How do you...

[abslte23]

add calcium naturally to an aqaurium?

Is it possible?

I have not tank yet from the start it's gonna be a custom 180 tank. DIY stand and sump. It's been awhile since i had anything saltwater and I was never in it to the detail that i am now.

I was planning on use a diy sump and fuge above the aqaurium. I was intereseted in using mangroves to help fitler the aqaurium and they reduce the amount of cal in the tank. I dont want to use a doser or anything if i dont have too.

It will be FOWLR at 1st so yea i know i dont really have to worry about cal to much for now but i am setting this up right from the start to go to corals if I decide *to.

And for the next topic finding the correct lighting

O yea I forgot I plan on doing a 3" inch DSB couple tons of live rock hopefully some DIY rock ya know save a lil money there.

[Jason McKenzie]

There are many products on the market for supplementing Ca. they are typically a mix with top up water and add daily. The is also Kalk that you can mix a lot up and drip into your tank with make up water. Or there is the fancy CA Reactors that inject CO2 into Calcium Carbonate and break it down and then drip into the tank.
Either way you are doseing your tank to keep the CA up to the levels desired

Jason

[Jason McKenzie]

BTW Welcome to 3REEF Glad you joined up.

Anxious to here all the progress of your new system

J

[abslte23]

Thanks for the welcome.

It will be a few months before I really get anything going with this I am still tweaking the designs and they look i want. I still have to tear the carpet up and refinish the hard wood floors and possibly and support to the floor joist ( if i can't get it close enough to the steal beam). O yea I;m planning on using this as a room divider to be seen from 3 sides. Starphire glass on 3 viewing sides with one massive overflow.

Had plans to add an equipment sump might just use the skimmer inline and at the ref to that and get a smaller tank outside the stand closer to the floor to keep my mangroves. Then if the ref isn't in the sump placing it above my aquarium and let gravity do the trick.

Once i get started I plan on posting a ton of pics when i start building the stand. Still making adjustments and drafting it up keep in mind im no CAD engineer or anything but it looks good to me so far

[Matt Rogers]

Welcome..
sounds like a great tank..
for a tank that big I would go with a calcium reactor.
I've seen DIY links for them FYI.
Regardless, a reactor would probably be the most cost effective at that scale.