Calcium doing things it shouldnt

[SaltwaterandLime]

How much you were dosing from the Calcium supplement daily?

2mL....same amount as the alk ...

Even before I got the trident I have always struggled to accurately measure calcium, so I was dosing based on what I calculated my alk usage to be

 

[biom]

readings came down to 525 and then have begun rising again over the last two days and I am now back up to 540ppm.

2mL....same amount as the alk ...

That would add 4-5 ppm Ca daily and since you have almost no Ca consumption 525 ppm + 2 days of dosing 5ppm = 525+10= 535 ppm, You have measured 540 which is in the margin of error.
Nothing strange here, you were just dosing calcium without need. There were alkalinity depletion because of the ammonium oxidized to nitrate.
I would suggest dosing only alkalinity until Calcium reaches fresh salt mix levels.

 

[homer1475]

That would add 4-5 ppm Ca daily and since you have almost no Ca consumption 525 ppm + 2 days of dosing 5ppm = 525+10= 535 ppm, You have measured 540 which is in the margin of error.
Nothing strange here, you were just dosing calcium without need. There were alkalinity depletion because of the ammonium oxidized to nitrate.
I would suggest dosing only alkalinity until Calcium reaches fresh salt mix levels.

The raise was after she turned the doser off. She WAS adding 2ml, saw it raising, turned the doser off, and it continued to rise.

 

[Pod_01]

The raise was after she turned the doser off. She WAS adding 2ml, saw it raising, turned the doser off, and it continued to rise.

Just an opinion, but that increase could be just measurement error. For example increase in salinity due to evaporation could do it or hobby test kit variation.
I would let it go without any additions for week or two and hopefully it stays the same or starts to decrease.
If not hmmmm…. get started with all kinds of theories, like maybe the substrate is melting, if there is such a thing possible? In the end the calcium has to come from some source.
I hope it gets resolved and we find out what it was. It is unusual problem.

 

[SaltwaterandLime]

Just an opinion, but that increase could be just measurement error.

You are right, as of right now the amount of rise could very well just be measurement error. I'll keep an eye on it and see what happens with more time. Will definitely update!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Just be sure to not dose this product 1:1 based on alk, because it is not made that way. Calcium is more potent than the alk part, unlike nearly all other two part systems. Equal parts dosing based on alk will lead to calcium rising.

 

[SaltwaterandLime]

One week without dosing and with no water change. No significant change in any of my parameters.

Will continue to monitor

 

[Pod_01]

One week without dosing and with no water change. No significant change in any of my parameters.

Will continue to monitor

Looks promising, I would go for another week just to make sure nothing funny happens and assuming corals are looking good. But start to think of a plan how to get the Ca down to below 450.
My own observation tell me that when Ca is below 450 corals look and grow better. It is just a suggestion and don’t rush it either.

 

[gbroadbridge]

One week without dosing and with no water change. No significant change in any of my parameters.

Will continue to monitor

Did you test with your other test kit as well?

It's simply not possible for Ca to rise if you're not dosing anything.

 

[biom]

One week without dosing and with no water change. No significant change in any of my parameters.

Will continue to monitor

So far so good, I would say there is slight trend of lowering of the levels which was expected.

 

[SaltwaterandLime]

Looks promising, I would go for another week just to make sure nothing funny happens and assuming corals are looking good. But start to think of a plan how to get the Ca down to below 450.
My own observation tell me that when Ca is below 450 corals look and grow better. It is just a suggestion and don’t rush it either.

I wanted to let things ride to see how the numbers changed, but once I'm happy with the downwards trend I should be able to get back into the correct range with a series of water changes.

 

[nosmok]

I'm currently having the same problem!!
Bought the Trident, calibrated it after 2 weeks.
Did large water changes with Red Sea salt and the Calcium is 549, Alk 9 and Mg 1478
The calcium doser pump (VERSA) has been off for several week and I recently dialed back on Alk and Mg

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'm currently having the same problem!!
Bought the Trident, calibrated it after 2 weeks.
Did large water changes with Red Sea salt and the Calcium is 549, Alk 9 and Mg 1478
The calcium doser pump (VERSA) has been off for several week and I recently dialed back on Alk and Mg

I don’t know if the measurement is accurate, but 549 ppm calcium is OK.

can you post a picture of the tank?

 

[SaltwaterandLime]

I'm currently having the same problem!!
Bought the Trident, calibrated it after 2 weeks.
Did large water changes with Red Sea salt and the Calcium is 549, Alk 9 and Mg 1478
The calcium doser pump (VERSA) has been off for several week and I recently dialed back on Alk and Mg

I wish I had an answer for you. I'm now at almost 2 months of a steady rise in both calcium and alkalinity with no explainable reason.

I even switched to a different salt with lower parameters and it's still happening.

My numbers drop after my weekly water change, then slowly rise again during the week.

Still dosing nothing but nopox.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I wish I had an answer for you. I'm now at almost 2 months of a steady rise in both calcium and alkalinity with no explainable reason.

I even switched to a different salt with lower parameters and it's still happening.

My numbers drop after my weekly water change, then slowly rise again during the week.

Still dosing nothing but nopox.

Likely slow dissolution of rock and sand.

 

[SaltwaterandLime]

Likely slow dissolution of rock and sand.

This is my best guess as well, although I wish I had a way to know how long it would continue.

 

[Pod_01]

Likely slow dissolution of rock and sand.

Randy is that due to low pH or what would cause the sand and rock to dissolve???? Just curious and I didn’t know it could happen in reef tank….

 

[nosmok]

I don’t know if the measurement is accurate, but 549 ppm calcium is OK.

can you post a picture of the tank?

measured by Trident, which I bought after my iDip kept giving me these high results

Trident calibrated after 2 weeks of measuring as well

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

This is my best guess as well, although I wish I had a way to know how long it would continue.

IMO, it will continue until you have more demand for alk and calcium.

Long ago, Larry Jackson reported that he had to periodically add sand to his long time reef because of slow dissolution.

 

[SaltwaterandLime]

IMO, it will continue until you have more demand for alk and calcium.

Long ago, Larry Jackson reported that he had to periodically add sand to his long time reef because of slow dissolution.

Very interesting. I wonder if it has to do with my choice of crushed coral as substrate. This is my first tank I've used it on. I will say that this particular track also struggles with low pH. I have 3 other tanks in the house that all sit about 8.1-8.2, but this tank struggles to reach 7.8 at its highest during the day.