Has Anyone tried Tropic Marin Bio-Calcium or Carbo-Calcium

[RajV]

I do not know if the original value is correct, but yes, it scales like that. 2.8 ppm in the calcium. I assume that was a typo.

Not sure what you are asking on other elements. Many are absolutely essential for life, but that doesn’t mean they are low in your tank.

@Randy Holmes-Farley Sorry it was a typo , should have been 2.8 . For other elements i use reef trace , so im not sure is those elements are included then i stop reef trace
Pic of reef trace attached

 

[RajV]

@Randy Holmes-Farley Can you please throw light on what may be the reasons not to see a Alkalinity drop over 2 to 3 days ? I measured twice to be sure it was not erroneous , but I see strangely that my ALK is at the same level 8.6 as it was on monday about 68 hrs time lapse

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

@Randy Holmes-Farley Can you please throw light on what may be the reasons not to see a Alkalinity drop over 2 to 3 days ? I measured twice to be sure it was not erroneous , but I see strangely that my ALK is at the same level 8.6 as it was on monday about 68 hrs time lapse

I’m not sure I understand. Was the demand previously higher?

Are you adding anything?

 

[RajV]

I’m not sure I understand. Was the demand previously higher?

Are you adding anything?

@Randy Holmes-Farley From all my past measurements - I can say my weekly drop was in the range of .5 to .7 dkh and i would dose back baking soda to keep it at roughly 8.5 dkh . On Monday I was at 8.4 when i decided to try just 1/2 spoon as the biocalcicum as it was a new product . I measured 2 hours later and recorded 8.6 dkh. This was Monday about 7pm . Im about 70 hrs after this and see no change to my dkh . My ph is at 8.12 and my oxygen level is steady(I was ruling out if CO2 was any influence) . Hence the wonder as to why isnt the alkalinity dropping as per normal demand . No change to inhabitants . Monday I did prune my chaeto.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

@Randy Holmes-Farley From all my past measurements - I can say my weekly drop was in the range of .5 to .7 dkh and i would dose back baking soda to keep it at roughly 8.5 dkh . On Monday I was at 8.4 when i decided to try just 1/2 spoon as the biocalcicum as it was a new product . I measured 2 hours later and recorded 8.6 dkh. This was Monday about 7pm . Im about 70 hrs after this and see no change to my dkh . My ph is at 8.12 and my oxygen level is steady(I was ruling out if CO2 was any influence) . Hence the wonder as to why isnt the alkalinity dropping as per normal demand . No change to inhabitants . Monday I did prune my chaeto.

Are you using biocalcium (an old product that is just a dry mix of ordinary alk and calcium supplements) or Carbocalcium, which is a different type of product taht deosn't have much track record of experiences?

That demand is quite low. 0.5 to 0.7 dKH per week is 0.1 dKH per day or less. Very low, and hard to measure accurately day to day with a hobby kit. . I'd just keep tracking it.

 

[Kirschy17]

Im a using bio-calcium to dose calcium and alk and im very happy with my results. Im not long in the hobby but i have very nice growth on various sps corals including acros.

 

[Bouncingsoul39]

I don't have a picture, but I had a co-worker in the aquarium industry that used Tropic-Marin Bio-Actif salt mix exclusively in his tank. He had the most vibrant colored corals, crystal clear water, amazing polyp extension. The results he got with that salt blew me away. If I could afford it, it would be my salt of choice.

 

[RajV]

Are you using biocalcium (an old product that is just a dry mix of ordinary alk and calcium supplements) or Carbocalcium, which is a different type of product taht deosn't have much track record of experiences?

That demand is quite low. 0.5 to 0.7 dKH per week is 0.1 dKH per day or less. Very low, and hard to measure accurately day to day with a hobby kit. . I'd just keep tracking it.

Yes its BioCalcium a powder . I will keep an eye as you suggested . @Randy Holmes-Farley thank you very much , your insights and advice are a great help

 

[RajV]

Im a using bio-calcium to dose calcium and alk and im very happy with my results. Im not long in the hobby but i have very nice growth on various sps corals including acros.

Can you post a recent picture

 

[Kirschy17]

Can you post a recent picture

No great picture but still, oldest sps is the purple stylo which i got as a 3/4 inch frag about 2-3 months ago or so

 

[Kirschy17]

ill try a better picture tomorrow!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Im a using bio-calcium to dose calcium and alk and im very happy with my results. Im not long in the hobby but i have very nice growth on various sps corals including acros.

