Calcium 520+

What are the dangers of calcium levels being too high? Can they be too high? My stupid little scale stopped at 520, but before the water went blue it was probably closer to 560.

PH 8.3
Ammonia 0
Calcium 560 ish
Phos .5
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0

 

Ca that high can prevent your alk from getting to a level that is good for your corals.

You should test for Alk and Mg to see where they are at.

Also you should get that phosphate down to .05 or lower.

 

thanks, I'll test for those tomorrow morning after a run to the lfs.

My phos had gotten up over 1.0 but through water changes it's been moving down, next change due the next couple days hopefully will cut it some more.

 

Mine was close to 600 for the longest time. I added some SPS and some clams and boom within two weeks its down to 440. Nothing got hurt and my fish didn't act strange.

 

It won't kill anything , but you run the risk of low alkalinity or percipitation, where calcium falls out of the water column(not dangerous but leaves you with very low calcium).

 

I had a Ca around 600 for a week after baking soda overdose (lowered PH too much and boosted Alk to 8-8,5), now it stays at around 500, and finally I got carolline algae growing on my powerhead

 

I'm having trouble finding the tests, did you guys buy yours at the lfs or order online?

 

Any LFS will carry the test kit. If yours does not have it, I'm sure they're out and in the process of getting more. Online you get better deals if buying several kits though. But always put shipping against tax at the store and the bit overprice you pay for just going to the store.

 

OK, found a store that had them in stock

Mg 1200
Alk right around 2.2

 

Try to get your mag to 1250 to 1500. The higher end does seem to help with stability more.

If that is alkalinity and and not dKH you will want to get it to 2.5 as a minimum and 3 to 4 as a mid range 5 should be about as high as you want to go.