carbonete low 7 kdh

Ronny#66

New member
All other parameters good cal 480 been using turbo cal with no buffer. Can I use bakeing soda ? I'm 40 miles from LFS. I have 25 gal set up.
 
Calcium and Alkalinty are tricky things. When you have that high of calcium, it's hard to bring up alkalinty. What are you aiming to keep with calcium that high? I would discontinue using any products that raise calcium until alkalinty raises to approx 8-12 DKH. Use a reef buffer to accomplish this along with increasing surface agitation to drive down any residual CO2 in your water. Aim to have calcium anywhere between 350-420 and DKH will rise.
 
I read that cal was suposed to be 400-500. So why are we talking 350- 420 . i worked a month to get it up to 480 so where should it be ?
 
Ahhh yes, the endless pursuit of the aquarist to maintain super high calcium with mutually excessive alkalinity. If you are keeping SPS or Clams you should maintain calcium in the lower 400's. I would say 400-420 otherwise 350-400 for any LPS. The reason that you are having trouble with DKH is that your calcium is so high. If you try and raise your Alkalinity to high while mainting high calcium, you could cause calcium to precipitate. What this means is that you will see a "snowstorm" effect in in your water because it's lost it's ability to absorb calcium as a useful substance. Just trust me, lower your calcium to the lower 400's and then work on raising your alkalinty with a KH buffer.
 
No, all you need to do is continue with your normal water change regimen and stop adding Turbo Calcium. As your water dilutes with the new water your calcium level will lower. As you do all this, dose a DKH buffer and soon your levels will be acceptable. Once your have a DKH of 8-12 and Calcium of around 400-420, use a two part buffer to maintain these numbers. What do you have in your tank that you are trying to keep that requires high calcium?
 
Not realy trying to have real high cal. Just read that it should be around 420-500 so thats what I achieved .
 
Just bear in mind that you only need high calcium if you are trying to keep creatures that require it. If you are keeping SPS or clams then yes, if you are keeping most anything else, even levels in the mid 300's will suffice.
 
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