sen5241b
Reef enthusiast
How high can I take calcium through supplementation in my mix water? I want to add Kent Turbo cal to my 20% water change. My tank cal is hovering around 380-400 --sometimes down to 360.
How high can I take calcium?
- Thread starter sen5241b
- Start date
Smitty
Reef pro
380 to 400 sounds fine to me, but if you want to raise it, I believe the highest you can take it before it starts to cloud up is around 500.
ccCapt
Reef Hacker
It depends on your alk and pH.
Calcium and Alkalinity by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
Calcium and Alkalinity by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
sen5241b
Reef enthusiast
I looked at that article and as soon as I get my Phd in Chemistry I'll use the formula therein.
I just want to mix up a 5G bucket of Reef Crystals and add calcium (and perhaps Alk) as high as I can without causing problems.
ccCapt
Reef Hacker
The idea is to read, not just look ;)
I don't follow what you want to do. RC already has high calcium (490) and high alk (14 dKH). Why take it higher? High calcium does not lead to faster coral growth...it leads to precipitation.
sen5241b
Reef enthusiast
My cal is chronically low and I want to keep it high. I guess if RC is that high adding supplements to the change water isn't going to help. I may end up resorting to some type of auto-doser.
Bifferwine
I am a girl
I wouldn't call 360-380-400 chronically low by any means.
ccCapt
Reef Hacker
+1 Bifferina ;)
Natural seawater around reefs has an average calcium of 380 - 420. There is absolutely no gain in keeping it higher.
Natural seawater around reefs has an average calcium of 380 - 420. There is absolutely no gain in keeping it higher.
sen5241b
Reef enthusiast
My tank is about 2 years old. Cal was always about 450 then after I started using RC it measured 400 and below. Can't say RC caused lower cal but it does puzzle me. Probably the coralline growth has eaten up alk and cal.
