Does anyone have good experience with keeping good calcium levels without getting into reactors??

yes

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fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

O perhaps you actually want to know how.

lookup and read totally dr randy holmes-farley's improved diy two part.

What you do is an initial "correction" of calcium/alk/magnesium.

After that you mix up 1g mixtures. 1 for calcium, 1 for alk, 1 for magnesium.

And when alk drops down you add equal parts from the calcium and alk mixtures.

then when 1g of the calcium and alk have been dosed you dose (300ml?) of the magnesium mixture.

It uses

calcium chloride ($20/50 pound bag) road ice melter or concrete additive.
sources building supply stores and redimix concrete suppliers.

baking soda grocery store

epson salts drug stores

magnesium chloride ($25-$30/50 pound bags) road ice melter and in liquid form landscaping dust controller.

source (hard to find) building supply stores.

I also get both calcium chloride and magnesium chloride from a local industrial supplier. Then have to ship in the magnesium chloride but do not charge for shipping. On line sources do charge for shipping which can be more then the cost of the magnesium chloride itself.

This stuff is so cheap that I gave it away at local club meetings and frag swaps. One local concrete place asked me what I was using it for and I explained to add calcium to a saltwater aquarium. They just gave me a 25 pound bag of high quality (94%) anhydrous calcium chloride. By contrast kent turbo calcium is anahydrous and costs like $20 for a pound.

It does seem complicated at first but once setup it is extremely easy and inexpensive.


my .02

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fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

Great...a little more info? What are you using? How much and how often? Water changes? Thanx!

Oh but of course...funny one in the crowd! Hence the name You can look mine up if you don't know what it is ;-) I'll check out ur info! Thanx!!

Actually before I started using the diy 2 part I filtered my water with crushed oyster shells. That did increase calcium but over time alk dropped down and I started using the dy 2 part to keep things balanced.

I also added a touch of mrs wages' pickling lime (kalk) to my top off water as well. Like 1/2 teaspoon or so.

And dosed a little bit of iron (ferris gluconate) from wallgreens. Just dissolved a capsule in an old 12-16oz coke bottle of water then added a capful each week. Very low dosing just to prevent the macros from becoming iron starved.

I did no water changes and 2 bags of 50g salt mix lasted for 8 years.

The oyster shell filter was just a wastbasket with the bottom cut out and replaced by window screen. Then filled with crushed oyster shells from a feed and seed store. Which I rinsed out every 4-6 months or so.


my .02

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fw leiden since 1979, fo salt since 1979, mixed reef 55g 2002-2009. Strong emphasis on the tank taking care of itself. Balanced with plant life, no water changes, tap water, no filters in FW. Only dosing calcium, alk, mag in marine reef tanks. http://www.aquariumforum.com/f15/my-...ods-26410.html
recent tanks (till 2009) 7 years- 10g FW leiden 7 yrs, 55g mixed reef 7, 2 yrs, 20g FW leiden, 10 g fw leiden , 29g mixed reef, current tank 55g leiden

That's amazing...seems complicated but I guess once you get used to the chemistry it can become quite simple. I have been in the hobby for quite a while but I haven't accomplished the chemistry like some of you. I'm really just now getting into lighting with lumens, par blah..blah..blah. That's enough to make you insane!