Does crushed coral work as a calcium supplement?

[916aquatics]

I use crushed coral to help my freshwater shrimp molt, will this also help calcium levels for my corals?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Not in any useful way. Calcium carbonate does not dissolve in ordinary seawater unless the pH gets below about 7.7, in which case coral skeletons can also dissolve.

Some small amount can dissolve deep down in sand where degradation of organics lowers pH, but the effect is not enough to be useful.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

No... The PH would have to drop low enough for the calcium to start dissolving. That is what a calcium reactor is. The Co2 lowers the PH in a reactor and the crushed coral dissolves.
In your shrimp tank the PH is much lower.

 

[916aquatics]

Not in any useful way. Calcium carbonate does not dissolve in ordinary seawater unless the pH gets below about 7.7, in which case coral skeletons can also dissolve.

Some small amount can dissolve deep down in sand where degradation of organics lowers pH, but the effect is not enough to be useful.

Oh I see thank you!

 

[916aquatics]

No... The PH would have to drop low enough for the calcium to start dissolving. That is what a calcium reactor is. The Co2 lowers the PH in a reactor and the crushed coral dissolves.
In your shrimp tank the PH is much lower.

Thank you for the info!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Oh I see thank you!

You’re welcome.

Happy Reefing!

 

[Austinchao98]

I've tried it before without much success. I think two part is the way to go