Calcium too high??

[bioteacher]

You'll want to try to maintain magnesium at 3x the level of your calcium by the way

Hmm, ok. So is there a good kit I should use, or are they all ok.

 

[Madreefer420]

It is a bit high but I do believe that the elevated calcium levels could be the reason for that but I may be wrong

That would make sence

 

[Mrc8858]

Hmm, ok. So is there a good kit I should use, or are they all ok.

Digital tests are the only ones that are accurate enough for phosphates imo

 

[bioteacher]

Digital tests are the only ones that are accurate enough for phosphates imo

Wait I thought we were talking about magnesium.

 

[Mrc8858]

Wait I thought we were talking about magnesium.

Oh, well for mag you could use red sea, or salifert test. There are a few others but I don't have any experience with them.

 

[Gregcoyote]

My ph is at 8.86. I use a hand held Hanna digital meter. It has always been high since I got the tank so I think that it might be out of calibration a bit. It has been very steady in this range ever since I got the tank. I hadn't thought to test my rodi water for calcium before mixing. Just assumed that since my tds was so low that there couldn't be calcium in my water.

I did not mean the RO water, what does the calcium level of new saltwater look like before adding to the tank? The PH of 8.8 is way too high unless you're meter is off. I would try to get a correct PH measurement ASAP.

 

[Gregcoyote]

I suspect your test kits or your use of them. It is VERY hard to get calcium up to the levels you report. You would have to be dosing calcium and/or Kalkwasser. I do both and get a calcium reading of 500. But I am growing a lot of hard corals. And keep my magnesium levels up to match. I suspect your reading. Take a water sample to the LFS and ask them to test it for you.

 

[Schism]

I suspect your test kits or your use of them. It is VERY hard to get calcium up to the levels you report. You would have to be dosing calcium and/or Kalkwasser. I do both and get a calcium reading of 500. But I am growing a lot of hard corals. And keep my magnesium levels up to match. I suspect your reading. Take a water sample to the LFS and ask them to test it for you.

My guess as well, either test kits or bad saltmix most likely. Probably need to eliminate these 2 possibilities first.

 

[Madreefer420]

Not that hard surprisingly I had mine up to like 590 from using purple up every day and doing regular water changesmy buddy had the same problem

 

[Madreefer420]

Mind you I keep my salinity high around 1.026-1.027 usuwslly on the higher side unless mu protien skimmer went crazy and skimmed to much

 

[ccCapt]

Coralife salt usually mixes to around 560 calcium so what you are seeing isn't far off from what should be expected.
Synthetic Salt Mixes - Reef Central Online Community

I would definitely calibrate the pH meter. I highly doubt your pH is 8.8.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Wow, I didn't know it mixed that high. Reef crystals seems to come in about 420-450. But these titration style test kits are prone to being off. I finally ordered a Hanna. Still titration based, but I think it should work better. Their phosphate meter is great. And yes, the PH is not sounding right.

 

[Schism]

Coralife salt usually mixes to around 560 calcium so what you are seeing isn't far off from what should be expected.
Synthetic Salt Mixes - Reef Central Online Community

I would definitely calibrate the pH meter. I highly doubt your pH is 8.8.

Wow! I would say change your saltmix. Any clue what the previous tank owner used for mix? Ph does not sound right like stated. 8.8 off charts

 

[bioteacher]

Ok, so I tested a mixed batch of saltwater. Here are the parameters:

pH 8.61
Cal 630
Sal 1.026

My tank is at

pH 8.74
Cal 600
Sal 1.026

So I guess my mix is just high in calcium. The real question is why is it not being used up more seeing as I am not dosing calcium. This leads me back to the magnesium issue. I still have not tested for that so I still have more things to look into. I am going to take some sample to the lfs for testing as well.

 

[Sniperhank]

It takes a large amount of stony corals to make a significant impact on calcium levels.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Ok, so I tested a mixed batch of saltwater. Here are the parameters:

pH 8.61
Cal 630
Sal 1.026

My tank is at

pH 8.74
Cal 600
Sal 1.026

So I guess my mix is just high in calcium. The real question is why is it not being used up more seeing as I am not dosing calcium. This leads me back to the magnesium issue. I still have not tested for that so I still have more things to look into. I am going to take some sample to the lfs for testing as well.

It sure does take a lot of hard coral to matter. But I am still not believing those PH readings. With readings like that calcium dosing would be a waste of time. Alkalinity though is important to keep up.

 

[Madreefer420]

It sure does take a lot of hard coral to matter. But I am still not believing those PH readings. With readings like that calcium dosing would be a waste of time. Alkalinity though is important to keep up.

Y would it be a waist others then the fact that the ph is high

 

[Gregcoyote]

Y would it be a waist others then the fact that the ph is high

What? Spell checker dude.

 

[Madreefer420]

What? Spell checker dude.

How would dosing calcium be a waste of time when the ph is that high

 

[bioteacher]

How would dosing calcium be a waste of time when the ph is that high

I may be wrong but I think that calcium precipitates out of solution when pH is too high. I think that threshold is at a pH that is above 9. He might also be saying that it is not worth worrying about calcium because a pH that high is more detrimental than the calcium would be.