can CA and DKH be too high?

[jamescook]

My Ca reading test out at 480 on both api and now salifert tests. Dkh is routinely 14-15 drops on the api test. Could that be a problem? I always thought things would precipitate out if too high. i did notice that once when i was dosing manually.
ph probe says 8.18, api test says 8.4
no ammonia,trites or trates
not sure about strontium but tested low
and mg tested at 1425
temp 79+- 1degree

still trying to figure out why the montis are rtn

 

[derek_s]

Yes, CA and KH can be too High. I believe calcium will precipitate, but at what point can vary depending on different things. I have heard that 500 is about the max you should go on calcium. Above that may be dangerous..., but I'm not entirely sure. 480 is probably in the 'just right' range.

As far as KH goes, it can easily get too high without any signs of precipitation. Mine was high enough to kill some sps once and I never knew it. I'd say your KH is much too high, and you may want to shoot for somewhere around 10.

 

[derek_s]

Also be sure your test kits arent too old, or be sure the caps have not been left off. This will drastically change teh readings, rendering them useless. API is a pretty good kit for KH and CA, but gets increasingly inaccurate as it is used up. Always keep them relatively fresh. I get a new one about every 3-6 months, regardless of if it is used up or not.

 

[jamescook]

so how do you lower it? should i just keep raising the point at which the co2 kicks on? originally i would raise the probe .1 degree every other day. i thought i had it stable. I'm just using the arm in the reactor. no other alk supplement

 

[derek_s]

A lot of times you can let it just leach down, since alk usually drops over time. What are you currently dosing? 2 part or buffer? Slowly reducing this can lower it.

Also check the KH of yor waterchange water (after it has mixed for a day or two), as your salty may be mixing a little high. Not likely, but possible.

 

[weaglereefer]

Whenever I mix new saltwater my dKH is up around 18-19, my calcium is 500, and my magnesium is around 1250.

After 2 days of sitting in the tub with a pump the dKH drops to around 12...

 

[jamescook]

I must admit that i don't do large water changes. I keep the pumps running and just do 4 gallons a day occasionally. i just add 2 cups of reef salt to the sump.

 

[jamescook]

Seachem reefsalt. yes i've got co2 in ca reactor
ph on the probe reads 8.1-3, but always test 8.4 on the api test kit.
I have a glass hydrometer that i feel it's more accurate than the plastic ones evrybody uses, but i don't have a refractometer
SG is 1.024-6

 

[jamescook]

weird
whats even weirder is my orp dropped to 210 from 370 after i replaced the purigen. that's a major event and nothing looks or tested different. it's back up to 330 now with o2 in the sump

 

[weaglereefer]

My tap water has ph at about 8.2 out of the faucet. You know how much of a PITA it is to try and acclimate angelfish and tetras to that kind of water? :lol2:

 

[jamescook]

the ph goes up when i turn off the reactor.
I'll start filling up the can and do a real water change. Seems like a waste to change water to replenish trace elements that are already there. I thought it would be better to do very small changes instead of large ones.

 

[jamescook]

I had the LFS test my water and they came up with 20 drops DKH! but 400ppm calc. and also 20ppm nitrates. i had a feeling i was missing something with these crappy test kits. water change tomorrow!

 

[ralph atl]

dawgdude;258306 wrote: ECK man this is probably the reason for your SPS issues! I would mix your salt water and let it mix for about 24 hours. Just dumping the salt in the sump can be caustic to a system. Get to work and do some REAL water changes!.

:up:

 

[ralph atl]

does your test kit measure 1 drop=1 dkh or 1 drop=.5 dkh?

The reason why most hobbyists (including me) use Seachem Reef Salt is for their elevated Magnesium, ALK, Calcium & stable ph. However, in doing do, they have an elevated Borate value of Alk. You need to use SeaChem Mag & carbonate kit or a good Alk kit and subtract about 2 to 3 dkh from your total. Never run your tank lower than 9-10 dkh due to this.

 

[dannybradley]

You calcium is percipitating along with your carbonates. They do not percipitate by themselves. When a calcium ion meets a carbonate ion, they bond and percipitate out as calcium carbonate. It is occuring, as it is always occuring. The main issue with percipitation is when you have one parameter so out of line that it is affecting the other negatively enough to cause a depletion i.e. too many carbonates driving calcium below 380ppm.

You alkalinity is very high. Double NSW, actually. Think of your calcium being over 800ppm. That's what you've done with your alkalinity.

I think you're confusing minor and trace elements. Trace elements include elements that exist in quantities of fractions of percents. Arsenic is a trace element. Copper exists as a trace element. Water changes with a good salt, which you're using, will replenish trace elements if performed often enough. Minor elements are calcium, carbonates, iodine, strontium, magnesium, etc.

Shut down your reactor until your dKH drops down to around 8-10. Watch your calcium and manually dose if needed, but only using a reef calculator to get the exact amount desired. Don't dump salt right into your sump. That's a big no-no. It causes a sudden change in salinity.

Reef Calculator:

 

[thewarbrd]

:doh:

Not trying to hijack the thread, but I wanted to say thanks for me learning something from it! I don't know why but somehow I picked up that dKH should be between 15-18 in a reef and in struggling to get it up to 15 dosing baking soda over several weeks I was baffled why my calcium wasn't wanting to stay above 400 anymore. Now I know! Time to let dKH fall and see if CA comes back up... Thanks for the explanation Danny, my situation makes sense to me now!

I now return you to your regularly scheduled reefing

 

[jamescook]

ph 8.4 out of the bag

 

[jamescook]

I'd like to thank you guys too. i learn something everytime i log on. you are most generous with your knowledge and advice.