Calcium levels
- Thread starter ga_daisy
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Too much calcium will exceed the amount that can be dissolved in the water, and make it precipitate out (the "snowstorm"). The danger there is that if your Ca is really high, it precipitates out and it almost all binds together in the process... meaning your level is now really LOW because all of the Ca is lying in clumps on the bottom.
This is the way I had it explained to me, and I'm sure there is something I either missed or was wrong about. I look forward to being educated.
This is the way I had it explained to me, and I'm sure there is something I either missed or was wrong about. I look forward to being educated.
Well....I'm basically already there. I've been working alot and taking a full load of classes for.....well, it seems like forever!
I've really let my tank go over the last six + months and now I'm paying for it all.
I started dosing up calcium a couple of weeks ago (blindly)......too busy to take the three minutes to test the freaking levels. At any rate, I was hit with tank issues this morning (long story for another thread) and decided to sit down and test my calcium. Unless I lost count of the drops, I'm running around 700 ppm on Calcium.
Now....before anyone jumps on the band wagon of I'm a horrid individual for letting my aquarium go for so long without testing.....and such, I KNOW this already. I've had my wake up call and have beaten myself up MORE than sufficiently.
The long and short, the power went out last night around 8:30, didn't come back on until 7:30 this morning. It was only on for a hot second when I saw my Coral Beauty on the bottom. I had lost an Anthias a couple of weeks ago, but basically blew it off because the rest of the tank was doing fine. NOW.....however.....I have my Naso on the bottom breathing heavily and one dead CB. So.....I guess I should have tagged this thread as.....Holy CRAP! I F'ed up.....panic mode. The power was only on for maybe 10 minutes.
I've now taken the day off of work. I only had 20 gal of RO salt water mixed up. (sorry....jumped subjects....my nitrates are out of whack). With the power off, I couldn't mix more. So.....I used a cup and a bucket, pulled out 20ish gal, and then replaced 20ish gal.
I now have a 45 gal trashcan out on my front porch mixing salt into NON-R/O water.
I'm not close to a store, how bad would it be to dump 45 gal of non-R/O water that hasn't been dechlorinated into the tank? The power is finally back on so I'm able to mix salt with powerheads.
So.....the bottom line.....could the high calcium have caused drama with the fish?
I know my nitrates are up and that will cause issues.....so, how can I quickly fix this? I know a water change, but am I risking too much by doing a 45 gal water change without dechlorinating the water first? The tank is 235 gal. After the 45 gal I'm going to be out of salt, I'm HOPING that the 45 gal will get my nitrates down to reasonable levels and I can do another change on Friday (I have classes tonight and I cannot miss as I have my lab midterm).
I've really let my tank go over the last six + months and now I'm paying for it all.
I started dosing up calcium a couple of weeks ago (blindly)......too busy to take the three minutes to test the freaking levels. At any rate, I was hit with tank issues this morning (long story for another thread) and decided to sit down and test my calcium. Unless I lost count of the drops, I'm running around 700 ppm on Calcium.
Now....before anyone jumps on the band wagon of I'm a horrid individual for letting my aquarium go for so long without testing.....and such, I KNOW this already. I've had my wake up call and have beaten myself up MORE than sufficiently.
The long and short, the power went out last night around 8:30, didn't come back on until 7:30 this morning. It was only on for a hot second when I saw my Coral Beauty on the bottom. I had lost an Anthias a couple of weeks ago, but basically blew it off because the rest of the tank was doing fine. NOW.....however.....I have my Naso on the bottom breathing heavily and one dead CB. So.....I guess I should have tagged this thread as.....Holy CRAP! I F'ed up.....panic mode. The power was only on for maybe 10 minutes.
I've now taken the day off of work. I only had 20 gal of RO salt water mixed up. (sorry....jumped subjects....my nitrates are out of whack). With the power off, I couldn't mix more. So.....I used a cup and a bucket, pulled out 20ish gal, and then replaced 20ish gal.
I now have a 45 gal trashcan out on my front porch mixing salt into NON-R/O water.
I'm not close to a store, how bad would it be to dump 45 gal of non-R/O water that hasn't been dechlorinated into the tank? The power is finally back on so I'm able to mix salt with powerheads.
So.....the bottom line.....could the high calcium have caused drama with the fish?
I know my nitrates are up and that will cause issues.....so, how can I quickly fix this? I know a water change, but am I risking too much by doing a 45 gal water change without dechlorinating the water first? The tank is 235 gal. After the 45 gal I'm going to be out of salt, I'm HOPING that the 45 gal will get my nitrates down to reasonable levels and I can do another change on Friday (I have classes tonight and I cannot miss as I have my lab midterm).
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here:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/rhf/index.php">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/rhf/index.php</a>
[IMG]http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php</a>
[IMG]http://web.archive.org/web/20021127040526/http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm">http://web.archive.org/web/20021127040526/http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm</a>
[IMG]http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm</a>
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/rhf/index.php">http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/rhf/index.php</a>
[IMG]http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php</a>
[IMG]http://web.archive.org/web/20021127040526/http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm">http://web.archive.org/web/20021127040526/http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm</a>
[IMG]http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm</a>
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agree.
keep in mind there is a relationship between ca and alk. if your alk isn't right then you won't be able to dissolve the correct amount of ca in your water column.
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