High SG vs Low Calcium

[Jewel]

Looking for suggestions, My Calcium level is 380 and my SG is 1.027. I'd like to raise my Calcium but lower my SG, My last water change was 15 Gallons, I took out 15 but put back 10 Salt water and 5 just RO/DI. That was fine when I had no fish or Coral in the tank, but now I do. Should I lower the SG on the water change a bit at a time or should I dose to get the Calcium up or both or what? Thanks

 

[Reef Hero]

1.027 is not super high but I would get it back down to 1.025 - 1.026.... What are you using to measure salinity? Refractometer? If the fish/coral are looking happy then just bring salinity back down through water changes.
What is you alk? What are you dosing to keep alk and calcium stable? Or nothing yet?

 

[Jewel]

No i'm not using anything yet. Most likely i'll use Kalk or B-ionic, I used to dose a DIY concoction of Calcium Chloride and Baking Soda mixed equally with RO/DI water but I can't find a suitable cheap Chloride and Epsom salts for Mag. I understand that the B-ionic is fairly cheap in 5 gal pails but not sure. Any Ideas?

 

[Boga]

+1

I would suggest to lower the salinity first (1.025-1.026 as Reef Hero said). Then measure again Ca and Alk. Start from that point adjusting if needed.

 

[Jewel]

I did a water change and my SG is down to 1.0255. I was reading in another post about using Purple up and I remember I inherited some awhile ago from a recent tank buy ( I'm not throwing anything away anymore ) Do you think I could use it to get my levels up?

 

[Boga]

I did a water change and my SG is down to 1.0255. I was reading in another post about using Purple up and I remember I inherited some awhile ago from a recent tank buy ( I'm not throwing anything away anymore ) Do you think I could use it to get my levels up?

What is the Alkalinity in the tank?

 

[Jewel]

I test my KH which is 7

 

[Boga]

I would go with one dose per instructions, then test, then another one per instructions and test. You may still need an addition of Calcium from a different source. Your alk is at the low end, and I would aim little bit higher (9-10).

 

[Jewel]

I added a cap of Purple up and my Calc sits at 400, I say I measure KH and not Alk because KH is directly tied into the balance of Calc, Alk, Mag. I have found that if you keep your KH constant between 7-9 then everything else is fine, I will be dosing in the future with a 3 part solution of Baked baking soda for Alk, A calcium product purchased at Big Als and a Epsom salts solution for Mag. If I can just remember the recipe.

 

[draper]

mix your water at 1.024 for all your future water changes. you will turn your tank over eventually and lower it gradually. mqake sure your toppikng off with ro everyday.  also dose calcium according to instructions but if you notice you aint gaining calcium over the next 2 weeks, check your magnesium and make sure shes up to 1300-1350 range. calcium wont hold in solution with out proper amounts of magnesium. if mag is low then add Epsom salts from your drug store a bit at a time. once mag is up then use a GOOD salt, it should keep it up consistently if you changing your water 15% every 2 weeks.  checking for magnesium is a pain. see if a local lfs can do it for you. 

 

[Duke]

make sure to check out a reef additive calculator too.. Epsom salts need to be added at very large amounts to move your mag levels a very little amount, iirc its about 3/4 of a pound of Epson to add 100ppm with around 100gal water vol.

 

[draper]

add your Epsom salts exactly as say a seachem product suggests. you'll need to do it every day for a week to 2 weeks. your not dumping 3/4 a pound to your tank in 1 day.

 

[Jewel]

I think I'll purchase the Calcium and Mag. additive from Big Als and use the Baking Soda ingredient for Alk.

 

[Duke]

I think I'll purchase the Calcium and Mag. additive from Big Als and use the Baking Soda ingredient for Alk.

good choice, and yes whatever you do you don't want to dose crazy amounts at one time, you want to spread it over a few days or weeks even if you need to make any drastic changes.