Raising Calcium

Hey guys just wondering how fast you can raise calcium levels safely in a reef tank.

A little backround info:
46gallon with 3 small fish and a few corals; ricordea yuma, pulsing xenia, jasmine polyp, 2 acan colonies.
Pre WC CA is 300 and Mag is 1400 with Alk at 9 and pH at 8.0
Post WC CA is 330 and Mag at 1440 with Alk at 12 and pH at 8.2

Since my Mag is at the higher end I purchased aquavitro calcification since it will only raise calcium and not mag, alk, or ph. I dosed as per instructions to raise it to 350 and figured that is enough of a bump for 1 day. Im trying to get my parameters to be more stable pre and post WC and get my CA closer to 400 since I plan on getting some larger LPS soon.

 

Try not to raise it more than 50ppm per day.

 

Ok thanks so I guess I am good then, I was afraid doing the WC yesterday raising it from 300 to 330 and then dosing to 350 was too much. Im hoping once my CA is higher the pH and Alk will become more stable. I dont know exactly how but I know CA and Mag ratios help stabilize a system

 

Mg stabilizes the ratios, Ca and alk fight each other through precipitation. Too much of one will knock the other down.

 

What should the ratio of Mag Ca be? I want to say I read previously 3 to 1 but cants remember for sure

 

About 3:1 is correct.

 

Thanks evolved. Dosed again today CA is up to 370 with Alk at 11.5 and Mag at 1360.

What would have made my Mag drop from 1440 to 1360 in 1 day? Dose dosing calcium sometimes drop Mag? If not then the only thing I could think of is the 1440 was within an hour from the WC so maybe it dispersed throughout the tank better I had the fresh saltwater mixing for 16 hours before WC.

 

Dosing Ca will make it drop some, but likely not that much.

I have experienced this before myself, when trying to raise Mg after it's been depleted for a while. A day later, and the level will have decreased from the day prior. I've always chalked it up as an artifact of a slow equilibration with everything in the system.

 

Makes sense, I only just started testing Ca and Mag the last couple weeks but the Mag always tested at 1400 or 1440 so when I saw 1360 after dosing Calcium I thought maybe it was from the calcium. Then again it could just be me the red sea pro kit goes in increments of 40 I believe.

 

After 6 days of dosing and testing every morning with lights out I have risen the CA from 350 to 410. Seems like the corals are happier as the xenia pulsing much more now and the second acan frag I purchased seems to be finally expanding during the daylight hours! I will have to grab a picture I am pretty sure it is not a Lord Acan like originally thought but thats for another thread