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tmz · 12/07/2011, 09:47 AM

Hi, Just answered your pm on this.
All the soda lime does is lower the CO2 in the air moving through the skimmer into the water.
It would have no effect on calcium .

The lower CO2 raises the ph and increase carbonate relative to bicarbonate proportions in alkalinity raising the ph buffering alkalinity a bit not lowering it or incresing the total carbonate in thewater. Hgher ph makes it easier for calcifying organisms to calcify so growth consuming alk and calcium may increase. The drop your friend observed could be testing error or related to increased growth,testing error or something else.

12/07/2011, 09:47 AM	#109
tmz ReefKeeping Mag staff Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 27,691	Hi, Just answered your pm on this. All the soda lime does is lower the CO2 in the air moving through the skimmer into the water. It would have no effect on calcium . The lower CO2 raises the ph and increase carbonate relative to bicarbonate proportions in alkalinity raising the ph buffering alkalinity a bit not lowering it or incresing the total carbonate in thewater. Hgher ph makes it easier for calcifying organisms to calcify so growth consuming alk and calcium may increase. The drop your friend observed could be testing error or related to increased growth,testing error or something else. __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.