Calcium levels

[suthernsalt]

Can your calcium levels be too high? Mine are at 600ppm with no additives. TIA

[vertex]

I've seen that question asked before here and the answer was no. As long as other parameters are OK.

I'd question your test kit though as I would suspect it might be wrong with a reading that high without additives at all.

600 ppm Ca can eventually become quite damaging. It can cause polyp bail out, flesh becoming loose from the skelaton of corals as well as clam mantles loosing their edhesion to the shell to name a few. Not something I would suggest you leave be. Best suggestion is several water changes until it's corrected.

If you've made no chem additions at all buffers or otherswise, I'd suggest getting the Mg checked. Mg depletion is usually the largest contributor to a rising Ca and low alk.

I would suggest posting your alk and Mg if you can. Wouldn't hurt to post the levels of a new batch of SW after it's had a day to mix properly.

Cheers
Steve

[suthernsalt]

I have a Red Sea test kit for pH & alk, and it says my alk is borderline normal/low.
I don't have an mg kit . My ca test kit is a Red Sea also.

[suthernsalt]

sorry my alk is high

[jamal-188]

Originally Posted by suthernsalt

sorry my alk is high

I'd be curios as to how high? If you're ca is at 600ppm I don't see how your alk could be terribly high?

[suthernsalt]

My test kit only shows low, normal, or high. It registered borderline normal/high.

[seaham358]

take some water to the LFS or a friend and have them test it. I use salifert test kits and leve them may want to invest in some new kits... How old are yours, they do go bad over time.

Originally Posted by suthernsalt

It registered borderline normal/high.

Probabley somewhere in the range of 3.5-4 mEq/l. An LFS will be able to tell you as seaham358 suggested.

Red Sea is actually okay for the Ca part but the alk kit should be replaced. When dealing with reef chemistry, low/norm/high is not accurate enough.

I would still start on the water changes in the meantime. You won't make things worse. Just be sure that the new SW is well aged/aerated for at least a day before use. Once you get more accurate test kits you will know how better to proceed.

Saliefrt test kits should be available at just about any online store. I would see if you can go that route if your LFS is not able to provide something better.

Cheers
Steve