Please help! My cal. is 300

[briang]

Please help, my Cal. is 300. I use instant ocean.
my ca. was 320 6 days ago.For 2 days I used Kent Marine Liquid Reactor,And also K. M. Tech-M for mag. My CA. stayed the same. For the nexted 2 days I used (Purple Up). Still 320. I started adding B-Ionic 2 part calcium buffer for the last 2 days. My ca. has seemed to drop, it is now 300. Is there something wrong with (MY)B-Ionic ? Are both, bottle 1 and bottle 2 suppose to be perfectly clear? They look like water. Also it says it temporarilly clouds the water. This does not cloud it at all. I have to get a mag. test kit . Which one is user friendly, in other words, I'm no rocket scientist. My PH is 8.4, my dkh is 9., ammonia-0, nitites-0, nitrates-10, Please give suggestions, I have LPS, Clam, Monties, Softies.
How dangerous is a level of 300? I think my mag may be low. I just added Kent Marine (Tech-M) to try to raise it.

 

[returnofsid]

To start with, stop dosing all these supplements. There's no way of knowing how they'll interact with and effect each other. I'd toss the Purple Up. It's been shown to have a negative impact over time with a build up of some not so good metals.

It's good that you're testing for Ca, Alk, pH, Ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. What brand test kits are you using? I'd recommend using Salifert. Don't have to be a rocket scientist yet it's pretty accurate, especially when compared to some of the multi test strips.

I don't know anything about the B-Ionic so can't comment on the clearness of it. I wouldn't say that your Ca level of 300 is dangerous, although it's definitely not high enough for your Clam or Monties. I'd suggest shooting for a Ca of 420-430 and a Mg of 1260. You typically want your Mg 3X your Ca.

In my signature, there's a couple of useful links. One is to a DIY 3 part recipe for Ca, Alk and Mg supplements. The other link is to a great Reef Chemistry Calculator that will help you determine how much supplement to add. This calculator will work on a number of different supplements, store bought or the DIY recipes. Hope this helps get your tank back in balance. Until it's balanced, I'd recommend not dosing Kalk as this will just get it further out of balance.

 

[briang]

To start with, stop dosing all these supplements. There's no way of knowing how they'll interact with and effect each other. I'd toss the Purple Up. It's been shown to have a negative impact over time with a build up of some not so good metals.

It's good that you're testing for Ca, Alk, pH, Ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. What brand test kits are you using? I'd recommend using Salifert. Don't have to be a rocket scientist yet it's pretty accurate, especially when compared to some of the multi test strips.

I don't know anything about the B-Ionic so can't comment on the clearness of it. I wouldn't say that your Ca level of 300 is dangerous, although it's definitely not high enough for your Clam or Monties. I'd suggest shooting for a Ca of 420-430 and a Mg of 1260. You typically want your Mg 3X your Ca.

In my signature, there's a couple of useful links. One is to a DIY 3 part recipe for Ca, Alk and Mg supplements. The other link is to a great Reef Chemistry Calculator that will help you determine how much supplement to add. This calculator will work on a number of different supplements, store bought or the DIY recipes. Hope this helps get your tank back in balance. Until it's balanced, I'd recommend not dosing Kalk as this will just get it further out of balance.

For ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph, I use Saltwater Master test kit. For calcium I use Salifert

 

[briang]

I'm do for my 2 week water change. Tomorrow I think I'm going to buy Oceanic salt for the high ca. content. What do you think?

 

[ReefArtist]

Yes I agree way to many chemicals going into your system. Calcium of 320 is way to low for a reef tank, let along 300 and you could be off by just a drop to make it appear different.

Yes the B-Ionic is clear, so no problem there. I have a reactor now but I've used this in the pass and had great results with it - but it need to be dosed everyday to keep the levels up.

How many days have you been dosing the calcium/Alk? You need to bring these numbers up slowly (JMO) as any change to a reef tank needs to be slow and not shock the system.

IMO - I would stay with the same salt and ditch all other chemicals until you get your system stable. The main parameter that will affect your calium is Magnesium. You can dose and dose but if your magnesium is low your calcium isn't going anywhere. You need to make sure you mag is at the proper level (1250 - 1350). I keep mine at 1350 but I keep my calcium at 450 (Very large SPS tank).

Don't worry about making coraline algae (purple up), if your parameters are right your system will be making it naturally.

 

[twilliard]

The more you try to change it the worse it may get.
Look at the ingredients of what you are adding.
A lot of additives will increase your Alk levels and drop your Cal levels.

IO is a great salt, hands down.

Stop dosing and start changing water. It will balance. THEN if you feel, you can raise your Cal levels but everything needs to be added in balance. IE Cal, Alk, Mag.

 

[krisfal]

I use b-ionic also. 1 of them, the alk i believe, momentarily causes a little cloud in the water as I add it. This happens and disperses very quickly so it would be easy to miss, especially if you add to a turbulent area where it would disperse quickly.

I struggled getting my calcium up, with IO salt I was always right at 380, which is where the freshly mixed salt water tests. I started adjusting the calcium in the newly mixed salt water, prior to doing the water change, to get it up to 420 and that along with use of b-ionic in the tank has gotten me over the hump. I have been using Reef advantage calcium to adjust the calcium in the saltwater I make up.

 

[plack]

"I struggled getting my calcium up, with IO salt I was always right at 380, which is where the freshly mixed salt water tests. I started adjusting the calcium in the newly mixed salt water, prior to doing the water change, to get it up to 420 and that along with use of b-ionic in the tank has gotten me over the hump."

I agree____ although I only get 365 freshly mixed salt water tests. And you have to have the water stirring for 24-48 hours at temp before you can adjust or bump it up to the proper level otherwise you can ruin the new fresh saltwater mix !

Clams do need allot of calcium there are cheaper 2 part solutions

(http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/Two-Part-Kits/c52/p267/The-Total-Two-Part-Package/product_info.html)

they even have a nice calculator to help you figure how much to add daily !!

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

...I think my mag may be low. I just added Kent Marine (Tech-M) to try to raise it.

Surprised no one mentioned it, but don't dose anything that you're not testing for. Just thinking your magnesium is low doesn't tell you how much you need to bring it up, if indeed it's low! Test!

Anywho...

When I did the normal ca/alk struggle to get things up, I tried to increase my Ca levels by using the Ca part of B-ionic. I added and added, but never really saw much of a rise. Never really figured out why. (My magnesium levels were OK.)

But what I ended up doing that worked was I increased the Ca levels in my tank up to 400 using Turbo Calcium - only increasing 10ppm or so each day. I then found the right levels of C-balance to use per day (takes a little trial and error, or a week or two of charting your Calcium levels) and have been good ever since. I use Reef Crystals (mixes up around 360 or so) and bump my PWC water up to 400 just before doing a water change. I store my saltwater "as mixed" and then adjust it up just before the water change.

As others have suggested, I'd pick a two part solution and stick with it versus bouncing around between supplements. Increase your Ca in your tank to where you want it, then add whatever the minimum amount of 2-part recommended is, test during the week, and adjust accordingly.

This is a really good article if you haven't seen it already...

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm