How to add calcium and magnesium proportionately to snail tank

[mommy2girls!]

Btw I think I read those exact articles last week on their respective sites. The 3:1 ratio seems to match what I’ve seen with equilibrium so far. Soon as I reached 3 parts Ca I also starting seeing low level Mg. Looks like we are catching up. I can hear my snails cheering.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Well keep an eye on those snails, make sure you don't catch them racing with each other.

I use the equilibrium in tanks with jungle amounts of plants combines with snails and shrimp. Between those three things they burn through a lot of minerals and trace stuff. I have assassin snails in many tanks even those unplanted and I do not add Equilibrium to them.

Everybody knows snails and shrimp need calcium, but ask about magnesium and that gets harder to find info. I just know that plants need it and it is a major contributor to GH in tanks, so I just assumed it was important for the exoskeleton gang. But I wanted confirmation since you asked and I could not say yes and be 100% sure. So I went searching

 

[mommy2girls!]

Well twotank you did it again. The equilibrium has finally raised my calcium and magnesium to the minimum threshold. Suddenly my bladder snails are breeding again like crazy and the eggs are normal. Before they were mushy and disintegrated before the embryos fully formed. They are all moving around the tank. Before they were always huddled by the waterline. Also the rise in ph doesn’t seem to be coming from the equilibrium. Everything I read made it seem impossible to be the equilibrium but it did raise and a lot of members also said that equilibrium raised their ph too. Well I suppose it was really just the absorption of the crushed coral after a water change. My tap is very acidic. I’m going to continue using the equilibrium to control the calcium and magnesium. Thank you so much for helping to save my snails. Now what am I going to do with all of them?? Sammi the assassin can’t eat fast enough lol
Seriously I’m so grateful for your help.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

You are welcome, glad I could help.

As for KH that is a function of the carbonates and bicarbonates. These are what holds up KH. The crushed coral is calcium carbonate. As the acid water causes it to dissolve and this raises the KH and provides calcium. That allows the pH to rise and to stay up.

Calcium itself is not real water soluble, so it takes a bit of time to get it into the water, But once the coral begins it's work, it will keep it up. But this will then deplete the amount of coral remaining and it must be replaced. Adding Equilibrium is a faster way yo get the calcium into the water. However, as you noted there is really nothing in Equilibrum to raise the pH. But dissolving coral (or limestone etc.) will definitely help with pH. It just take a little time for it to go to work.