Our next hot topic is: Dosing Calcium

The need to dose calcium has become very common for more nano reef keepers. When starting out, dosing can be a very confusing thing because there are so many different methods and options.

The goal of this discussion to help identify and understand the different methods for successfully dosing calcium in a nano reef.

Tell us what you've tried – what methods and products worked and what did not. Or if you're looking to start dosing calcium, ask your questions here.

if you do regular 15% weekly water changes is dosing nessisary?

i thought about dosing just calcium..up until 2 weeks ago, I was dosing B-ionic daily. and i would add some kalk to my top-off water. for the past 2 weeks, i stopped dosing b-ionic, and stopped adding the kalk to my top-off water, and just started dripping 6 or 7 drops of Carib-sea's aragamilk..i can honestly say that the aragamilk has definately made a difference for the better..before with the b-ionic and kalk, my coralline algea was greenish to a dull purple.. now with the aragamilk, the coralline is a deeper purple, and with pinkish algea..its also spreading quicker i believe!

I dose 15ml of B-ionic daily. When doing my weekly water change (1-2 gal), on a 15gal, I have to add 15ml of Kent Liquid Calcium and 2 tsps of Baking Soda to make up for the lose. I am using Oceanic Salt and it tests real low on alk. But since changing from IO salt I don't have to dose Mg anymore. The Oceanic salt maintain the Mg at 1380.
My tank consists of a Clam, 10 SPS, 7 LPS and numerous Softies.

15g AGA
250W 10k XM MH and 2-32w Actinci
Aquafuge.

I'm gonna start to dose aragamilk or kalk soon, I have the dripper set, topping off my 10, but I have to add some kalk of somethink, lol

I use seachem reef calcium once a week. Keeps my calcium above 500. dkH is constant at 9.3. A buffer may be needed if dkH is low, or lowers as a result of addition of the calcium.

i recommend also a salifert calcium and salifert carbonate/alkalinity test kit.

a 15% water change per week, will provide some calcium, but may not be sufficent to maitain sps corals, lps corals, and clams who demand high calcium levels (ususally above 400 ppm)

I have been dosing once a week with reef complete, it seems to be growing corraline algea well, and has been keeping calcium levels around 440 - 460, it also appears to really be helping my feather duster grow and move around

i read alot about this preparing ur own mix with pickling lime and vinegar... can someone actually go into detail how to mix it and how much to dose how often per let say 10gal.

Yes I was wondering the same. I am getting ready to add an auto top off unit with a float switch on my 5g minibow. Since I wont be dripping it, It'll just top off the evaporated water, will the mix be different?

I mix 100-125 ml of vinegar with 2.5 gal of RO water and 6-7 tsp of kalk to make a saturated solution. It goes into my topoff reservoir for all of my makeup water. I still need to add B-Ionic 3X a week to keep up with the montipora, though.

Any special vinigar? Is'nt there red and white kinds?

The regular white vinegar is what you want.

Salifert All-in-one is something I am working on testing. It is calcium acetate. It also includes strontium (not thrilled about) and amino acids. However, the big plus is you maintain calcium and alkalinity. You can increase amounts based on biological demand. It is expensive for larger tanks but the small $8 bottle should last most nano reefs 6-8 months.

hey mrkrispy. got a link to some info on this salifert all-in-one?

I think liveaquaria.com has it.,

thanx

Do an "all-in-one" search in the Reef Chemistry forum for more specifics.

every other night i drip about 20oz of kalkwasser using a diy drip system i found on reefcentral. for a while it was a battle to keep my calcium above 400. i also do 15% weekly waterchanges.

Using a drip system, how long can your dose stay in the reservoir? I'm thinking this is the same as auto-topoff?? I'm completely new to this topic... so forgive me if I have this messed up. Or does this mean that there is a drip system going into the top off reservoir? Kind of confused here...

I too use Reef Complete.

I am trying out Salifert coral calcium. To be safe with a nano, I add one cup RO water to 2ml of coral calcium, and then drip it at 1 drop per second into the tank. I currently have two monti caps. I have been using the product only 3 days ago, so I don't know any results. A 500ml bottle costs $15.57 after tax, and that is the price you pay if you pick it up at Marinedepot. That same bottle cost a lot of money at the lfs. My calcium levels droped from 460 to 320 in one week after I got the caps, but after using 2ml of Salifert, my calcium levels went up to 400mg. The good thing about the product is that is states on the label that is does not cause ionic imbalance.

I drip Kalkwasser 24/7 out of a 44 gallon container, and a 3gpd dosing pump.

44 Gallons of RO/DI water
1 3.5 oz container of Kents Kalkwasser
1 cup of white vinegar
Mix overnight, start dripping the next night

Lasts a little over a month. Provides all of my top off.

I recently setup my 20g Long and added the live rock on Friday. I used RO/DI water from the start. I bought the Calxmax two part supplement to keep my numbers up on Ca and Alk. Both are reading low, but I'm not exactly sure how to use the Calxmax. It's Part A and B, but one doesn't say which one is for which. I read a few postings about adjusting your doses, but none of these follows the label on the bottle. It looks like they suggest adding equal parts of each (and only every three days). What should I be doing? I am going to test before I add anything, but wanted to make sure that I know what to start with. Oh yeah, by the way, I am running a remora skimmer with 35 lbs of live rock. Day two and no signs of ammonia yet. I also use salifert test kits. Thanks!

I have a 16 gallon bow front with zoos, mushrooms and one plate coral. I do a 15% water change weekly and all is well. Coraline algae is growing everywhere. If I was gonig to dose it would be minimal. I used Tropic Marin Bio-Calcium when I had a larger tank. Any opinion on this product?

