Calcium and alkalinity

[lightningfront]

So I decided to buy a calcium and hardness test kit today. I have never tested for anything but nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia. What levels of calcium and alkalinity should I be looking for?

[larrynews]

i try to keep calcium about 400-450, and alkalinity i have the test tube kind that shows where you are on the scale, i was shoot for the middle not sure of the number/color

[verper]

alk 7-11 dkh  or 2.5-4 meg/liter

calc - what larry said.

[Joel]

alk 7-11 dkh  or 2.5-4 meg/liter

calc - what larry said.

And don't try to get these values to the very top of the suggested range. It is safer to maintain your calcium and alk in the mid to lower range of these suggested values.

[cyberwollf]

Whats the easiest way to raise Cal without throwing everything else off? I am at Cal 300 and Alk 8 dKH? I had been dosing the max of Purple up the last few day (had a bottle laying around)  I have never test Mag so i don't know if that's holding it up.

I use instant ocean so that could be the low Cal.

[lazylivin]

You dont want to use Purple up to raise Calcium as you discoverd. Use Calcium Chloride. Instant Ocean is very good salt but you have to dose to bring up to reef levels. Try a reef salt such as Reef Crystals if you like the Instant Ocean company. A lot of us use Red Sea Coral Pro.

[lightningfront]

ok so I measured the carbonate hardness and got 7 dkh or 125 ppm

On the calcium I had to use 27 drops to get it to change colors and the scale only goes up to 26 so it's over 520ppm is that bad?  Can you have too much calcium? I don't dose with anything just regular 25% water changes weekly with red sea coral pro salt at 1.024-1.025 salinity. I really don't have any calcium demanding corals yet, mostly softies but I do have a few LPS and 1 SPS orange Digi frag.

[lazylivin]

Either your Salinity is actually higher then 1.025 or your test kit is off. Red Sea Coral Pro at 1.026 or 35PPM will be 450.

[lightningfront]

My bad I keep forgetting I don't know what my salinity is, my specific gravity is at 1.024-1.025 normally if that makes a difference.

I just measured it and it's a little high at the moment as i need to top off, reading 1.026 right now.

[MechanicalEngineer]

+1 on dosing calcium chloride to raise calcium. 

Lightningfront - are you using a hydrometer or refractometer?  If you're not dosing...and only using water changes...either you're not toping off enough...your salinity is wrong...or your calcium test kit is wrong. 

[lightningfront]

Using a deep six hydrometer. Maybe I did the calcium test wrong as it's my first time using that test. I will try again in a little while to see what I get.

[cyberwollf]

+1 on dosing calcium chloride to raise calcium. 

You using generic bulk or a namebrand? source?

[MechanicalEngineer]

Bulkreefsupply.com 

Calcium chloride is calcium chloride.  No point in using a namebrand source as long as the purity is high.