Low Levels....

[BigIan]

Well after setting up the new tank we`ve been keeping an eye on the levels and noticed our calcium is Quite low, at 270, also our magnesium is also very low and the alk,

Im wanting to set up a calcium reactor so any recomendations would be good but in the mean time anything that can boot these levels up would be good any help people?

 

[pengy666]

your magnesium will never get much higher without getting your calcium up!

go and get some calcium additive and follow guidelines, do a stock solution to add everyday till it rises, but if its a new tank I wouldnt panic just yet (presuming its just empty of stock and is cycling?) Just give it a little more time

Calcium is important dont get me wrong but only "SUPER" important if you plan on keeping corals and not fish only, but no harm it getting it right

also once your calcium is hihger the mag should soon rise natuarly

Or have I got that wrong way round?

HTH

 

[pengy666]

your magnesium will never get much higher without getting your calcium up!

go and get some calcium additive and follow guidelines, do a stock solution to add everyday till it rises, but if its a new tank I wouldnt panic just yet (presuming its just empty of stock and is cycling?) Just give it a little more time

Calcium is important dont get me wrong but only "SUPER" important if you plan on keeping corals and not fish only, but no harm it getting it right

also once your calcium is hihger the mag should soon rise natuarly

Or have I got that wrong way round?

HTH

 

[BigIan]

The tanks stocked.

I was after recomendations as to wich brands ect to pick up..

 

[shibby]

i use ermm salifert for my trace elements and tropicmarin for my buffer

 

[BigIan]

I didn`t know salifert did Additives...

 

[shibby]

they have a big range .... tracesoft, tracehard, corraline one to name a few, most trace things you want really.

 

[pengy666]

sorry didnt realise that

 

[littleme1969]

I would be a little concerned about my salt if that where me. You have just filled that tank so your salt shoud bring all perameters within a good range. Reduced reading I would expect to come after time if you are using a skimmer and just topping up with RO. Just thought

 

[SkiFletch]

I didn`t know salifert did Additives...

They do, but a little pricey IMO . The nice part about additives for calc, alk, and mg is that you can use just about anybody's product, they all work. Too bad it's not winter and you can't pickup larger quantities of calcium chloride de-icers on the cheap. Alkalinity is just dosed as dissolved baking soda. And magnesium can be dosed from either mag chloride de-icers, or mag sulphate epsom salts. Why pay through the teeth when you can make it yourself

As for a calcium reactor, ask Matt about that, I know he runs one in the UK

 

[Miss Wiggle]

it goes up after adding salt, but then drops down again within a week, i think it's a lack of magnesium not keeping the calcium levels up (something like that)

problem being now i'm working further away we can't get to a fish shop through the week, I just don't get home from work in time. So got to wait for the weekend before we can pick anything up..... oh and we fly out to Greece for a week on saturday. I think we're pretty much gonna have to cross our fingers and hope for the week we're away!