In my Nanocube I use Bionic, 1 part alk, 1 part calcium. 2.5 ml of each every night before lights out. Manually added to the tank

I use two little fishes calcium. I think its okay. Some corraline growth. I drip 10 ml of a and b like every 4 days to a week.

i dont have a calcium test kit... do i have to have one for adding calcium, i plan on not over doing it, jsut adding a few drops a week

I am using Kent's Liquid Reactor. About 2 weeks, not much of a diff yet, I will update in another 2 weeks if things change.

xcajx, no diff in what? growth? ca levels? alk levels? shouldnt it change some measureable parameter?

I was consistantly measuring Ca levels at around 340 and I picked up some kent liquid reacto. It didnt help my levels. I swithched to b-ionic and noe measure Ca at around 410.

I have a 5.5g tank with a LOT of evaporation. I am worried that using kalk as topoff will over do it and cause a pH spike. Right now I use B-ionic but don't like having to sit there and drip it in manually. I think I am going to mix up a batch of kalk and drip it VERY slowly (not enough to top off) and see how it goes.

I use the 2 part 'Oceans Blend' in my 5.5 and I am very ahppy with it. I keep my CA and Alk dialed in as long as I test every few weeks to catch any changes in system demands. www.thelogicalreef.com sells the stuff, I got the big gallon jugs and they are going to last me a long time. At most I dose 5ml of each a day, so for about 30 bucks for a gallon of each, it will last me a LONG time.

I just use Kent Liquid Calcium and monitor with a test kit. I end up dosing twice the maximum dosing each day to keep my calcium levels up, so perhaps there is a better way. I did little research on calcium supps, so I am not sure that is a good way to go. I do have great coralline algae growth (light purple, deep purple, red, pink).

Anyone else use Kent only? Should I be using something better?

I add 3 drops of salfert calcium after every time I change out 2 gallons of water. The level of calcium stays at 420-460, and drops slowly during the week. This seems to work for me for now. Alkalinity checks out well, and so does pH.

bobbyb323...i've used the tropic marin as well for years with very good success imo. Its a balanced additive as well. Has never given me problems. Very good coraline growth, and keeps my Ca above 400. I currently use it on a 26 bow, with kalk used exclusively for makeup. I do think i will start using baking soda to raise my alk a bit though. Its testing right at 3 meq/l. I would prefer it a bit higher.

I wonder if you could put it in your topoff water in an automatic topoff system?

I dose Kalkwasser using an airpump, floatswitch, and a one gallon bottle. It works well and i get so much evaporation due to all my fans and lights (20k 175w, 65w act, 2x19w daylite over 15g) that im able to dose about a gallon a day on a slow slow drip. Pump kicks off when water level rises to predetermined point via floatswitch. Total hands free top off and dosing! PM if interested in further instruction..

I dose with Kalkwasser, it keeps my levels at 450 ppm. 3 good teaspoones to 3lt.

I use a nano-sized calcium reactor.

I think I speak for us all when i say PIX!

Where did you get this product?

I'd like to see that nano-sized calcium reactor also

I would also LOVE to see that nano-sized Reactor, I have also been thinking about A DIY reactor, Any thoughts, tips, PICS, ect....

http://www.myreefcreations.com/canano.htm

ScottyDon't: I got it at Custom Aquatics

I know this is untraditional but, I sent a sample of my well water off to my state lab to be tested before I decided to go RO/DI or not for top off I chose not to

Hardness as CaCO3(Ca,Mg) 37mg/l

Alkalinity 0 mg/l

Other than that and 2-3 time weekly Pickle lime slurrys in the morning when the ph is lowest & zero water changes,nothing.

Everything fairs great

note:this is on my very large system that evaporates 5-7 gal per day.I have just recently set up my nano system that consists of a 10 gal with a drilled 10gal above it as a fuge and have yet to get into habit with its Calcium replacment , I was thinking of mabey 1/2 doses of B-ionic as well as mabey Aragamilk in 1/4 to 1/2 dosages.

but for now same as above just less water added and once weekly kalk slurry
so far so good

Well as long as we're testing, I only test for calk, alk, and Storntium, that being said, I top off with distilled water premixed with Iodine, Iodide, Strontium, and Calk. I use recommend amounts, and the idoide and iodine I do every other top off jug so not to overdose. My xenia love me, and look like dandelions in summer, there everywhere!! My calk is over 340 with my Hagen test kit. so everything is doing ok, I try to just go by works, if I swithc or change my system around too much, it gets dicey, but the ocean is stable so best to stick with what works, and this works for me. I try to do weekly 1 gallon water changes. I also though which will frek everyone out have a DSB in my nano....its 5-6 inches all around. I think that along with simmer seems to keep things in check, and dosing helps keep the corals flourishing. cool thread by the way sorry I'm long winded.

I have a few corals in my tank, such as two Monticaps, a Goniopora, and also a maxima clam that require some dosing of calcium.

I dose only twice a week with Salifert Calcium with alot of success keeping the calcium levels around 400-460. After the 2 gallon water change to my 12g nano cube, I shake up the Salifert calcium bottle, which leaks btw : (, and add 4-5 drops, that is equivilent to less than 1ml. Then 4 days later I add 2 more drops.

All other levels, such as Alkalinity, dkH, pH are very good, and stable.

I use Instant Ocean salt : P

Not sure if any one answered this,
I make a gallon of kalk at a time.
You will need 2 - 1 gallon containers
1 gal. ro/di or distilled water
1 tablespoon distilled white vinigar 5% acidity,
1 teaspoon pickling lime
Mix well and let set over night. (may need additional mixing and resting time)
I mix 1 cup of kalk to 1 gal. ro/di or distilled water.
Top off as needed
If cal. tests are not up high enough just add more kalk to water, if to high add less. Pretty simple.

or use kalk mix straight in drip.