Calcium Levels ...not understanding why it won't go down :-(

Gary Inwood · Dec 20, 2019

Andrew Schubert said:
So your arguing a spike causes burnt tips not high alk, by giving an example how u had a spike in your tank that didnt cause burnt tips? Probably the reason you didnt get any burnt tips was because you didnt leave your tank at that high of a level.

From my understanding the reason acros get. Burnt tips is because high alk causes corals to grow faster then they can produce zooxanthellae, causing bleached tips and stressing the corals.

I lowered my alk from 9 down to 7 and within a week saw colors in my acros I've never seen before..it was amazing! Lower all = more color, higher alk = faster growth...the balance between the 2 is up to the reefer. But dkh too high is just gonna do harm.

motortrendz
Said it all

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 20, 2019

I think it may be misleading to say high alk causes burnt tips. It seems to take high alk and insufficient N and so to support faster growth.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 20, 2019

Jeeperz said:
This is why I don't dose 2 part. I never tested a need for CAL but with everyone on the 2 part bandwagon, I followed. Caused an ALK crash. So I reset and only dose alk daily and weekly water changes. My Cal and mag never change. Only ALK. I'm up to 15ml red sea ALK daily in my 20 gallon. I'm no professional, but this is how 2 of my tanks run.

I think if you dosed a two part as directed based on the alk measurements, you probably would also be perfectly fine.

Jeeperz · Dec 20, 2019

I tried dosing 2 part, ESV, to maintain my ALK. No matter how much I added my ALK kept dropping, ending up at around 4 or so before I gave up. That was dumping in more than 30 ml of each in a 20 gallon. I went back to red sea ALK only at 13 ml and it maintains ALK around 9dkh

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 21, 2019

Jeeperz said:
I tried dosing 2 part, ESV, to maintain my ALK. No matter how much I added my ALK kept dropping, ending up at around 4 or so before I gave up. That was dumping in more than 30 ml of each in a 20 gallon. I went back to red sea ALK only at 13 ml and it maintains ALK around 9dkh

Assuming the issue was precipitation of calcium carbonate (which is the only possible thing that can keep alk from getting as high as you want if you add enough), the nature of a two part in general is not the problem.

To reduce precipitation, the first thing to do is to stop dosing for a bit, and let the solid calcium carbonate surfaces that are acting as seeds crystals for precipitation get clogged with organics, phosphate, and magnesium. All of those get onto the surfaces and tend to slow or stop precipitation. That can take a few days to a week. Then resume dosing.

When you resume, try these things:

1. Keep the pH on the lower side. That can mean switching to a low pH two part, such as ESV B-ionic Bicarbonate, or my DIY recipe #2. Both of those use bicarbonate for alk supplementation and do not raise pH at all. A more extreme change is to switch to a CaCO3/CO2 reactor. Other methods to lower pH also work well (close windows, vinegar or other carbon dosing, etc.).

2. keep the alkalinity and calcium on the low end of normal.

3. Stop or reduce organic export for a bit (GAC, etc.)

4.. maintain adequately high magnesium and phosphate.

Jeeperz · Dec 22, 2019

Interesting. I used the ESV that helps raise pH since my pH is always 8 or lower, that's why I leave windows open/partially open 24/7/365. Magnesium never tests under 1500ppm, reef crystals/salinity mix. Po4 around .1(color charts/red sea). I do use carbon in a bag in rear sump.

How do I lower calcium if my fresh saltwater is 480+? Dosing 15ml ALK daily I get around ~8.5dkh, which is where I set my water change water 8.5-9dkh right before a water change.

Why do I need to dose calcium when my levels are over 450 all the time? I do weekly water changes of 6-7 gallons on a 20 to export and remove detritus.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 22, 2019

Jeeperz said:
Interesting. I used the ESV that helps raise pH since my pH is always 8 or lower, that's why I leave windows open/partially open 24/7/365. Magnesium never tests under 1500ppm, reef crystals/salinity mix. Po4 around .1(color charts/red sea). I do use carbon in a bag in rear sump.

How do I lower calcium if my fresh saltwater is 480+? Dosing 15ml ALK daily I get around ~8.5dkh, which is where I set my water change water 8.5-9dkh right before a water change.

Why do I need to dose calcium when my levels are over 450 all the time? I do weekly water changes of 6-7 gallons on a 20 to export and remove detritus.

If you are doing such big water changes with a high calcium mix, then if you want calcium lower than the mix, I would reduce or stop the calcium component of the two part, or use a lower calcium mix for water changes.

Hollywood_REEFER · Oct 25, 2021

time to revisit this post. my alk is 8.7 and i want to be within the 9 range. but my calcium is and has always been in the 500 range and i cant seem to get it lower. can i dose just part A b-ionic to hit my target and not worry about part B since my calcium is so high? just did a water change last night,i use tropic marin pro reef salt and hanna checkers. my tank consists of zoas/pallys and LPS favia,acan,blasto. or everything is fine and wait till i see my alk drop under 8 to start dosing?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 26, 2021

Hollywood_REEFER said:
time to revisit this post. my alk is 8.7 and i want to be within the 9 range. but my calcium is and has always been in the 500 range and i cant seem to get it lower. can i dose just part A b-ionic to hit my target and not worry about part B since my calcium is so high? just did a water change last night,i use tropic marin pro reef salt and hanna checkers. my tank consists of zoas/pallys and LPS favia,acan,blasto. or everything is fine and wait till i see my alk drop under 8 to start dosing?

There's no need to try to get the calcium lower.

If you have confidence in your kit, and want the calcium to go down, just use the alk part of the B-ionic when you need alkalinity..