Calcium levels post water change

[sroot17]

I have been dosing daily with b ionic looking to initially raise my calc and alk to the proper levels.

Yesterday pre water change my readings were calc 415 and alk 11dkh. I then did a 20% water change and added a few corals. I just tested again today and it looks like my calc levels have dropped due to the water change. I am now reading at 390 cal and 10.4 dkh for alk.

Does this make sense? Am I going to lose calcium every time I do a water change?

 

[straightjiggy10]

change your salt i use esv and levels stay at 450 after change

 

[batt600]

That is normal your corals are using up calcium so every day you calcium and all will get depleted. I dose calcium and all every day you just need to know how much is being used on in one day.

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

what salt do you use

 

[CrAzY cOrAlS]

get a reactor, figure by the time you spend all that $$ on dosing you could of purchased a reactor.

 

[Josh]

Your alkalinity is pretty high, btw.


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[batt600]

Yeah your alk is high i keep my alk and 7 to 8 DKH . calcium reactor is over keep in my opinion if you are lossing like 100 to 200 ppm in calcium then yes get a reactor but if it only 5 to 8 ppm then does . Another thing would be your mag if you mag is low it will inbalance your calcium and alk to .

 

[sroot17]

I'm using instant ocean salt, will upgrade this after I finish off this bag.

I do not run a sump and have very little space left anywhere for a calc reactor. Yes I know my alk is high which I why I have stopped dosing the #1 part of the b ionic formula.

Any other suggestions to bring down my alk but keep up my calc?

Thanks!

 

[tosiek]

water changes and dose your calc high/normal and your alk low. Test until its balanced and keep that dosing regime up and go from there. also check your mag, its related to your calc/alk levels.

 

[Boomer]

sroot

IO now runs about 400 ppm Ca++ and Alk ~ 11 dkH. Doing a 20% WC should not have affected it that much. Meaning a drop from that 415 to only 412.

Some things to look at

1. You do not add water to the salt mix do you ? This will kill the Ca++ level in the mix due to abiotic precip in the bucket.

2. Mixing the salt to fast with that high Alk and initial high pH can also lower the Ca++ due to abiotic precip. Salt needs to be added slowly to lower this effect.

3. Low Mg++ can cause the depletion of Ca++ due to the precip of Hi-Magneisum Calcite. More normal Mg++ levels. ~ 1300 ppm, inhibit this formation.

4. There is what we call "Noise" in test kits and you are not far from that noise factor ~10 -20 ppm error from noise.

5. You got a bad batch with a low Ca++.

Being that your dKH is pretty much the same I would suspect the mix was low in Ca++. Make up a liter of new salt mix and try testing just the salt mix for Ca++.

 

[sroot17]

sroot

IO now runs about 400 ppm Ca++ and Alk ~ 11 dkH. Doing a 20% WC should not have affected it that much. Meaning a drop from that 415 to only 412.

Some things to look at

1. You do not add water to the salt mix do you ? This will kill the Ca++ level in the mix due to abiotic precip in the bucket.

2. Mixing the salt to fast with that high Alk and initial high pH can also lower the Ca++ due to abiotic precip. Salt needs to be added slowly to lower this effect.

3. Low Mg++ can cause the depletion of Ca++ due to the precip of Hi-Magneisum Calcite. More normal Mg++ levels. ~ 1300 ppm, inhibit this formation.

4. There is what we call "Noise" in test kits and you are not far from that noise factor ~10 -20 ppm error from noise.

5. You got a bad batch with a low Ca++.

Being that your dKH is pretty much the same I would suspect the mix was low in Ca++. Make up a liter of new salt mix and try testing just the salt mix for Ca++.

1. No I add the salt into the water and usually only mix about 5g at a time
2. I will try slowly adding in to my 5g bucket and see what happen
3. Mag levels are still climbing and I am dosing daily, currently around 1175
4. Understood
5. Guessing this is the case and will prob try a different brand next time.

I'm also going to star dosing some calcium chloride to see if this will help me get to the 440-450 range.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Boomer]

OK sounds good sroot.