Calcium levels Dropping fast... Help please

[Greg Depo]

So I was out of town last week and my brs 1.1ml doser got stuck on for 5 hours. That doser had soda ash in it and my alk spiked to 12.5 from my normal 9.5. Luckily nothing seems to have died yet from this accident. I did my water change Friday (20%) and tested everything the next morning and I found my calcium level was almost undetectable. It was basically 250 or possibly even lower. So yesterday I added roughly 450 ml of liquid calcium chloride to bring up the level in my 75g tank. Based on brs calculations that should bring up the value 50ppm but this afternoon when I tested it it showed no real change. Not really sure how that could be. I tried two different test kits as well and they confirm it being that low. Lastly I did test my mg and it was low around 1160 so I added the brs additive and that’s now at 1430. All the other perimeters are normal as well.

Am I missing something on why the calcium isn’t increasing? The tank is about 15 months old and its mixed reef. I did recently add 12 coral frags from wwc live sale so I’m sure the consumption has increased but I can’t see it being that much.

Just need some ideas since calcium hasn’t been an issue until now. Thanks

 

[Flippers4pups]

The alkalinity spike may have caused your calcium to precipitate. Check your heaters and pumps for calcium build up. Doing a series of larger water changes may bring it back up which should bring your alkalinity down some.

 

[Greg Depo]

The alkalinity spike may have caused your calcium to precipitate. Check your heaters and pumps for calcium build up. Doing a series of larger water changes may bring it back up which should bring your alkalinity down some.

When I got home the entire DT was covered in white shoot. I just wonder why even dosing it with calcium chloride hasn't brought the value up. I'm dosing it again tonight with the hopes of bringing it up a little.

 

[Flippers4pups]

When I got home the entire DT was covered in white shoot. I just wonder why even dosing it with calcium chloride hasn't brought the value up. I'm dosing it again tonight with the hopes of bringing it up a little.

Yep, calcium dropped out with a sudden spike of alkalinity. Anything that makes heat, pumps, heaters will have a calcium coating on them. I've had this situation happen long ago with a mechanical float valve sticking open and dumping all my Kalkwasser in my ATO reservoir into a tank I had. Same result. Water changes helped a ton.

 

[Greg Depo]

Yep, calcium dropped out with a sudden spike of alkalinity. Anything that makes heat, pumps, heaters will have a calcium coating on them. I've had this situation happen long ago with a mechanical float valve sticking open and dumping all my Kalkwasser in my ATO reservoir into a tank I had. Same result. Water changes helped a ton.

Will dosing it bring it up or only water changes? Also I've heard doing large scale water changes can cause a tank to "re-cycle"... LFS dude claims thats what happens. Thought I should ask considering to me thats hard to believe.

Thanks!

 

[Flippers4pups]

Will dosing it bring it up or only water changes? Also I've heard doing large scale water changes can cause a tank to "re-cycle"... LFS dude claims thats what happens. Thought I should ask considering to me thats hard to believe.

Thanks!

No it won't recycle, but large water changes can stress corals if it's around 80-100% changed all at once. Several "larger" water changes shouldn't be that stressful if spaced out over a couple weeks.

You can dose and or do water changes. Either will get you there.

 

[Auquanut]

Exactly what @Flippers4pups said. The biggest risk right now is making too big of a change too quickly. A somewhat gradual approach to bringing your Calc back in line will reduce precipitation and put less stress on your corals.

 

[Greg Depo]

Exactly what @Flippers4pups said. The biggest risk right now is making too big of a change too quickly. A somewhat gradual approach to bringing your Calc back in line will reduce precipitation and put less stress on your corals.

I hear ya. I'll do a 25% change once I get home on thursday. Hopefully dosing some will bring it up a bit. I did recently change to Tropic Marin Pro Salt. Do you guys think some of the deficiency could be from that change?

 

[Flippers4pups]

I hear ya. I'll do a 25% change once I get home on thursday. Hopefully dosing some will bring it up a bit. I did recently change to Tropic Marin Pro Salt. Do you guys think some of the deficiency could be from that change?

No. The alkalinity dump drove the calcium out of the water column. Precipitated on everything like a white snow or mass.

 

[Greg P]

As mentioned above, don't dose more Ca product as it's already 'snowing' in your tank - the raised Alk caused some of your Ca to 'come out of solution'.
WCs with new water of lower levels will eventually get things back in balance.