Calcium off the charts...

Angels 2010 · Dec 20, 2009

Well, got me a new elos cal test kit today and at first i though it was a bad kit, so i tested twice and compared it to API and Salifert. It was a bit higher than both of them, but they read way high, too.

Alk was 11, mag was 1300 and calcium was 600. API and Salifert(Old test kit) both read about 550. I only did the approximate test on the elos. Anyways, I'm not sure why it is so whacked all of a sudden. I read all the articles i could on this and found 2 options. Add some calcium lovers, which i have none of right now and/or WC. I plan to do a WC tomorrow and will probably do another one tuesday or wednesday.

Another question, does anybody know what calcium precipitate looks like. I have this white stuff all over my rocks which i though was another, but i'm now wondering if it is that. Also, why would my coralline not take off at that level and use it up? Thank, Dave

Angels 2010 · Dec 21, 2009

anybody?
this is a pic of the crap on the rocks...

Ike · Dec 21, 2009

What salt are you using? Oceanic? If you're not supplementing anything a water change isn't really going to do you any good... Also, calcium being 600 isn't going to do any harm other than maybe a little more precipitate so I really wouldn't worry about it. As for the stuff on your rocks, it looks more bacterial to me or perhaps detritus and algae/bacteria...

Angels 2010 · Dec 21, 2009

ok, thanks for the response. Any idea why after doing nothing to the tank at all, my calcium level is so excessive? everything else is in check...

Ike · Dec 21, 2009

Ok, lets try this again... What salt are you using?

Angels 2010 · Dec 21, 2009

Sorry, missed that. My last WC(10 gallons a week) was brightwell's, before that TM bio-actif(x3) and before that Reef Crystals.
I don't think this is salt related because I had not done any WC for about 4 years, was FO with zero problems, yet when i tested for the first time in August my cal was at 600+ on a brand new API kit. I was told that was pretty much impossible and the kit must be bad. So I grabbed my old salifert kit and tested.It read about 400, which to me was much more believable so i stuck with it. I just got this new Elos kit and it read 650+ on the approximate so I tried the API and it was way up there too, yet the salifert read over 500, so i realized my mistake. I stopped dosing bi-carbonate pt 1 and 2.
So my real question is why/how was/is my calcium so high when i had done nothing?

Ike · Dec 21, 2009

You just said you were dosing a 2 part... That's not doing nothing and is probably why your numbers are off. Also, do you have a properly calibrated refractometer? If your salinity is high it will in turn make your calcium higher than it normally would be with the same salt mix.

Angels 2010 · Dec 21, 2009

Yes, I was dosing 2 part off and on for the last month, which I stopped Saturday, but according to the API kit which i thought was bad, my calcium levels have been through the roof since before August, at which point I was doing nothing.

Good point on the refractometer, my mine is properly calibrated. I calibrate every month because i know how crucial proper SG can be.

Ike · Dec 21, 2009

What are you calibrating your refractometer with? I still don't quite get this... You say your calcium levels were "through the roof before August", then you started dosing two part all the while knowing your calcium was probably high already, and now you're wondering why your calcium is high?

Angels 2010 · Dec 21, 2009

No, that's not it at all. I tested a few times in August with the API test kit and was told that those #'s were impossible without adding some form of calcium to my tank and that the test kit must be bad. It wasn't worth the $5 i spent to deal with shipping it back for a new kit. So I tried an old salifert kit which told me the numbers were much lower<400, so stupidly, I believed it. I got a clam and wanted my calcium higher because i also wanted to add some SPS so I started dowing to get the calcium higher to be ready for both. All the time, my salifert kit read between 350-450. My kit ran out so i got the Elos which confirmed what the API had said in august, thus my OP. I never would have dosed had I know my calcium was so high.

And yes, I am now wondering why my calcium is so high, having not known it truly was this high all along. As far as the refractometer, I use RO/DI water reading 0 TDS.

Has that cleared it up? I appreciate your help, as i'm a bit confused by it also...

Ike · Dec 21, 2009

Get some pinpoint 53ms calbration fluid for your refractometer, they should not be calibrated using RO/DI or distilled water. As for your calcium, just maintain your alaklinity and let your calcium come down naturally. 600 is quite possible if you get a batch of salt with high calcium levels or you salinity is off.