# help ASAP calcium is very low



## coastie81 (Nov 7, 2008)

I am currently setting up my 110 gallon. I have a question about my calcium level in my 55 gallon. I have 2 cinnamen clowns and a yellow tang in it right now till my 110 is completely ready for me to transfer everything over. I have 75 pounds of live rock and 70 pounds of live sand. Also alot of corals (LPS,softies,shrooms and ric's. 

I have tested my calcium yesterday with salifert's calcium test kit. I finally figured out how to test it with that kit. Well I tested numerous times and it was saying my calcium was 120. I have tropic marine bio-calcium that I have started dosing with. I put APPX 1 spoonfull of the powder into my return pump chamber. ( I don't want to put the powder directly into my tank) The bottle says appx 1 spoonfull shall raise calcium appx 28ppm. Sould I put just 1 spoonfull per day to ease the calcium up or can I put a couple of spoonfulls in and still be safe to my reef. The bottle doesn't really state how much you can put in in a day. Someone please help me out here.

I also do a 15% water change every week, I use coralife salt and it is pre mixed at my house with ro/di water and it sits with a powerhead and a heater in it for about 4 days before I even use it for a water change. Is the calcium always dropping because I have a heavy bio-load?


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## reefcrazy (Nov 10, 2008)

did you look at the date on the box? is your coral looking good or bad? and whats the alkalinity at? i don't use any powder mix in my tank but that's just me . and if i did use powder i would mix it in a jug with tank water first then put it in. and i hate keep saying that is what i would do but i don't want to give any info that would be wrong just because some thing works for me may not work for all .


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## coastie81 (Nov 7, 2008)

the date on the box is good till 2013. the ALK is a little high I don't remember the exact number due to taking the test this morning. But I am so lost. I am watching a video on how to use the salifert calcium test kit because I cannot get it right I always get different readings everytime I take a test. So I am working on that right now.


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## archer772 (Nov 8, 2008)

I would check your calcium level in fresh mixed water because if it is low you will need to adjust your mixed water before your water change.


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## reefcrazy (Nov 10, 2008)

ya it is a hard test to use at first . but 1 of the best to use . but if your alkalinity is not way off your calcium should not be so low. make shore you r doing the test right.you should all ways have a easy drop test kit around until you get the hand of the salifert kit


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## coastie81 (Nov 7, 2008)

the pre mixed water in the trash can for my water change is 720ppm. My display tank water is 520. Now that I have figured out how to use it. Someone please give me advice now that I have figured it all out.


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## MediaHound (Jul 19, 2006)

Sounds like you added too much of that powder to the tank. 
Did you add it to the trash can water as well? Seems like you did with that 720 calcium level...
You might want to make a fresh batch and do a waterchange to get the calcium level to be more suitable. 520 is a bit high and it seems perhaps your demand might not be so large. You did say you have some LPS, they will deplete the calcium. But it might take a while for it to happen naturally. 
What are your other readings - what is your Alkalinity and what is your pH?


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## Amici316 (Dec 24, 2008)

I know this thread is over a month old, however I would like to add the importance of magnesium in the ionic balance of Calc, Alk and Mag. These three are completely interedependant and inorder to keep one in check they all need to be in check. Mag is very easy to dose (epsom salts) and here is a great little reef chemistry calculator that might help. 
Reef Chemistry Calculator

Additionally you might want to reconsider salt brands. Here is a great little study on salts and their contents of each mineral. 
http://www.aquariumwatertesting.com/AWT_Salt_Analysis_0208.pdf


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