Calcium to high?

[kelloggreef]

I've tested my calcium four times in two days and everyime its showing 540(ppm) I did a water change this past thursday.40 gallons and my tank is a 210. I use sea chem reef salt and dont dose any calcium nor is my calcium reactor running. The test kit is the API drips and is about nine months old. Is this bad? all other test are normal.

 

[darren neil]

It's alittle high not enough to be upset about.Seachem has the highest calcium of any salt that i've seen. just don't dose are run the cal reactor and it will go down. my tank has been 680 before with no problems at all. as for as the test kit i thinks its right. thats what happen to me i thought it was because it was and old test kit was the reason it was reading so high . so i went right then and bought one and checked it again and it was even higher check it five times with that and it read the same thing ever time.

 

[ralph atl]

nah, u are fine.

 

[tjherman]

What happens when calcium levels are way too high?

 

[kelloggreef]

Thanks for the advice, The tank seems fine, I just wish my calcium was this high when my clams were still alive.

 

[ralph atl]

tjherman;392927 wrote: What happens when calcium levels are way too high?

it'll precipitate causing alk to lower. should adjust ok.

 

[acroholic]

What is your alkalinity at that calcium level?
Dave

 

[dakota9]

I read that Seachem reef salt's calcium is about that high. Wish I had time to look it up but I gotta get to work.

I definately remember asking if this was a new "goal level" we should all be striving for, JennM replied that it was not. Wish I had time to atleast find that thread.

I wouldn't be too concerned........... Seachem isn't.

 

[dannybradley]

Three things I would consider-

1. If you rush the drops out the API test bottle you'll get smaller drops, giving you a higher calcium reading. Hold the bottle vertically and give the drops time to fully form while only lightly squeezing the bottle.

2. Do you check your salinity with a refractometer or a hydrometer. If you're using a hydrometer you're likely mixing your salt .004 higher than it should be. This will also give you higher calcium/alkalinity/magnesium/etc.

3. I wouldn't adjust the calcium down, let it lower on its own. Calcium over 450ppm is pointless. When you get above those levels it starts percipitating out with your alkalinity as calcium carbonate. Just because all those extra ions of calcium are present in the water column doesn't mean that the coral is going to consume them.

 

[roundman]

Not to hijack but I can't find expiration dates on api test kits. How long are they good for.

 

[oil_fan]

They're on the bottle but it's kinda coded. Look for the 'Lot No' at the top of the label. It's the last 4 digits mmyy. That's the date they were manufactured. If I recall, most of the kits are good for a minimum of 2 years.

 

[kelloggreef]

Just did another test this morning. I was rushing the test also using my finger over the top instead of capping it to shake. So I did it to book,and used the cap after each drop. Calcium 540,Alkalinity 13. I use a Hydrometer showing 1.026. My brother has a refractometer and yesterday it showed 1.025. If you use your finger to cap does it really mess up the reading?

 

[acroholic]

kelloggreef;393088 wrote: Just did another test this morning. I was rushing the test also using my finger over the top instead of capping it to shake. So I did it to book,and used the cap after each drop. Calcium 540,Alkalinity 13. I use a Hydrometer showing 1.026. My brother has a refractometer and yesterday it showed 1.025. If you use your finger to cap does it really mess up the reading?

I figured your alkalinity would be on the high side. I would let the Ca/Alk adjust down by letting the reef use it.

Are you dosing 2 part or do you have a calcium reactor?

If you have a calcium reactor, I'd raise the setpoint of your pH controller by .2-.3 units of pH and retest in a week.

If you are dosing 2 part, I'd skip a day or two, testing Calcium and alkalinity each day, until levels are where you normally keep them, then start dosing again but dose a bit less until your calcium and alkalinity are stable at the levels you want. Then dose 2 part at the new amounts.

As a side note, when I set up my new 60 gallon cube a few weeks ago, I put a GEO 612 on the system and stupidly set it up at the same pH controller/effluent rate/bubble count as my 618 on my 300 gallon system. After a week I tested and my alkalinity was at 20! A series of water changes took care of the issue, but none of the acans in the tank suffered at all. No fish in it a that time.
Dave

 

[kelloggreef]

Dave-
I'm not doing either. I took my calcium reactor off the tank months ago, I could never get it dialed in and I am not dosing anything either.

 

[acroholic]

I should've read your first post more closely. Assuming accurate test kits, then maybe extend your water change interval by a bit to let the reef use up more of the calcium and alkalinity? Hard to believe your salt could be spiking calcium and alkalinity, however, but I guess it could happen!
Dave