You’d get essentially the same result by mixing baking soda and calcium chloride, but most people move on to supplements that do not require dry dosing, which risks getting irritating salts onto delicate organisms, and it hard to automate.

 

[Kirschy17]

You’d get essentially the same result by mixing baking soda and calcium chloride, but most people move on to supplements that do not require dry dosing, which risks getting irritating salts onto delicate organisms, and it hard to automate.

I used to dose liquid but swapped to the dry dosing because i used up the liquid i used in a blink of an eye.

Its mainly a budget question for me atm since im a student and i cant afford dosingpumps for now.

I know about the risks of dry dosing but my tank is an AIO so i dose in the backchambers about once a month.

Anyways im a bloody rookie, are there any concerns about the bio calcium im missing? It felt good for me untill now

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I used to dose liquid but swapped to the dry dosing because i used up the liquid i used in a blink of an eye.

Its mainly a budget question for me atm since im a student and i cant afford dosingpumps for now.

I know about the risks of dry dosing but my tank is an AIO so i dose in the backchambers about once a month.

Anyways im a bloody rookie, are there any concerns about the bio calcium im missing? It felt good for me untill now

DIY baking soda and calcium chloride will be much cheaper than Biocalcium, whether you dissolve it in water first, or choose to dose it dry (dry dosing is very uncommon for experienced reefers). .

The main drawback to solids dosing is the potential for undissolved solids to land on, and irritate, delicate organisms.

 

[Keiffer the reefer]

Is there a way to calculate the amount of carbon dosing that takes place using the carbo calcium. I currently dose 30 mL/ day of sodium bicarbonate and 15 mL of vinegar as part of my normal routine.

Also, will this product help combat day/night pH swings the same way my current regimen does (if I dose carbo calcium during the day)? I currently dose sodium bicarbonate during the day and kalk at night.

 

[RajV]

DIY baking soda and calcium chloride will be much cheaper than Biocalcium, whether you dissolve it in water first, or choose to dose it dry (dry dosing is very uncommon for experienced reefers). .

The main drawback to solids dosing is the potential for undissolved solids to land on, and irritate, delicate organisms.

@Randy Holmes-Farley if baking soda and calcium chloride are good enough - can you please suggest a product for the other ADDITIVIES and that needs to be added as well . Though BIO-Calcium does not document this - it simply says 70 other essential elements @Lou Ekus - can you throw light

 

[enb141]

@Randy Holmes-Farley if baking soda and calcium chloride are good enough - can you please suggest a product for the other ADDITIVIES and that needs to be added as well . Though BIO-Calcium does not document this - it simply says 70 other essential elements @Lou Ekus - can you throw light

Yeah, I would like to know about that too, not just for this Bio-Calcium because it supposedly contains the trace elements but Carbocalcium doesn't mentions the trace elements so I'm currently using seachem trace but it only contains like 12 or so trace elements but the other 50 or so elements how to or were to get them?

I also would like to know if in both products can be used for getting high alkalinity (10 dkh) because according to the intructions it can only be used for 8dkh, higher than that it says will precipitate (something that my noob brain doesn't understand).

Do carbocalcium has trace elements as bio-calcium?

 

[RajV]

Yeah, I would like to know about that too, not just for this Bio-Calcium because it supposedly contains the trace elements but Carbocalcium doesn't mentions the trace elements so I'm currently using seachem trace but it only contains like 12 or so trace elements but the other 50 or so elements how to or were to get them?

I also would like to know if in both products can be used for getting high alkalinity (10 dkh) because according to the intructions it can only be used for 8dkh, higher than that it says will precipitate (something that my noob brain doesn't understand).

Do carbocalcium has trace elements as bio-calcium?

I tried to tag the Tropic Marin folks to get an answer . As randy ruggested you can crank up your alkalinity by using simple baking soda . The BioCalcium also can , i have tried both as a means to bump up Alkalinity. I have no knowledge of carbocalcium

 

[RajV]

@enb141 you may find this interesting http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-07/rhf/index.php

 

[enb141]

@enb141 you may find this interesting http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-07/rhf/index.php

Thanks for the link, I'm trying to understand a little bit more about precipitation with this link