Calcium and Carbon Question

Hi!
This is my first post in this group and let me start by telling you that you
are approaching the problem in the wrong way.
You are assuming that Ca is being extracted somehow from your tank. Maybe
is just not getting in.
To start, my aquarium has an over the top, 520 mg/l, reading on Ca which is
not to be worried. Although Ca can messup your PH, any amount of it is
good.
My suggestion is to incorporate in your system a good amount of crushed
shells. It can be added to your landscape or in a net in your biofilter.
Anywhere that the water circulates is a good place.

In my case, the crushed shells are part of my soil around the sand. If the
calcium is there, shells are formed of Ca, it will be incorporated in your
water column naturally.

My systems use a different approach becoming a micro-ecosystem. All the
known cycles happen in them and work for me. For more than 5 months I
haven't have to do one water chance and the readings are steady.

Good luck and don't add processed Ca to your system, the buffers will
desestabilize your aquarium.

jrs

"blondie" wrote in message
...

Hi, i have a simple question. Does carbon that i have in my canister
filter take the calcium out of my water??? For some reason i cant get
the calcium above 200 even with water changes just about every 3 days.
The calcium level in the fresh sal****er that i make up is testing at
about 440 and im exchanging about 5 gallons of the 55 gallon tank water
for 5 gallons of freshly made sal****er. i was just wondering if it has
anything to do with the carbon i have in the fluval filter.
Thanks for the help.

BLONDIE!! (dont be fooled by the name! :-) lol)


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blondie