Saltwater Glossary

CAM

CAM stands for calcium, alkalinity and magnesium. It’s the manufacturer’s shorthand for the three main parameters in Step 3, Aragonite Enhancers™, of the Reef Essential® system.

The Aqua Care Guide™ groups them because all three push corals toward the same goal: a strong aragonite skeleton.

Why It’s Important

  • Corals take calcium, alkalinity and magnesium out of the water as they grow, so their levels keep falling.
  • When CAM runs low, the Guide warns of bigger pH swings, lower skeletal density and more parameter swings.
  • If the ratio between them drifts out of balance, corals may form brittle calcite instead of aragonite, or grow more slowly.
  • Step 4 color elements aren’t taken up as easily until CAM is steady. The protein skimmer and chemical filtration may remove them first.

How It Works

The Guide’s recommended CAM levels depend on the corals you keep:

  • LPS and soft coral: calcium 420–440 ppm, alkalinity 10.1–10.5 dKH, magnesium 1,255–1,310 ppm
  • Mixed reef: calcium 430 ppm, alkalinity 8 dKH, magnesium 1,295 ppm
  • SPS: calcium 405–420 ppm, alkalinity 7.4–7.7 dKH, magnesium 1,230–1,280 ppm

In the Guide, CAM comes after nutrients are under control in Step 2, and before Step 4.

CAM and Related Terms

Each letter is its own parameter: Calcium, Alkalinity and Magnesium. Together they decide whether corals lay down aragonite during calcification.

Strontium and barium are the minor components of the same step. The products for each part of CAM are in the Step 3 Aragonite Enhancers™ collection.

Common Misconception

It’s tempting to reach for color elements when corals look dull. Until calcium, alkalinity and magnesium are steady, those elements are more likely to be wasted.

The Bottom Line

CAM is calcium, alkalinity and magnesium, kept steady and in balance as one group. For the chemistry behind it, read The Science Behind Aragonite.