Should I worry ?

[double2mk]

OK,
So I browsed around but I am still un sure.

My Alk is 2.5
My Dkh is 8
My PH is 8.6
My Ca is 380

I have switched to Redsea Coral Life Salt as they touted higher Ca.

I would love to boost the calcium to 400 - 425. My reasoning is mostly that I would like to get some corals and I hear that most feed on Calcium.

My fear is that there is not enough to go around if I add a few.

I have used Kent Coral Life, Puple Up, and Bionic.

I guess I dont understand a relationship somewhere. My Calcium always stays at 380 no matter what I do, but my hardness and Alk change.


Do I need to worry about this or not ?
Is there a newby explaination of raising Ca ?

\Help

[Otty]

Get a Calcium Reactor so you don't have to dose all the time. I keep mine at about 435 ppm, and never have to dose anything but Mg and Strontium.
Watch the Purple Up it is loaded with Iodine, better be testing for it if your adding it without knowing what your levels are.

[amcarrig]

In addition to what Scott has suggested, let us know what your magnesium level is at.

[nemo79]

It's important to test for Magnesium because if your mag is low, your ca and alk levels are affected. For calcium and alk I would dose only a calcium supplement and alk one. Get a 2 part additive as it keeps them in balance. when your ca goes up to high your alk drops and vice versa. I use the kents alk and ca, not the 2 parter. 380 isn't too low, I have tons of corals and mine drops to 380 easily. What ever you dose you should be testing for. The only other thing I dose is reef plus which is a vitamin suppl. and I only dose once in a while. It's good you are testing.

[double2mk]

Back to the store..

I will pick up the Mg and I2 test kits. I am thinking of switching to the Salifert brand as I have read a few good reviews.

Stay Tuned.

\Cheers

[double2mk]

Originally Posted by nemo79

It's important to test for Magnesium because if your mag is low, your ca and alk levels are affected. For calcium and alk I would dose only a calcium supplement and alk one. Get a 2 part additive as it keeps them in balance. when your ca goes up to high your alk drops and vice versa. I use the kents alk and ca, not the 2 parter. 380 isn't too low, I have tons of corals and mine drops to 380 easily. What ever you dose you should be testing for. The only other thing I dose is reef plus which is a vitamin suppl. and I only dose once in a while. It's good you are testing.

Yours drops to 380.. That my fear that if I add coral now, my 380 will drop too low. Is my thinking correct here ?

[coral reefer]

Corals don't feed on calcium, but rather use calcium and strontium to build their skeletons thus these types of corals are called hermatypic(reef building corals responsible for our reefs). Of course, not every coral precipitates calcium/strontium for their skeleton and ultimately the corals and reefs growth!
Your calcium level being low may be due to a less than desireable reading for alkalinity and magnesium!
Have to check those parameters...
As for Purple Up, I think it is a remarkable product. One that is beneficial to a reef tank especially, IF you don't overdose!
As mentioned earlier, it does contain iodine, which can be lethal at elevated levels!

[nemo79]

Start adding a calcium and alk supplement, get your ca to 400ppm. When you add corals you will need to dose to keep these perameters up as they will use the calcium, same with coraline. I have to dose every day I have so much coraline. You will get to know how much your tank uses with regular testing.

[double2mk]

I will test Magnesium and Iodine as quick as I can get a kit.
My Alk is steady at 2.5. and Dkh at 8

When I used B-Ionic Calcium Buffer , my hardness went up to 14, and Ca stayed the same.

I will check to see what the other two are before adding any more sups.


\Cheers

[nemo79]

You have to add equal amounts of the esv bionic for it to work. If you add too much alk it will go up and the ca will drop. You need to figure out the soft spot with the supplements.