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Thread: Adding Calcium

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    Adding Calcium

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    I'm just wondering what you guys use if you dicover calcium deficiency in your tanks... I know KF uses coral chips, and I've seen a calcium additive from seachem (for marine). But I'm wondering what else is available on the market?
    Allen

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    Seachem Equilibrium... that's what I use.

    Our tap contains some Ca... 'cos the GH is usually about 3+

    BC

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    ----------------
    On 12/5/2002 10:50:42 AM

    I'm just wondering what you guys use if you dicover calcium deficiency in your tanks... I know KF uses coral chips, and I've seen a calcium additive from seachem (for marine). But I'm wondering what else is available on the market?
    ----------------

    But coral chips raise the pH of the water quite significantly... in fact well beyond 8!
    -----------------------------
    Clarence Hoe

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    The problem with coral chip is that you cannot control how much goes into the water, and in the acidic conditions of a plant tank it dissolves faster.

    But the advantage is that you dun have to worry about it too much once you get the balance. The key is not to add toooo much. A handful in your canister filter is more than enough.

    If you are a control freak and want to know exactly how much goes into your tank, you can get pure Ca(NO3)2 from hydroponics supplies. Otherwise, CaCl2, domolite lime (adds Mg also), will work as well.

    ck

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    Isn't a GH of 3 enough? Maybe the GH value points to only lots of magnesium and little Calcium content? Kinda of pondering now as what I should do.....arhhh...get seachem equilibrium (lots of K in it? How much K2SO4 to add after that?)...coral chips easy to get at C328 but hard to control pH and KH liao..not to say even GH.

    Vinz...any problems of your tank with Ca or Mg deficiency? Seachem flourish + K2SO4 = Good combo? How about JBL ferropol + K2SO4? (Think lacking in Mg and Ca) []
    Plant Physiology by Taiz and Zeiger

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    When I first started my aro tank, GH was at mid-teens... over the weeks went up to high teens. Recently dropped to 6 or 7 only.

    Only my Anubias started exhibiting Ca deficiency during the high teens, but other plants seemed fine. So i left it at that. Anubias have since recovered.

    Recently replanted Hygrophila cuttings to my 1 meter tank. Initial leaf shoots showed Ca deficiency, subsequent new shoots were ok. I think the might have little Ca stored and until they rooted, the new shoots were short on Ca.

    Don't really know what's going on but the lotuses in the 6 ft occassionally show Ca defiency with wierd leaf growth. I'm guessing they are getting barely enough from somewhere. I did not check the co-relation, but the Ca deficiency might have occured just before a water change.

    Anyway, just started on Flourish Equilibrium last week. Will update.

    GH indicates combined levels of Mg and Ca, but there isn't an easy way to test for just one or the other in freshwater (I think I saw Sera Ca or Mg test kit for Marine once). So high GH could = lots of Mg with hardly any Ca or vice versa. Deficiency symptoms would be the best indicator on hand.

    I'm thinking about switching to Dennerle E15 and V30 since I found out they dose by water changed not total volume. Have to do the $$$ maths first (anyone know the price for size offhand?). Most likely use Flourish Trace or LushGRO micros in place of A1. Thinking only. Got to check out the ingredients too.
    Vincent - AQ is for everyone, but not for 'u' and 'mi'.
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    Dennerle stuff are too expensive for me....LushGro Aqua (High K in it..do we have to supplement K2SO4 with it anymore?)

    Any suggestion of good combination of liquid fertilizer that is quite complete and economical to dose? From what I have read from previous post...you guys seems to be really rich ah~! Can buy so many type of fertilizer...you guys must be earning big bucks huh?

    Ok..current liquid fert I am using are JBL ferropol and K2SO4...I do have Dr Mallick's micros with me but have not really started using yet. Last time without K2SO4, my plants does not show any calcium deficiency. It is only after I dose K2SO4 did the problem come...how come? []
    Plant Physiology by Taiz and Zeiger

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    By speculation, I can think of two possibilities:
    1. Co-incidentally, Ca in your tank ran out at the same time you start K.
    2. K increase the efficiency in absorption of nutrients. Your plants are now competing more for the amount of Ca. So now taking up the Ca faster then it's being replenished by fertiliser or water change. Plants that are slower at uptake start to suffer.

    All plants showing the deficiency or just some of them?
    Vincent - AQ is for everyone, but not for 'u' and 'mi'.
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    Vinz..only the hydrocotyle verticiliata is showing Ca deficiency...Leaf is distored..[] ....Dunno what to do now..it seems seachem flourish is the only commercial fert that contains Ca huh. Equilibrium has Ca..but too high K with it making it hard for me to dose K2SO4. Or can this be solve with daily top up of fresh tap water? []
    Plant Physiology by Taiz and Zeiger

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    Peter,

    you can try using marine products... in the worst case you can use kalkwasser which I think is just calcium carbonate... Only problem is that this will boost your KH and GH.

    btw, why would using equilibrium make it hard to dose K2SO4? I think the level of K in equilibrium is stated on the packaging, so it should be quite easy to calculate the amount of K being dosed. So you just top up whatever else you need with the K2SO4 (if you still need to).
    Allen

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    Peter,

    Don't dose K2SO4 when you use Equilibrium, lor. Anyway, just read in APD #478 that levels upto 120ppm of K seems not to have any detrimental effect on plants.
    Vincent - AQ is for everyone, but not for 'u' and 'mi'.
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