Ready to raise Ca - Please validate approach

[Nikki]

Hello all :-) I am hoping to prevail on all of your knowledge again with a multitude of questions. Thanks in advance!

I am getting ready to raise the Ca level in my tanks from the 285-295 ppm that I currently have from a bad batch of IO and just want to get some external validation on my approach from more experienced reefkeepers than myself before I begin.

In case this will have any impact on my livestock let me share that I now have a CUC (crabs and snails) in both tanks, garf grunge in both, a coral banded shrimp in the 9 gallon with two devil damsels, and 3 cleaner shrimp in the 46 gallon. No corals yet, only coralline algae.

I have the Kent Turbo and the B-Ionic 2 part on hand. I have also tested my Mg and the levels are 860 ppm in the 9 gln and 980 ppm in the 46 gln. I know the levels should be at ~1300ppm. What I find interesting here is that my aged IO water before tank introduction is at 940 ppm so it goes down in the small tank and up in the large tank (?). My pretty consistent KH is 11 in the 46 gallon and 9 in the 9 gallon (9.6 in aged IO).

My proposed approach:
1. Raise the Ca levels in the two tanks using the Kent Turbo Ca following directions on bottle.
2. Maintain with the balanced B-Ionic following instructions on bottles and switching to Kalk when stability is achieved.

Questions:
1. With my Mg being off do I also need to raise it or will it level out (or should I attack only one imbalance at a time)? I am just wondering if this is going to negatively impact my Ca elevation efforts.
2. I used a Ca calculator to determine how much I need to add of the Turbo Ca at Andy's SPS Reef Aquarium, he mentions that he wouldn't raise the levels more than 20 ppm per day? Does anyone agree / disagree (this would take me a LONG time!)?
3. I read that the best time to add the Turbo was after the lights go off at the end of the day, is this correct?
4. The B-Ionic and Turbo Ca says to add straight to the tank, is this right?
5. With the KH being different in the two tanks does this change my approach for one or the other?
6. Since my KH is very high in the 46 gallon when I get the Ca to the targeted level do I really need to use the B-Ionic alkalinity, or will the raising of the Ca level drive this down (still learning all these relationships between the elements)? Or should I just use Kalk?
7. Would it be easier to just switch to another salt, or is this hard to do and stressful on the inhabitants?

Of course I am hoping my next batch of salt has the appropriate levels and then maybe this won't be a problem at all :-)

Thanks very much for your time and knowledge!

[Ninong]

I have also tested my Mg and the levels are 860 ppm in the 9 gln and 980 ppm in the 46 gln. I know the levels should be at ~1300ppm.

You need to raise your magnesium levels, especially in the tank with only 860 ppm Mg. I have found ESV's B-Ionic Magnesium to be a good choice for this purpose. I'm pretty sure it's magnesium chloride. I have also used epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) but I don't recommend using epsom salts on a regular basis, and, when using epsom salts, I suggest using only a very small amount at a time. If you're new, it would probably be safer to just avoid epsom salts and go with B-Ionic Magnesium. I suggest you begin raising your magnesium now. After you get it up over at least 1,100 ppm, you can worry about raising your calcium.

(P.S. -- It's OK to begin raising the calcium while you are still raising the magnesium but I wouldn't start raising the calcium without doing something about the magnesium either first or at the same time.)

My proposed approach:
1. Raise the Ca levels in the two tanks using the Kent Turbo Ca following directions on bottle.
2. Maintain with the balanced B-Ionic following instructions on bottles and switching to Kalk when stability is achieved.

Yes, I'm sure that would work. I have never used the Kent Turbo Calcium, but I have used B-Ionic's two-part calcium and alkalinity product and when I wanted to raise the calcium, I simply dosed more of the calcium component compared to the alk component. Once my calcium level was above 400 ppm, I switched to limewater (Kalkwasser) -- using Mrs. Wages' Pickling Lime, which is 100% pure food grade calcium hydroxide. My local Wal-Mart sells it for only $2.00 per 16 oz canister.

Questions:
1. With my Mg being off do I also need to raise it or will it level out (or should I attack only one imbalance at a time)? I am just wondering if this is going to negatively impact my Ca elevation efforts.

Yes, low magnesium (especially below 1,000 ppm) will make it more difficult to achieve appropriate calcium levels.

2. I used a Ca calculator to determine how much I need to add of the Turbo Ca at Andy's SPS Reef Aquarium, he mentions that he wouldn't raise the levels more than 20 ppm per day? Does anyone agree / disagree (this would take me a LONG time!)?

