Calcium levels?

[MikMcgyver]

What should they be at? I wanna start putting in corals after the first of the year and wanna make sure my levels are stable... Everything else is pretty much set...

nitrates -5
nitrite - 0
ammonia - 0
phosphates - no trace

What else am I look to test for? magnesium? stronium?

 

[ReefKeeper]

depends on what you want to keep ...

my calcium is at around 480ppm and dkh is around 11

 

[yote]

Keeper is right.Calcium and alkalinity are your main parameters with stony corals.
Magnesium and the other element kits are pretty expensive.So I'm only testing MG for now,along with my calcium and DKH.

 

[MikMcgyver]

Mostly just LPS...

DKH? what is that, PH?

 

[Bifferwine]

DKH is alkalinity. You should be fine if you keep your calcium between 400 and 500.

 

[MikMcgyver]

Just tested Calcium and its sitting right around 480-500.. Gotcha, gotta get a alkalinity test too. Its not soo bad if you buy 1 at a time every couple weeks.

Salifert give me the best results though... So I guess its worth it..

 

[Doc]

salifert tests are great and last forever. For optimal coral growth I like to keep my Calcium at or just above 500. My DKh I like to see at about 12. I also feed the corals liquidlife plankton stuff that I squirt into the water three times a week

-Doc