Calcium off the charts

ClintRSM130

ClintRSM130

Member
I seem to be making really weird mistakes with my first salt tank. I have been cycling for about 3 weeks now and am starting to get a nice algae growth. I've been looking forward to putting a pair of maroon clowns in. So I went to do a full chemistry on the tank and low behold my Ca is through the roof! it's like in the 800's! All my other tests came out great but my Ca is at a level that would burn any animal I would try to put in. I think it's due to some supplement that was suggested to me which I have stopped using a long time ago cause It was messing with my chemistry. I've done a couple 20% changes on my water (R.O.) but it hasn't seemed to help in the least bit. i would really appreciate any suggestions on how to lower Ca safely cause I'd really like to see fish in my tank that won't melt from the Ca
 
Reefmack

Reefmack

NaClH2O Addicted
PREMIUM
I would suspect your Ca test kit first. Test kits can expire and/or go bad. I'm not sure how high Ca can get before it precipitates out as "snow" in the tank, but I've never heard of Ca being able to get up to 800!
 
Bathtub

Bathtub

Member
^+1 if your hardness/ alkalinity were within normal params I would have thought it would have buffered the calcium back by precipitation of calcium carbonate, maintaining anything over 500 can become challenging.
Try your kit on some ro water unsalted.... Should be zero... Then on a fresh batch of salt water, should be in the 300-450 range (your salt should tell you exactly what to expect)....
 
imaccat

imaccat

Active Member
Clint,

As you are still cycling the tank I assume that you don't have anything (e.g. corals) that will be using up the Calcium, so I don't think you can just leave it to come down on its own. I think the only other way to reduce it would be through water changes. As you have already been doing that I think it suggests that it is either a faulty test kit (try it with RO and new water as Bathtub suggests above) or the water you are adding is high in calcium, if you test that as well it should help identify the problem. I guess high calcium in new water could be caused if the dry salt isn't mixed properly in the container prior to mixing with RO.

Let us know how you get on.

Cheers
 
reeferman

reeferman

Well-Known Member
i would suspect the test kit also.i had a valve stick on a calcium reactor and it melted all the ARM very quickly and caused a calcium snowfall.my calcium was around 760 then so i would think you would see it precipitating rather quickly and the alk dropping just as quick.
 
ClintRSM130

ClintRSM130

Member
I do have some precipatate on the bottom of my tank should I do a gravel siphon and a water change? Also with nothing in the tank is it worth it to do a large water change (40% maybe) or should I stick to several smaller ones?
Thanks for all the rapid response the RSM lobbys the best on RS IMO!
 
reeferman

reeferman

Well-Known Member
yes i would siphon the sand a little and a 40% wc should help a lot.then follow up a few days later with some smaller ones.you are correct,best place on the net!
 
imaccat

imaccat

Active Member
Personally I wouldn't do any water changes until I had ruled out whether the test kit was faulty or not
 
Bathtub

Bathtub

Member
imaccat said:
Personally I wouldn't do any water changes until I had ruled out whether the test kit was faulty or not
Click to expand...

Half agree- its kinda pointless trying to hit target parameters if you can't measure what you are hitting, but I would never discourage a water change!
It won't affect the cycle as the bacteria are sessile... if you have water and it isn't costing you anything, then won't hurt...
 
BigAl07

BigAl07

Administrator
RS STAFF
I'd get do this: (already noted I know I know)
  • a) Get an alternate test kit. If still reads HIGH take water to LFS for Calc testing. Don't BUY anything there to fix this.

  • b) Go ahead and prepare for a good hefty water change just in case. Dilution is the Solution to Pollution!
 
ClintRSM130

ClintRSM130

Member
Thank you for all the suggestions. As of right now I've done a 5 gal. water change. I can only do about 5 gal a day because thats about all the R.O I have access to. I'm hoping to get out later tonight to get a new Ca test kit. I think most of it precipitated cause my sand is a lot darker (I have black sand). now I'm just going to wait and see.
 
ClintRSM130

ClintRSM130

Member
I didn't articulate that very well. It was light and whiteish and after i siphoned the sand got blacker. Like there was something white on it and I got rid of it
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top