My tank is not consuming calcium

[Tunafish]

I have a 2 year old 70 gallon tank and it is consuming 0.5 dkh of alk everyday and it is covered with coraline but my calcium is always same and I have never dosed it The corals are happy and growing and I dont do regular water changes. I want to lower my calcium beacuse I accidentally raised it too much because of a test malfunction thinking that tank has finally started using it but whitout no calcium consumption I am not sure what to do since it would take a lot of water changes to decrease it back and my nutrients are already low so I dont want to lower them more with lots of water changes.

 

[Jekyl]

As long as things are happy I wouldn't chase numbers. Where is your calcium currently at and have you had the number verified?

 

[Tunafish]

As long as things are happy I wouldn't chase numbers. Where is your calcium currently at and have you had the number verified.

It is at 580 ppm and the reason I want to decrease it is because Where I live we only get wild or maricultured imports there are no aquaculture corals here and usually import corals come from places with much lower calcium levels.

 

[Uncle99]

If your using up Alk, your using up CA as these two come together.

Maybe your CA testing is just off?
What tester you use, Hanna’s give off elevated results for example.

Things are good……don’t look for trouble.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I don’t think corals care about elevated calcium.

At an alk demand of 0.5 dKH per day, the calcium demand is not detectable day to day at only 3 ppm.

it is being used, it just takes a while to see reliably.

 

[PharmrJohn]

I don’t think corals care about elevated calcium.

At an alk demand of 0.5 dKH per day, the calcium demand is not detectable day to day at only 3 ppm.

it is being used, it just takes a while to see reliably.

Dude, what calculator did you use to come to that 3ppm number? I need to start collecting these calculators.....

 

[Reefering1]

Irrc, it's 20ppm Ca per 2.8dkh

 

[WvAquatics]

Dude, what calculator did you use to come to that 3ppm number? I need to start collecting these calculators.....

It's Randy when it comes to chemistry in an aquarium he is Basically a walking calculator!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Dude, what calculator did you use to come to that 3ppm number? I need to start collecting these calculators.....

I used the HF 2000.

It’s not available for a price you can afford, however.

The general consumption ratios are

Alk 2.8 dKH
Calcium 18-20 ppm
Magnesium 0-2 ppm

Coralline is on the lower calcium/higher magnesium end. Pure calcium carbonate is 2.8 dKH/20 ppm.

 

[PharmrJohn]

I used the HF 2000.

It’s not available for a price you can afford, however.

The general consumption ratios are

Alk 2.8 dKH
Calcium 18-20 ppm
Magnesium 0-2 ppm

Coralline is on the lower calcium/higher magnesium end. Pure calcium carbonate is 2.8 dKH/20 ppm.

And any comparitive change in those numbers are linear? So a simple cross-multiplication would yield a ballpark figure?

 

[PharmrJohn]

It's Randy when it comes to chemistry in an aquarium he is Basically a walking calculator!

Yeah, I realized that early on. With the numbers he provided, someone could pretty easily do the math in theire head. If it's linear.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

And any comparitive change in those numbers are linear? So a simple cross-multiplication would yield a ballpark figure?

I’m not sure I understand the cross multiplication idea, but they can all be scaled up or down linearly together.

 

[PharmrJohn]

I’m not sure I understand the cross multiplication idea, but they can all be scaled up or down linearly together.

That's what I mean. OK. I'll just memorize those numbers and go with the flow! Thanks man!