Calcium Dosing

reefdope · 03-21-2002, 01:22 PM

I dose with both B-Ionic and Kalk to keep Ca levels up. I was at a store where their display tanks looked great. They told me that they never dose anything and hardly do water changes and they presented this to me in a "don't buy all that stuff, its just a gimick and not needed" way. My question then is dosing really required? I mean I test for Ca and even with dosing it seems to go down, but the people at the store told me that "enough" corals keep the Ca levels nominal! This goes against everything I've ever read about calcium levels in aquariums, but their tanks look so good! And now I've been to one of their customers houses and its such a simple setup it amazed me, particularly based on how nice the tank looked. No dosing, no refugium, no reactors, no monitors???

How are they doing it?

Sker · 03-21-2002, 01:52 PM

RD, something sounds fishy! What kind of corals are they keeping? Are they are keeping any stonies, SPS or clams? I would think this method will catch up with them eventaully in the form of their tank crashing! If they were just keeping soft corals they might get by with this but not with other more sensative corals listed above. If I were you I would just keep dosing Kalc to keep your levels above
400ppm.(At a minimum) I would also keep doing regular water changes. I have been keeping reeftanks for a lot of years and I feel that water changes, and calcium supplementation are the two most important things you can do for your tank. (JMO)

reefdope · 03-21-2002, 08:49 PM

Sker - Thanks that makes sense. They actually have mostly SPS and clams (and a couple of stonies for looks). What this store is providing its customers doesn't make sense, but they seemingly are making it work. It makes me wonder though, if they are doing that in order to have "die off" and (in their eyes) more future business? It just makes me wonder how they are keeping their tanks looking so nice.

organicreefer · 03-21-2002, 09:18 PM

seriously,sometimes it seems they must be trying to kill youre livestock for more business.
theres no other explanation ,imo.
do youre own research,never trust the lfs,or most anyone trying to sell you something

**golfish** · 03-21-2002, 10:40 PM

What store was it? What did they have in the tank as far as calcium users.

reefdope · 03-22-2002, 09:04 PM

Actually it as in Santa Barbara. I don't recall the name of the store or what particularly they had in the tank. I think, in general they were referring to any coral though.

03-21-2002, 01:22 PM	#1
reefdope Tenant Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 69	Calcium Dosing I dose with both B-Ionic and Kalk to keep Ca levels up. I was at a store where their display tanks looked great. They told me that they never dose anything and hardly do water changes and they presented this to me in a "don't buy all that stuff, its just a gimick and not needed" way. My question then is dosing really required? I mean I test for Ca and even with dosing it seems to go down, but the people at the store told me that "enough" corals keep the Ca levels nominal! This goes against everything I've ever read about calcium levels in aquariums, but their tanks look so good! And now I've been to one of their customers houses and its such a simple setup it amazed me, particularly based on how nice the tank looked. No dosing, no refugium, no reactors, no monitors??? How are they doing it?

03-21-2002, 01:52 PM	#2
Sker Citizen Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Omaha, NE , USA Posts: 210	RD, something sounds fishy! What kind of corals are they keeping? Are they are keeping any stonies, SPS or clams? I would think this method will catch up with them eventaully in the form of their tank crashing! If they were just keeping soft corals they might get by with this but not with other more sensative corals listed above. If I were you I would just keep dosing Kalc to keep your levels above 400ppm.(At a minimum) I would also keep doing regular water changes. I have been keeping reeftanks for a lot of years and I feel that water changes, and calcium supplementation are the two most important things you can do for your tank. (JMO) __________________ Sker Last edited by Sker; 03-21-2002 at 01:55 PM.

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03-21-2002, 08:49 PM	#3
reefdope Tenant Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 69	Sker - Thanks that makes sense. They actually have mostly SPS and clams (and a couple of stonies for looks). What this store is providing its customers doesn't make sense, but they seemingly are making it work. It makes me wonder though, if they are doing that in order to have "die off" and (in their eyes) more future business? It just makes me wonder how they are keeping their tanks looking so nice.

03-21-2002, 09:18 PM	#4
organicreefer Governor Join Date: May 2001 Location: Northern CA Posts: 2,171	seriously,sometimes it seems they must be trying to kill youre livestock for more business. theres no other explanation ,imo. do youre own research,never trust the lfs,or most anyone trying to sell you something

03-21-2002, 10:40 PM	#5
golfish Moderator Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Alta Loma,Ca Posts: 2,943	What store was it? What did they have in the tank as far as calcium users.

03-22-2002, 09:04 PM	#6
reefdope Tenant Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 69	Actually it as in Santa Barbara. I don't recall the name of the store or what particularly they had in the tank. I think, in general they were referring to any coral though.

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