Calcium High--Why?

I had been dosing calcium because my levels were at 320--I was using IO salt which was low in calcium, so I changed to oceanic which tested in the mixing can at 460. I stopped dosing liquid when I changed salts 3 mo ago. My calcium over the last month or so is testing at 500-520. I do bi-weekly water changes-30 gal. I was under the impression that if you removed water, you also removed the same amount of ca you were replacing. I dont think that it will hurt anything as I have tested alot of my LFS water and it usually is about 500. Most people gripe that they cant keep their calcium up. I do have a few soft corals, so not a high demand yet---just curious. BTW alk is 10--ph is 8.3--mg should be ok since ca is high.

 

Your Cal is getting high b/c the new salt mix has a high level of Cal and your tank is not consuming it fast enough, thats all. If your keeping a reef tank, you should know your Mag level, it is important to know.


[SCROLL]Luna;D[/SCROLL]

 

Well Robman, yes, when you take water out you are also taking elements out as well. BUT when you go from a salt that reads at maybe 350ppm MAX and switch to a salt that I tested at almost 550 ppm Ca you are of course going to get an increase...
What test kits do you use? When do you test the tank, right after or before a W/C?
You haven't added any Liquid Ca in 3 months and it continues to rise?
Is this the original bucket of Oceanic?

 

This one could be tricky. I don't believe there is a linear relationship between what comes out and what goes back in. The reason being, the calcium concentration in the water volume should not lessen appreciatively when taking small amounts of water out, on the line of salinity, where the salinity stays as is when water is removed. To what degree the calc stays would have to be determined by experimenting. Some calc loss should happen but not as much as I think you are thinking. You don't say how large (or small i.e gallons ) your water changes are. If you have a skimmer and otherwise good filtration you may try letting the tank go an extra week or so and see if calc falls a little more and then see how much it goes up after the change. If you are paranoid about going longer, when you mix your water change water, dilute it to come up with 400 ppm calc and use it that way.

 

Hi All
would I be right in adding that if Robman increased his DHK to 13 then his calcium will drop 20 for every increment raised on the DKH so it would drop by 60 parts to 460?

as Lunatic 69 mentions - Magnesium is not used as much by the corals as the calcium is
so this could also increase beyond normal parameters if you dont check it

Steve

 

How would you dilute the ca UJ??? Mix 2 diff salt mixes??? (BTW I did say they were 30 gal w/c) My Mg was steady at 1300-1350 until I ran out of tests--hard to find mg test kits here for some reason. No this is not the original bucket of salt--I buy 50gal mix and probably on my 4th or 5th

 

Yes, if he has his Mag between 1400-1500ppm. Raising his Alk will lower his Cal levels. Great point Steve.



Luna

 

Thanks for the quick response---I use API--On a former thread I had alot of issues with their ca kits so they sent me 2 new ones. I tested with both kits--same results. You tested at 550??? I tested at 460--hmm big diff--oceanic says it is at 460--exactly what I tested at. Should I change back to IO for the next few water changes??? I really dont want to keep switching salts just for the calcium issue. I may try what steve says and raise alk.

 

BTW--is there any harm in the calcium being a little high?? either long or short term?? As I said, most of the LFS water is this high.

 

2 things spring to mind

calcium being to high, will often mean DKH will be to low - below normal reef tank levels
Low DKH can then lead to PH maintenance issues.

secondly , Calcium can fall out of solution ( how many sugars can dissolve in a cup of coffee scenario)

calcium snow storms can harm corals - it burns apparently (never experiences this myself, thankfully)

dont know that levels of 500 PPM are considered to high but my Tropic marin test kit would not measure above 496ppm - so I would worry if my level reached that high

Steve