I would go even slower than what Andy recommends. I see no reason to rush things. You do NOt have a real problem at this time. All you have is calcium that is on the low side and magnesium that is on the low side. This is NOT a serious situation and it can be corrected gradually.

3. I read that the best time to add the Turbo was after the lights go off at the end of the day, is this correct?

Perhaps. I've never really thought about it that way. It's definitely better to dose limewater at night because of the very high pH of limewater (12.4). The high pH helps to mitigate the falling pH that happens naturally at night when respiration is producing carbon dioxide.

4. The B-Ionic and Turbo Ca says to add straight to the tank, is this right?

Not exactly. If you don't have a sump, then you would be forced to dose it into a swiftly moving stream of water from a powerhead or pump return. However, it's much, much better to dose it into the sump, assuming you have a sump. With B-Ionic's two-part calcium and alkalinity additive, be sure to wait at least a minute between parts.

5. With the KH being different in the two tanks does this change my approach for one or the other?

Only slightly. If you're dosing the B-Ionic two-part product, you should dose slightly less of the alk component into the tank that is already at 11 dKH.

6. Since my KH is very high in the 46 gallon when I get the Ca to the targeted level do I really need to use the B-Ionic alkalinity, or will the raising of the Ca level drive this down (still learning all these relationships between the elements)? Or should I just use Kalk?

Your alkalinity is NOT "very high" in the 46-gallon tank. "High" would be above 14 dKH and "very high" would be above 16 dKH. I personally shoot for a range of 10-12 dKH but some people shoot for 12-14 dKH. As long as it's above 8 dKH and below 14 dKH, you're in good shape.

7. Would it be easier to just switch to another salt, or is this hard to do and stressful on the inhabitants?

That's a personal choice decision. Should you choose to switch salts, it's usually not a problem with the tank's inhabitants. There is only one switch that has been reported to cause problems for some people and that's switching from Instant Ocean to Crystal Seas. When switching salts, it would be better to do it in small water changes of not more than 5% at a time. Again, there is no reason to rush things unless there is an emergency situation that requires drastic action.

Of course I am hoping my next batch of salt has the appropriate levels and then maybe this won't be a problem at all :-)

I have been reading reports on another board to the effect that Instant Ocean is mixing up to very low calcium and very low magnesium lately. Some people have even gotten the Instant Ocean people to ship them replacement buckets of salt. According to reliable reports on another board, Instant Ocean has been testing at ~350 ppm Ca and ~1070 ppm Mg lately. Reef Crystals, which is made by the same manufacturer, has been testing at ~420 ppm Ca and ~1260 ppm Mg. (NSW = 415 ppm Ca & 1285 ppm Mg) Note that the manufacturer does NOT recommend Instant Ocean for reef tanks and NEVER HAS recommended Instant Ocean for reef tanks. The manufacturer makes Reef Crystals for reef tanks and Instant Ocean for FOWLR tanks. However, zillions of hobbyists have used Instant Ocean in reef tanks for years. I have no personal experience with either Instant Ocean or Reef Crystals. Both Instant Ocean and Reef Crystals have been mixing up to ~12 dKH, which is not a problem.

Tropic Marin Pro Reef has been testing at ~450 ppm Ca and ~1380 ppm Mg, and mixing up to 8.5 dKH. This brand has an excellent reputation among serious hobbyists. There are other newer premium salts on the market that are also gaining new enthusiasts.

I would be concerned about salts that mix up to very high calcium levels and for that reason I would not personally be interested in trying Oceanic, CoraLife, Kent or SeaChem. All of those brands mix up to more than 500 ppm Ca. I like Crystal Seas myself but I wouldn't recommend switching from I.O. to C.S. because of possible negative interactions.

[Nikki]

Ninong,

How in the world do you have time to post and review other boards, you have so many replies on this one alone daily?!?!? Truly amazing!

Thank you very much for the concise and informative replies to my many questions :-) Someone else had suggested the Tropic Marin as well so I may choose to switch as I am certainly not happy with having to mess so much with my chemistry.

I saw another post of yours while waiting for a reply to this one and already ordered the B-Ionic Mg on your suggestion to another. I will wait and raise the levels all at once as suggested .... if not Mg only first .... I would be curious to see what the effect would be with only raising the Mg ....

[Ninong]

I would be curious to see what the effect would be with only raising the Mg ....

Raising the magnesium shouldn't have much effect. The problem is that if you have low Mg (say well below 1000 ppm), it makes it more difficult to raise calcium. Calcium and alkalinity are linked but magnesium has to be maintained near NSW levels or else you will have a hard time getting the other stuff where it should be.

Remember: Don't rush! Take your time. Sudden changes = bad; gradual changes = better.