is your IO low in calcium?

appellativo

appellativo

New member
I have been battling low calcium for some time now, no amount of Kents 2 part, fiji gold or Red Sea Calcium plus 3 has been able to raise the level above 260. So I tested my freshly mixed IO saltwater and it tested at 260. Anyone else have this problem? (I am onto trying kalkwasser now for the calcium levels...)
 
Yeah I have noticed IO being low in calcium. When I'm through with my current bucket of it I'm switching to Tropic Marin pro reef. Heard many fantastic things about this salt being high in calcium.
 
Kalk (limewater) is not a good way to raise calcium levels in your tank. You would need tons and it would raise alk as well. Limewater is used to help maintain your levels.

IO mixed at 1.025 is usually in the mid to high 300's. I have not heard of any bad batches lately.

You might want to check your calcium test. Maybe take a sample of your water to the LFS to double check your results.
 
app, I just recently saw a thread where a guy thought his calcium was low and kept dumping calcium suppliments in his tank with no change. After he killed a fish, he posted a question here and it turns out he was reading the test kit wrong. His calcium was well over 600.

Moral of the story - make sure your test results are accurate before adding anything to your tank.

Your livestock will thank you. :D
 
Ha ha , I read that thread too. I currently use the aquarium pharmaceuticals test kit for calcium but I should be getting the Salifert kit by Wed of next week. Well, I will just re-test (take sample to LFS), and go from there. Any recommendation on a good product to RAISE calcium? What was that dude using? :)
 
You will probably need to raise your magnesium level before raising the calcium. If your mg level is low the calcium level will not go up much.
I learned this after struggling to get my IO salt water calcium higher. The fresh mix of saltwater was very low on magnesium.
 
I use Seachems Reef Complete (when I have to) but I dont have a lot of calcium consumption. There are a lot of fine products out there. Go into the Reef Chemistry Forum and look at Randy's 2-part recipe. It's very inexpensive if you use a lot.
 
I did test and add magnesium so hopefully that will help, thanks. I only have soft corals and one lps, so I dont have high ca consumption either, but still, 260 is too low. My coralline is fading away!
 
When I mix IO to 1.025 I usually get Ca around 350 or so. I don't bother to raise it before I do my water change. I figure if the tank is 400 then 5 gallons isn't going to make a big change.

For maintaining Ca I use Seachem Reef Advantage Calcium. The directions state not to raise Ca more than 25 ppt per day to avoid alk issues.

Good luck and keep us posted.
 
billybeau1, I tend to kinda think it really IS low, since my coralline is all but fading away and the monti frags I got from someone didnt make it either. I did at one point have a green brain which was doing well, but after it began to recede, I started to get suspicious. Good thing that up to this point I have had mostly softies. In any case, my salifert test kit will be here next week (it was on backorder), I tested and supplemented mg, and once I get my ca up to the proper level (alk and ph is within acceptable range already) I will use kalkwasser for topoff. oh yeah and get a better salt.
 
Isn't IO more ment for FOWLR tanks? I believe that IO makes Reef Crystals for people with reef tanks (I think its the same thing as IO but with more things like calcium and trace elements). Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

-Stew
 
I think you are right according to what people are saying. IO is meant (was originally meant, anyways) to keep marine mammals in captivity; not in a reef situation. Someone correct me if I am wrong. Now I know emperically that it might not be adequate for reefs, I am on to try something new....
 
I'd keep on top of your mg. I've used IO since I first set up my tanks and have no problem keeping my calcium and alk up. IO is low but I have no problem raising it. You might want to go visit Rany in the chemisty section, tons of info there.
 
Hello
I have been using IO with good results. I mix 30 gallon batches and add 1 tablespoon of Kent turbo calcium, it boosts the CA to 425 or so... Fresh IO at 1.026 has always been in the 360/380 (CA) range when mixed with RO/DI water (0 tds)...
 
Well, would that (low mg) still explain why my IO was testing ca at 260 freshly mixed before I added it to the tank? I will retest using the salifert test when it gets here in a few days and let y'all know. After the Kent's fiasco, I'm glad to hear at least nobody else reporting problems with IO.
 
There was a large salt mix study that was sponsered by Advanced Aquarist, Reef Central, fellow hobbyists and purveyors of goods.

I have linked both Parts of the study below. After reading through the articles I continue to use Instant Ocean, but I boost the clacium with one teaspoon of Turbo Calc per gallons of water.

Hope this helps.

Salt Study Pt 1

Salt Study Pt 2
 
IO has a ca level of about 360 for ca and 11 for alk at 1.026/53 mv. Are you adding the salt to the water or water to the salt? If adding water to salt it will be supersaturated at first and precipitate before you even have it mixed up thus lowering your ca and alk levels.
 
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