How much do YOU dose?

[jedimasterben]

Coralline algae will not use up that much calcium in your system, most likely it won't ever, even if every surface was covered in it.

 

thats what i was refering to. unless you just meant the live rock wont...

Live rock will not use calcium ever, for anything. Coralline algae does, but even if every surface in the tank was covered with it, in two weeks I doubt calcium would have dropped from normal reef levels (380-480ppm) to 160ppm.

[NanoTopia]

Jesus H christ dude, you're like a fish stores wet dream coming in there to buy all those damn chemicals...Honestly what made you think to initially purchase ALL of those chemicals?

 

Do you test for all of those chemicals?

 

LOL, well only dose what you can test for is a great recommendation, and I agree with the methodology of that 100%. However, I am taking things a bit further and into the experimental stage of reefing, I don't dose all the products I listed on a regular basis. Zeovit is a methodology in it's own and does not not fall into traditional reefkeeping methods, many of their products cannot be tested for. I test for the following weekly or more often:

 

Ca, KH, Mg, I, PO4, NO3, K, S.G., pH.

 

In addition I do 10% water changes weekly.

 

I have been keeping marine organisms since 1981, I'm bored with all the rules, haha.

 

Christine

[jedimasterben]

I have been keeping marine organisms since 1981, I'm bored with all the rules, haha.

[Singlefin]

That's the next thing. Know your tank. If youve been keeping tanks since 1981 you can make your own rules.

[eitallent]

1) no, live rock does not use calcium. Coralline algae will not use up that much calcium in your system, most likely it won't ever, even if every surface was covered in it.

 

2) You can't start with 'no calcium'. I do not know of a salt mix that has less than 380ppm of calcium. In a new tank, you will have levels of at least that and will only fall when there are many LPS or SPS corals in your system that are healthy.

 

Where did you get your water? I would stop dosing now until you get a proper test kit. API kits aren't worth their weight in dog poo when it comes to anything other than pH, ammonia, and nitrite.

Thanks for all the input. I get get my SW from my LFS. I tested the calcium level from the SW in the jug and it was at 380 ppm.

I have stopped dosing. I will confirm all levels including alkalinity. On the schedule is a 50% water change.

 

So where is all the calcium going? Will I wake up one morning to a stalagmite in the tank? I have noticed a white residue building up on the back-board of the tank.

 

I also read about magnesium inhibiting the calcium precipitation so that Ca has a chance to stay in solution and be available to the coralline algae and corals. Any one use Mg dosing here?

 

Thanks for the input.

[Spencer7]

I dose about 30 mL's of KH and CA a week using Bionic 2 Part

[eitallent]

LOL, well only dose what you can test for is a great recommendation, and I agree with the methodology of that 100%. However, I am taking things a bit further and into the experimental stage of reefing, I don't dose all the products I listed on a regular basis. Zeovit is a methodology in it's own and does not not fall into traditional reefkeeping methods, many of their products cannot be tested for. I test for the following weekly or more often:

 

Ca, KH, Mg, I, PO4, NO3, K, S.G., pH.

 

In addition I do 10% water changes weekly.

 

I have been keeping marine organisms since 1981, I'm bored with all the rules, haha.

 

Christine

I test pH, temp., salinity and calcium daily right now. Red Sea Pro kit was recommended to me by a reefer here to measure alk., Ca and Mg. What do you use to test Mg & alkalinity?

[Singlefin]

I use Salifert for CA. MAG. and ALK.

[Reef Casa]

I dont dose and dont test. ever.....

[eitallent]

I found out why Ca levels were low regardless of dosing with B-Ionic.

 

Read my post here.

 

Thanks for all your help.