Calcium too HIGH?

[Melanie]

Ok, here are my test results today after a 10 gal. h2o change w/Tropic Marin Pro Reef salt and RO water.

Ca 540
NO2 0
NH3/NH4 0
NO3 0
PO 0
pH 8.4
Kh 179
SG 1.025
Temp 78

I have never supplemented the tank with anything. Why is my calcium so high? Is there such thing as TOO much calcium? How can I bring it down?

PS I only have softies in my tank. See sig below for complete list.

[DrHank]

Calcium should be between 380 and 450 ppm. ALK between 2.5 and 4meq/L (7-11 dKH, 125 - 200 ppm CaCO3 equivalents).

[Dentoid]

You'll see this posted over and over. That's because it is soooooo important to a reef tank. I refer to this monthly. You have probably already seen it, but it's a good idea to read and get into the habit of using it when your chemistry gets out of line. I suggest putting it in your favorites file or printing it out and using it to put you to sleep at night.

Chemistry and the Aquarium

[Melanie]

Ok, I finally looked at this link. he he he. I HAVE seen it suggested to me on at least one other occasion. I guess I need to check my alkalinity after all to see exactly where I stand.

[DrHank]

Here's another to bookmark. When you Understand the link Scott gave to you, move on to this:

Reef Chemistry Calculator

Use the flash version. It will tell you what needs to be done to adjust (balance) your tank. It's going to be harder to do with TMP. That's why I use Reef Crystals.

[Melanie]

Today's test results:

Temp 78 degrees
SG 1.025
Ph 8.2
Ammon 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
dKH 11/196.9 ppm
Phos 0
Ca 520

I'm contemplating using baking soda in the tank to help with the high calcium.

I'm just so scared to put anything in the tank. I have read my book on marine water chemistry and also the site you all suggested. Their advice was to add baking soda but I'm nervous as heck because my Alk and Ph are both right on target.

Has anyone ever added baking soda to their tank and had something BAD happen?

[lcstorc]

I have added it without anything bad happening. Does that help? I only did it once but it seemed to be fine. If you are following advice from one of Randy's articles I would go ahead and do it. His information so far has been very reliable IMO.

[sasquatch]

hi Mel, and welcome to the world of Chemical Paranoia! This is a good condition to develop as it will stop you from doing bad things with your reef lol. Like anything else Every tank is different, in your case just go slow, add 1/4 of the suggested amount, wait an hour and test again, if your unsure of the result wait overnight and test again, go slow high calc wont hurt anything short term.Steve

[prow]

eeeeee, dont add anything. dont add to your alk, its already high. adding more could result in precipitation. that snow storm you have heard about. just let it ride. check on your Mg as this can slow or prevent any precipitation.

using TMP your levels are about right with your water changes. how often are you doing water changes? i know this sounds odd but you may want to decrease your % of water changes. or...,

i suggest switching salts. like doc uses i too use reef crystals, that is what i suggest you switch to.

[DrHank]

Good call prow! The reason that he's telling you to slow down on water changes is to allow your Ca and Mg to be depleted by your corals. The more often that you change water, the more you help to maintain the elevated levels which are apparently inherent with TMP salt. Make sure that your skimmer is cleaned weekly so that it works the best and keep running carbon 24/7 with either weekly 25% change (the best) or change monthly. I'd also check your levels weekly and expect to see both Ca and Mg gradually decline.

[DrHank]

By the way Torch is an LPS and will use the Ca and Mg to grow. If you like the torch and have room, you may want to add a frogspawn or hammer they will both love the Ca and Mg.

[cheeks69]

I agree with Prow don't add anything !
It's probable that you magnesium levels are also high otherwise there would have been a snowstorm or precipitation already. I also suggest switcing salts as you have nothing really demanding on your cal/alk levels and the TMP seems to be very high in these levels as of late..

[Melanie]

Glad to know something in my tank will utilize the Ca and yes, I think I do see a bit of snowstorm precipitate. I was unsure whether or not it was microbubbles or Ca precipatate. Staring at it for hours made me jump back and forth between thinking it was one or the other.

I do have a bucket of reef crystals. I bought it because it was the cheapest and I used it for curing LR.

To answer your question about water changes, I have a 72 gal. display with a total water vol. of about 80 gal including sump and fuge and subtracting for LR/LS displacement. I do 7 to 10 gal. water changes weekly with TMPR.

I am almost out of my TMPR but I had asked my LFS to order me another bucket. I'd feel bad if I didn't buy it now. They are a new store and treat me really good.

I wondered about adding corals that utilize Ca instead of chemically trying to alter the tank. I'm glad to see some people agree with that concept.

I can't believe I'm going to have to buy ANOTHER test. I feel like a mad scientist already doing all this testing. I'll add Mg (and Iodine) test to my list to buy in the next month.

Can you mix salt brands? Like if I wanted to switch to reef crystals and I still bought the TMPR, could I slowly add more reef crystals to the mixture so that my tank gets acclimated to the new salt and I still buy the bucket I ordered?

[cheeks69]

Can you mix salt brands? Like if I wanted to switch to reef crystals and I still bought the TMPR, could I slowly add more reef crystals to the mixture so that my tank gets acclimated to the new salt and I still buy the bucket I ordered?

I know some people were mixing Oceanic with Instant Ocean and there was no noticeable problems but if you do this make sure the % of W/C is small and see how your tank inhabitants react.

[prow]

Originally Posted by Melanie

To answer your question about water changes, I have a 72 gal. display with a total water vol. of about 80 gal including sump and fuge and subtracting for LR/LS displacement. I do 7 to 10 gal. water changes weekly with TMPR.

no need, IMO, for such frequent water changes. your "ates and ites" are all good. the only reasons to do frequent changes is to either keep up with tanks demands(I,Sr,Ca,Mg ect..) or to help out your fitration, if it is not handling the load. might want to try to reduce the water changes to 10% every 15days. see how that goes.

I wondered about adding corals that utilize Ca instead of chemically trying to alter the tank. I'm glad to see some people agree with that concept.

lots here. seeing that you have a refugium you could try to go with halimedia for you macro. you can also add a branching coraline algea like Haliptilon roseum. any hard coral will uptake Ca/Alk. some grow faster than others, in a softy tank you will be limited on what hard corals will fit in the mix due to the naxious secreations most softies produce.

Can you mix salt brands? Like if I wanted to switch to reef crystals and I still bought the TMPR, could I slowly add more reef crystals to the mixture so that my tank gets acclimated to the new salt and I still buy the bucket I ordered?

sure, i would, disolve separately then mix the water once the salts are disolved, though.