Where Does The Calcium Go???

[salt-rookie]

I have a 180 with over 70 thriving and growing SPS colonies. I CANNOT keep my Calcium at or above 400 ppm, nor my Alk above 7 dKH. I'm trying all of the conventional ways....Calcium Reactor, Kalk drip, I'm adding 2 tablespoons of Epsom Salts to my 26 gallon weekly water changes, and I'm adding 2-3 teaspoons of Kent Turbo Calcium (for Calcium) and Kent dKH Buffer to keep Alkalinity up. This seems like a very random way to do this......did I miss a memo? Please help with some good suggestions!

What is the eternal source of calcium on a coral reef???

Struggling in MO!

Phil

 

[Justin/TiV]

sup philly...lol. Have you ever measured your mag. or just adding the epsom salt. I don't think mag has much to do with not being able to get it high, but keeping alk, and calcium in balance.

This is a tuff call...but you might get better responces in the sps section. I'll tell ya though...your sps are colored up and growing...so I'm not sure I'd worry about it too much 400 isn't really very low

Your alk is another issue, have you tried baking soda...dosen't take much to raise it...

 

[salt-rookie]

Justin....my Mag is just above 1300, and the Kent Superbuffer dKH is mostly baking soda.......my draw on my calcium is unbelieveable! I just don't want my demand to exceed my ability to keep my reef...long term.

 

[Justin/TiV]

I feel ya....you have a strange problem indeed

 

[firebirdbandit]

Calcium Tests can be hard to read. Have you tried other types and other brands of testing equipment and do you get the same reading?

 

[salt-rookie]

Yes...