why is my calcium level going down?

[reg828]

i dont know what happened. my calcium use to be around 400. thats the test i took when i started dripping kalk about a month ago. but i check my calcium level again because i notice that i use to have lots of coraline growing in the back of the tank but now they are fading away. now, i check my calcium, its about 340. is this too low. is there anything wrong i drip my kalk? I use kalkwasser from two little fishes. i drip my kalk in a 5 gallon jug. when i mix them, i mix them about two teaspoon of kalk powder per gallon at a time and i shake a gallon at a time. how can i raise back the calcium to provide some coralline for my tank?

 

[boxfishpooalot]

Your going to have to buy some Calcium chloride to raise the calcium back up to 400ppm . Perhaps the calcium precipitated on heaters and pump perpellers. thats usually the drop for unusual calcium loss. Or If your alkalinty was pushed too high it may have precipitated as a calcium cloudy storm. In my tank I had problems with my calcium getting to 550ppm with kalkwasser :lol: due to lack of coraline growth.... Your coraline is dissapearing most likely from 2 causes, 1 your calcium is too low, so they are disolving, 2 your phophates are inhibiting their growth. Possibly may want to check out your magnesium, as low levels will cause caclium to preciptiate easyer.

Whats your alkalinity and phosphate at?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Dripping the limewater didn't cause the calcium drop (unless the alkalinity started incredibly high before the limewater), but I'm not sure what did (a water change with a low calcium salt? A test error earlier or now?). What is the alkalinity and pH now?

I'd raise the calcium with calcium chloride (Kent, ESV, Warner, Dowflake, etc). This calculator shows how much to use and the article guides you through the process:

Solving Calcium and Alkalinity Problems
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

Reef Chemicals Calculator
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html