Can over dosing Calcium cause your water to turn cloudy?

Claic Yuzolt

Claic Yuzolt

Member
I just recently started dosing with Reef Complete from Seachem. My calcium was at 340 and after reading the instructions they stated that you add one cap for every 10 you want to raise it. So I added around 8. I have a29 gallon tank.

Well that was about two days ago and my water went from being super clear to being extremely cloudy.

Is the dosing the cause of this? I tested my Calcium today and it is currently reading 410.

The only other thing I did to my tank was add a small deli shrimp to make sure my tank had cycled, it did not swing my parameters either way so I think the tank is cycled.

It is about 22 days old and I was using live rock from my old tank that I took down.

What can I do to clear the water up?

I am running a wet/dry sump setup and running carbon.

I did a 4 gallon WC today and I didn't notice a difference....please help.
 
D

Daeuco

Member
Calcium additives can cause cloudiness, but decaying shrimp can cause a bacterial or algal bloom, and hence, cloudiness.
I'd say to give it a few days to let it clear on its own.
Was the rock fresh live rock or old dried live rock?
 
Claic Yuzolt

Claic Yuzolt

Member
Daeuco said:
Calcium additives can cause cloudiness, but decaying shrimp can cause a bacterial or algal bloom, and hence, cloudiness.
I'd say to give it a few days to let it clear on its own.
Was the rock fresh live rock or old dried live rock?
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Marshall fan eh? I'm currently going to WVU! lol

Anyway, I used live rock from the tank I took down days before. I kept the rock in a rubbermaid with water taken from the tank. I have a Koralia and heater in it also.

Its been a few days since the cloudiness started so its starting to worry me.
 
D

Daeuco

Member
Claic Yuzolt said:
Marshall fan eh? I'm currently going to WVU! lol

Anyway, I used live rock from the tank I took down days before. I kept the rock in a rubbermaid with water taken from the tank. I have a Koralia and heater in it also.

Its been a few days since the cloudiness started so its starting to worry me.
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My college days were years ago. I was one of the Obnoxious Herd Fans back in the day. We used to sit behind the visitors' bench at the Henderson Center and throw ice at the players.
Are you test kits relatively fresh? If they're really old you can get bad readings.
How long was the system running before you added the calcium? I wouldn't get too worked up about it just yet.
 
Claic Yuzolt

Claic Yuzolt

Member
Daeuco said:
My college days were years ago. I was one of the Obnoxious Herd Fans back in the day. We used to sit behind the visitors' bench at the Henderson Center and throw ice at the players.
Are you test kits relatively fresh? If they're really old you can get bad readings.
How long was the system running before you added the calcium? I wouldn't get too worked up about it just yet.
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Yes, they are only about 4 months old.

As for the tanks age its about 23 days old.
 
BigAl07

BigAl07

Administrator
RS STAFF
Zero on everything means (IMHO) you haven't cycled yet. If your tank was processing the organic matter that quickly you'd have NO3 (Nitrate) readings climbing and climbing.

Would it be possible to get your water tested by your LFS just to make sure?

Also I wouldn't worry about Calc right now but if your newly mixed SW is reading a true 340 you need to look into another batch or brand of salt ASAP.

I suspect you may have a bad Calc kit or process and you've pushed your tank a bit beyond it's ability to keep the Calc in solution. Just a guess though.
 
chipmunkofdoom2

chipmunkofdoom2

Well-Known Member
Are you sure it was a cap full for every 10 ppm you want to raise the water? I doubt it. I have only used a few calcium supplements, but they never direct hobbyists to use it with ppm increases in the directions, simply because a capful in your 29 will raise calcium much MORE than it would in a 180. It probably meant a capful for every 10 gallons of tank water to be raised. You are likely having a snowstorm (or precipitation) of some sort. While the cycle not being complete may be an issue, I think your salt mix and any other chemical imbalances you may have caused must be addressed as well.
 
