calcium level will not increase

[stokedmuffin]

Hi all, I’ve been having a problem keeping my calcium level up in my tank. Over the past two weeks, I’ve doubled my dosing, but the level continues to drop.


Right now I’m dosing 4000 mL of kalkwasser and 25 mL of calcium chloride daily. Last night before bed, my calcium tested at 330 ppm. This morning, after everything dosed overnight, it dropped to 300 ppm.


I’m at a complete loss on what to do. About two months ago, 2500 mL of kalkwasser and 12 mL of calcium chloride kept everything stable right around 450 ppm.


For reference, this is a 200-gallon mixed reef system.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

25 mL of what product exactly?

The kalk is not useful for raising calcium because alk rises far faster using it.

 

[stokedmuffin]

Bulk Reef Supply Calcium Chloride one gallon mix . mixed into one gallon of rodi water .

 

[stokedmuffin]

i have tested it with two different Salifert test kits and tested other tanks with same kits the other tanks tested fine.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Assuming you followed the recipe for the sodium carbonate recipe, 25 mL added to 200 gallons total water volume only boosts calcium by about 1.2 ppm. I’d add ten times that amount if you want to be able to detect a boost.

 

[stokedmuffin]

ok i will start to greatly increase the amount i am dosing

 

[dloberry]

What is magnesium level and are you dosing for magnesium? All 3 work together and when one is off the others can be too. When I dose alkalinity I dose soda ash,, then calcium that I mix, and magnesium I but already mixed. It took me a while to get all 3 stable but once there and you know what daily dosing is needed it is easy to maintain. If you are dominated by sps and lps you will use a lot.

 

[stokedmuffin]

Mag is around 1300 i dose tropic marin Bio Magnesium
right now im dosing
3750 ml kalk
100 ml cal (just increased)
70 ml soda ash
17 ml mag

 

[dloberry]

Just for reference: i dose 40ml of alkalinity soda ash, 40ml of calcium, and 2ml of magnesium. I do this daily using a dosing pump. I have a 100gl mixed reef tank. I do not use kalkwasser.

 

[dloberry]

Forgot to mention I keep my magnesium at 1350, calcium at 450, and alkalinity at 9.3. This dosing maintains those parameters week after week. I test weekly for those 3.

 

[stokedmuffin]

i am a little concerned with increasing my dosing of calcium to 100 ml i think i'm going to try 50 ml for a couple days see what happens

 

[dloberry]

Other things to keep in mind: i also time the dosing at low levels throughout the day and about 15 minutes apart. You can get precipitation if you don’t wait a few minutes between doses

 

[stokedmuffin]

Forgot to mention I keep my magnesium at 1350, calcium at 450, and alkalinity at 9.3. This dosing maintains those parameters week after week. I test weekly for those 3.

would you say you have a lot of coral in the tank . it seams like i dosing a lot more then you

 

[stokedmuffin]

i start my dosing at 8 pm and continue until 8 am everything is split up throughout the night

 

[dloberry]

i am a little concerned with increasing my dosing of calcium to 100 ml i think i'm going to try 50 ml for a couple days see what happens

Always increase dosing slowly for all additives and document parameters vs dose each day until you get to a point where it maintains parameters you want

 

[dloberry]

would you say you have a lot of coral in the tank . it seams like i dosing a lot more then you

You also have twice the size tank. I have a lot of coral but they are small right now. Once they grow i expect to increase dosing

 

[stokedmuffin]

i didn't have a problem with calcium until a month ago but i did also greatly reduce water changes recently .

 

[dloberry]

i start my dosing at 8 pm and continue until 8 am everything is split up throughout the night

That is a good plan for dosing

 

[dloberry]

i didn't have a problem with calcium until a month ago but i did also greatly reduce water changes recently .

That can also affect parameters. Water changes will replenish the 3.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

i am a little concerned with increasing my dosing of calcium to 100 ml i think i'm going to try 50 ml for a couple days see what happens

So 2.5 ppm per day? No kit can reliably see that change unless you wait close to a week.