calcium help

[bill miller]

I need some help. I have a 29 gallon tank with 1 blue damsel. I did a 3 gallon water change once a month calcium will not go above 240 p.p.m ammonia 0 nitrate0 p.h. 8.2 nitrite 0 . Running protein pump 1 power head can not figure out why my calcium will not go up and stay up.Any suggestions or help.

[SeaSaltyDog]

Before we can help you need to answer a few questions.

What salt mix are you using?

What is your alk?

Are you using a calcium, alk supplement like Kalkwasser or a 2 part additive?

Have you tested for Magnesium?

[Hawkdl2]

And, what are you using to test for Calcium. Have you confirmed the low level with another test kit or asked your LFS to measure it for you.

Larry

[WaterKeeper]

Bill,

Have you checked the calcium levels on the freshly made salt mix before adding it to the tank. If it is low before addition it could be caused by-

• Improper mixing of the salt-recheck specific gravity
• Bad salt-allowed to get wet, etc.
• Poor calcium test-make sure the final color is true blue.
• Using tap water that caused precipitation of calcium salts

If the fresh salt tests OK then I'll need to know a little bit about what you have in your tank to see what is going on.

[bill miller]

I had my LFS measure the calcium for me and they all so got 220ppm. I use a calcium test kit by Aquarium Pharmeuticals company .I use Kalkwasser Mix for my calcium additive. Is there a magnesium test kit. there is nothing different in my tank , 10 pounds live rock 2 damsels 1 yellow tang 3 turdo snails. and low calcium . 1 protein skimmer one over the side pump one cheap walmart pump for extra air filtration. 1 and a 1/2 gallons with kalkwasser mix have been added calcium went to 260 next day back to 220. I do not know what else to do. Calcium is staying at 220, any help is very much appreciated

[prop-frags]

Hi Bill.
You've come to the right place to get answers for your water chemistry questions. Waterkeeper is da man and can certainly help take the mystery out of a complex issue!

Another place on RC to look is here. Dr. Randy is one very smart and helpful guy and if you don't mind taking the time to read his articles, they can help you get up to speed on water chemistry stuff fast.

[bertoni]

You could run an alkalinity test and a magnesium test. Salifert makes the ones I use. Both might be interesting.

[WaterKeeper]

Bill,

You still haven't told me what the Ca level is on fresh salt mix before you add it to your tank. I need that to see if that is the problem.

In the mean time go get a Ca supplement. I hear Salifert's All in One is a calcium acetate based product. Some others are based on Calcium chloride, Kent's Turbo Calcium is an example. With a product like Turbo it would take about 10 teaspoonsful to raise calcium levels from 220 to 400 ppm in a 29 gallon tank. That might be a little easier than using KW, which would need 6 1/3 gallons added to raise it to that level. Seachem also makes a dry product called Advanced Calcium, you would also need 10 teaspoonful of this product but be sure to mix it will RO/DI before adding it.

By the way Bill, I think your Yellow Tang will soon outgrow your 29. You might consider a smaller fish for a tank that size.

[DodgeHemi]

How about using a buffer like Kent's Tech CB, it's a two part additive used nightly until desired concentration is reached. I am fairly new so I could way off but it seems to work for my 140g until I have the funds for my reactor.

[WaterKeeper]

Dodge

Usually the two part additives correct both calcium & alkalinity. Bill is giving us one of those limited information challenges here. He doesn't tell us his alkalinity, pH, specific gravity or how his salt mix tests out. If his alkalinity is also low then a a two part would certainly be in order.

[DodgeHemi]

My memory is getting so bad.... Now that I think about it, before I could start using the Tech CB I have to get my Ca and Alk to the desired levels seperately first as it raised both concurrently, my mistake Waterkeeper.

[bill miller]

My P.H. is 8.2 I tested my kalkwasser mix before adding it to my tank .It is a two part test 10 drops for the first part shake 10 seconds then add one drop at a time 25 drops turns blue it is 500 ppm . When i did my test before putting it in the tank i hit 40 drops never turned blue so mixture has to be good. Salinty is 1.025 . As far as Magnesium test kit know one has ever heard of one around this part of the country. I will look on line for one to order. Thank you for all the help so far.