Might start dosing... calcium slightly low

[ozorowsky]

Hi all,

I have a 340 gallon aquarium with about 20 fish and mostly soft corals like hammer torch etc.

My sump is about 150 gallons with bio pellet reactor, large euro reef skimmer, chaeto, uv light. I hardly ever do water changes.

I noticed my dkh sitting around 9 per api test while my calcium sitting serious 400. Ph around 8.1, everything else within tolerance.

I purchased reef code a brought my calcium up top about 420 but it is not seeming to go higher dkh still around 9.

What is the most cost effective way to dose to keep up with calcium/ dkh? I was reading about using kalkwasser? Any thoughts on that?

Thanks all trying to steer things in right direction.

[mcgyvr]

Your calcium was just fine..
380-450ppm is the recommended range..

From what you have said so far you don't need to dose anything..

[ozorowsky]

Your calcium was just fine..
380-450ppm is the recommended range..

From what you have said so far you don't need to dose anything..

Would calcium on the higher end of the spectrum facilitate coral growth?

[mcgyvr]

Would calcium on the higher end of the spectrum facilitate coral growth?

Nope..
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php

It does not appear that boosting the calcium concentration above natural levels enhances calcification (i.e., skeletal growth) in most corals. Experiments on Stylophora pistillata, for example, show that low calcium levels limit calcification, but that levels above about 360 ppm do not increase calcification.3

References:
3. A compartmental approach to the mechanism of calcification in hermatypic corals. Tambutte, E. Allemand, D. Mueller, E. and Jaubert, J. (1996) J. Exp. Biol. 199, 1029-1041.

[Uncle99]

Balance and consistency is the trick.

[bertoni]

I agree that the numbers are fine as is. Kalkwasser is a fine supplement when your tank starts needing regular dosing. I'd probably wait, though.

[ozorowsky]

Thanks guys! How will iknow for sure when time to start dosing?

[nereefpat]

Thanks guys! How will iknow for sure when time to start dosing?

You will have to dose when water changes don't keep up with alk and Ca demand. Test weekly or every couple weeks.

When it's time to dose, kalk is really cheap. It can be purchased from a grocery store as pickling lime.

Plain old baking soda works for alk.

CaCl from foster and smith or bulk reef supply is pretty reasonable for Ca.

[mcgyvr]

Thanks guys! How will iknow for sure when time to start dosing?

You dose when your current water change schedule is not sufficient to maintain numbers in the range you wish to keep them and you do not want to increase your water change schedule or amount to keep up with that increasing demand..

Plain and simple...

At that point you find your consumption rate (via testing) and then dose accordingly to maintain the numbers in the range you wish to keep them..

[bertoni]

A lot of tanks consume 2-3 dKH per day. Corals and coralline are not subtle. :)