chipmunkofdoom2

chipmunkofdoom2

Well-Known Member
Use 1 capful (5 mL) per 80 L (20 gallons*) twice a week. Check calcium every 2 weeks and adjust amount or frequency accordingly. ADVANCED: Check calcium level, then follow dosing regimen above until calcium is adjusted to 380–420 mg/L. Each capful will raise calcium by about 10 mg/L. Size or frequency of amount added can be adjusted, but do not exceed 25 mg/L per day. Thereafter, use as required to maintain calcium. EXPERT: After determining the calcium consumption rate, set up a continuous drip system. Use the following formula to determine how much to add to your top-off water: m=0.025vc (m=mL of product to add to top off water, v=volume of tank in gallons*, c=amount to raise calcium in mg/L). For example, if you want to raise calcium by 20 mg/L in a 50 gallon* tank, then you would add 0.025x50x20=25 mL into the top-off water. HINTS: If used with Reef Calcium™, it is not necessary to exceed 380 mg/L total calcium. Calcium over 400 mg/L is not recommended. Use Reef Status™: Calcium to measure calcium.

DO NOT OVERDOSE: Excess calcium may enhance the loss of carbonate alkalinity. Do not directly mix with any carbonate supplement. Best if calcium & carbonate additives are added on alternate days or at least 30 minutes apart.
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From Seachem site. It appears you jumped ahead to the advanced dosing method. It states that the standard method must be used until the calcium is between 380 and 420. It also states that you must dose a carbonate supplement or else you will get major chemical imbalances. I'd advise major water changes with a quality salt mix, then if you desire higher calcium, read up on the various methods and understand every aspect about them before dosing.
 
Claic Yuzolt

Claic Yuzolt

Member
BigAl07 said:
Zero on everything means (IMHO) you haven't cycled yet. If your tank was processing the organic matter that quickly you'd have NO3 (Nitrate) readings climbing and climbing.

Would it be possible to get your water tested by your LFS just to make sure?

Also I wouldn't worry about Calc right now but if your newly mixed SW is reading a true 340 you need to look into another batch or brand of salt ASAP.

I suspect you may have a bad Calc kit or process and you've pushed your tank a bit beyond it's ability to keep the Calc in solution. Just a guess though.
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Thats what I am wondering about! I used Rock from my other tank that was set up for about 2 months and this tank has been running for 24 days yet I saw an increase in Ammonia around week one but no rise in anything else and within that next day the ammonia was back down to zero.

It has to be cycled, it wouldn't make sense for it not to be because its been almost 30 days, I used cured live rock, I seeded my tank with substrate from a tank that has been set up over half a year, and yet barely any nitrates are detectable.

Please help?

As for the cloudy water cleared up today! Thanks for all the help!
 
BigAl07

BigAl07

Administrator
RS STAFF
Claic Yuzolt said:
.....It has to be cycled, it wouldn't make sense for it not to be because its been almost 30 days, I used cured live rock, I seeded my tank with substrate from a tank that has been set up over half a year, and yet barely any nitrates are detectable.
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Did you add anything to the tank to FEED the cycle? It has to have FOOD or nothing but bad will happen.

The only way to KNOW it's cycled is to add something organic to the tank to be broken down and see how the system handles it. Add a raw, clean Deli shrimp to the tank and see just how well it breaks the matter down.
 
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L0rdDracula

New Member
Hi, I got a question to ask.

During the afternoon, i accidentaly overdose calcium into my tank due to overpouring as I was rushing to work and right now my tank water turns cloudy. I have just done a 20% water change, so i was wondering, during this process will it harm my corals and fish when the water is cloudy and how long does it take for the water to get clear again? Please enlighten me... Thanks alot for reading this...
 
J

jason904

New Member
It sounds like precipitated carbonate in the water, it happens to a lot of folks when they are trying to dial in a calcium reactor. What is your alk? in a new tank with little calcium uptake, keeping balanced is important. Also, what is your ph? and I agree with the poster above, if the tank is cycled after 21 days, there would be nitrate.
 
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