# Calcium question



## arfankhan (Dec 3, 2017)

Hi All,

Hoping to get some knowledge from peoples experience. 

I'm having an issue with Calcium. My current level is 300 and I'm having some trouble getting it up to the suggested 350 level. I've looked through the threads and have checked my other parameters (will post below) but I'm still not finding a solution. My concern is that I'm starting to stock SPS and although calcium is said to be not as important as ALK, I'd like to have a leveled out tank. 

Tank Age: 1yr
PH - 8.3
Alk - 8
Calcium - 300 ***
Magnesium - 1310
Ammonia - Phosphate - Not detectable
Nitrate - 10ppm

Dosing: Randy's Recipe 2 for both alk and calc // not dosing mag (yet)

Thanks in advance.


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## coldmantis (Apr 5, 2010)

How long have been dosing randy's 2 part? It takes a while before everything levels out, I would say a month. It probably took me 2-3 months to find the sweet spot for my tank. I started with like 40ml of each and now I'm only dosing 5ml of each lol. I cant remember the last time I tested my cal and alk my guess its around 450 cal 9-10 alk.


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## arfankhan (Dec 3, 2017)

I've been dosing for about 2 weeks. That's a good suggestion. I'll continue to monitor for a month. Was your progression slow towards optimal levels or was it fast?

Thanks,


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## coldmantis (Apr 5, 2010)

it was really fast, before I started dosing my cal was around 360, after I started dosing for the first week the cal was at 550! and alk was at 11 lol opps time to adjust. 

I'm assuming you did it right? did a water change before you started dosing, measure your levels, go to brs website and use the calculator and adjust whatever results from your test to the levels you want. Then started daily dosing of x amount wait like 2 weeks before you do the first test and adjust?


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## Kooka (Feb 8, 2011)

I would recommend keeping Calcium at around 400ppm at least. Slowly increase your dose of Ca but keep an eye on Alk by doing regular tests. Your high magnesium should help stabilize the alk and Ca thus helping to avoid swings in both values. Like coldmantis said, you should soon find the sweet spot. Also remember the more sps corals you add the faster the usage of Ca and alk in your tank which means you'll need to dose more.


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## arfankhan (Dec 3, 2017)

Thanks. I actually followed the regiment completely. I was worried that my water change would give me incorrect readings the day of so I waited a day to begin testing. I'm following the dose 1 day, wait three days to test and try again regiment. My plan is to test again on Saturday and dose up depending on the levels.



coldmantis said:


> it was really fast, before I started dosing my cal was around 360, after I started dosing for the first week the cal was at 550! and alk was at 11 lol opps time to adjust.
> 
> I'm assuming you did it right? did a water change before you started dosing, measure your levels, go to brs website and use the calculator and adjust whatever results from your test to the levels you want. Then started daily dosing of x amount wait like 2 weeks before you do the first test and adjust?


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## arfankhan (Dec 3, 2017)

Thanks Kooka. I'm hoping to slowly get to 400ppm. Right now I have only frags of sps so I'm trying to slowly raise the level to find a baseline on coral - calcium dependence. As you said, Alk and magnesium levels are "ok" so I'm going to try and take the proper steps to hitting 400. I'm not an sps enthusiast by any means so my goal is to have a mixed reef system with "suggested" calcium/alk/ph readings.



Kooka said:


> I would recommend keeping Calcium at around 400ppm at least. Slowly increase your dose of Ca but keep an eye on Alk by doing regular tests. Your high magnesium should help stabilize the alk and Ca thus helping to avoid swings in both values. Like coldmantis said, you should soon find the sweet spot. Also remember the more sps corals you add the faster the usage of Ca and alk in your tank which means you'll need to dose more.


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## arfankhan (Dec 3, 2017)

Day three has gone by and I've had an increase in calcium 300 to 330 and a decrease in alk 8-6. This could be due to the balancing effect. I wanted to confirm, what are you all using instead of dowflakes. Im using dowflakeextra. Thanks


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Mg, Ca and alk will shift when you try to get one, 2 or all 3 into ideal ranges. 

I would increase Mg and CA dosing volumes and alk a wee bit.

PITA is testing daily as you don't want to make adjustments.

How much... need to do some math with how much you need to get to the desired target range. Knowing the system total volume and concentration of the dosing solution, you can determine how much to dose "to boost" Mg and Ca on a "one shot" deal and dose it over a period of day or a few...with SPS frags, I would dose it over a few days.

HTH


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## pulau (Mar 20, 2011)

Sorry no experience with Randy's recipe but I keep parameters up by dosing Red Sea Reef Foundation (liquid):
Ca - 450
Alk - 8.5
Mg - 1450


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