Crazy Calcium numbers

Wagtribe · Jan 21, 2022

I am attempting to add Kalkwasser to my 130 g tank but am frustrated seeing Calcium numbers way too high. I have been dosing Kalk for about 3 months, 200mL via my ATO water and Red Sea dosser. I am also dosing:
Red Sea Reef Energy Plus AB+ - 40mL
Tropic Marin All for Reef - 40mL
Red Sea KH/Foundation B - 6.0mL
I do a gallon per day water change, my salt mix is Red Sea Foundation C - 10.5mL Tropic Marin Bio-actif Salt mix.
The Trident is showing my parameters as acceptable with the exception of my Calcium. It is staying constantly over 500 and no matter what I have tried, (adding more KH and water changes) I still see it going up. What am I missing? I am not supplementing any Calcium to my knowledge. My Corals and fish seem fine, and I have just recently recalibrated the Trident. I also check Calcium using Hanna test and got readings between 511 and 518. What am I missing?

Reefer Matt · Jan 21, 2022

I wouldn't worry about it as long as it is stable.

SPS2020 · Jan 21, 2022

As above. As I type, my Ca is at 552 and Mg at 1400. It stays high, but so does Mg so there isn't any precip anywhere.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 21, 2022

400-550 ppm calcium is generally fine, IMO.

High alkalinity and pH are the big drivers of precipitation in reef tanks, not so much the calcium levels.

Spare time · Jan 27, 2022

Kalk and all for eef are adding calcium.

Wagtribe · Feb 8, 2022

SPS2020 said:
As above. As I type, my Ca is at 552 and Mg at 1400. It stays high, but so does Mg so there isn't any precip anywhere.

Mag. is the catch...higher KH and Ca are acceptable as long as higher Mg are included? Mag. stop percip.?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Feb 8, 2022

Wagtribe said:
Mag. is the catch...higher KH and Ca are acceptable as long as higher Mg are included? Mag. stop percip.?

I wouldn't push magnesium higher than "normal" for this purpose. It does have that effect, but so do other components of seawater, such as organics and phosphate.

SPS2020 · Feb 8, 2022

Magnesium binds to the surface of calcium carbonate which helps precipitating out of the water.

My Mag stayed high when I was using AFR. I switched to two part (they should call it four part

) and can dial it in a bit better now.