt brand will keep your parameters in good range just with water changes for a long, long time.

BTW, I made the same newbie mistake, and also started using all kinds of additives when all I had to do was raise the salinity to that of seawater, 35ppt or 1.026 .

 

[simonellis86]

One reason your calcium is low is because you have your salinity at 1.024. Most likely, your magnesium is low as well. If you raise your salinity to 1.026, all your numbers across the board will go up, including calcium. In a young tank, keeping your salinity at 1.026 using a good salt brand will keep your parameters in good range just with water changes for a long, long time.

BTW, I made the same newbie mistake, and also started using all kinds of additives when all I had to do was raise the salinity to that of seawater, 35ppt or 1.026 .

Yeah i noticed yesterday my salt levels were low so i have ordered another tub, so i will raise the salt levels back up and see what happens thanks

 

[Reefing Madness]

Um you can't raise calcium by using a coralline algae stimulator...... What you are dosing has no ability to raise cal just help with coralline growth

Correct. It only raises dissolved Calcium levels. If the tank has none, then there is none for it to raise. Try using a true Calcium liquid, or a DIY concotion.
Alkalinity & Calcium Marine Supplements: Two Little Fishies C-Balance
An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com