High Calcium in Soft Coral Tank?

[Aspect]

Hello I just measured my calcium/mg out of curiousity and my CA is 600ppm and MG is 1400. I have never dosed anything, nor do I have anything that builds a calcium skeleton. My tank is strictly soft coral and no clove polyps/pipe organ. I use my Reef Crystals at 36ppt. Is calcium at this level a problem? I added natural aragonite last week in my sump. Could that have caused the calcium being this high?

 

[Subsea]

Aroggonite begins to dissolve at a pH of 7.4. In the interior of a dsb, that would happen and passive bufferring & trace mineral addittion happens. I suggest you have your water tested at LFS. NEVERTHELES, those high magnesium & calcium concentrations will decrease on their own. However, depending on alkalinity & pH you could get a snow storm in the bulk water. Never fear, it will clear up on its own.

I see no problem with calcium at that level.

 

[Aspect]

Aroggonite begins to dissolve at a pH of 7.4. In the interior of a dsb, that would happen and passive bufferring & trace mineral addittion happens. I suggest you have your water tested at LFS. NEVERTHELES, those high magnesium & calcium concentrations will decrease on their own. However, depending on alkalinity & pH you could get a snow storm in the bulk water. Never fear, it will clear up on its own.

I see no problem with calcium at that level.

DKH is 7 and pH is ~ 8.1 ever since I lowered my lighting.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I do not think it is a concern, and it may not be accurate anyway. Have you tried the kit on new salt water?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

added natural aragonite last week in my sump. Could that have caused the calcium being this high?

If any fine particles were still suspended in the water, yes,

 

[Aspect]

I do not think it is a concern, and it may not be accurate anyway. Have you tried the kit on new salt water?

Have not, the brand is "Monitor". What do you mean by fine particles suspended in the water?

 

[Subsea]

DKH is 7 and pH is ~ 8.1 ever since I lowered my lighting.

What do you mean by “lowered my lighting“?

Did you lower fixture thereby increasing intensity?
Or, did you lower lighting intensity?

PS: “Fine particles suspended“ will dissolve readily as opposed to “boulders on bottom”.

 

[Miami Reef]

Have not, the brand is "Monitor". What do you mean by fine particles suspended in the water?

If the sample of water had any calcium carbonate particles from the new sand you added, then the results of the test would appear higher.

 

[Aspect]

What do you mean by “lowered my lighting“?

Did you lower fixture thereby increasing intensity?
Or, did you lower lighting intensity?

PS: “Fine particles suspended“ will dissolve readily as opposed to “boulders on bottom”.

Decreased my lighting intensity. When I had it 100% my pH would be in the 8.4-8.5 range. The Aragonite was in the form of natural shells.

 

[Subsea]

Decreased my lighting intensity. When I had it 100% my pH would be in the 8.4-8.5 range. The Aragonite was in the form of natural shells.

Particle dust will dissolve much more readily.

With decreased light intensity, comes decreased photosynthesis and thus less consumption of carbon dioxide. With more carbon dioxide in the water, the pH of the water will be lower.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Have not, the brand is "Monitor". What do you mean by fine particles suspended in the water?

I mean aragonite sand sometimes has fine sand particles in it, and those can be slow to settle out of aquarium water. A sand grain getting into the test will dissolve and give a false high reading.

 

[Aspect]

I mean aragonite sand sometimes has fine sand particles in it, and those can be slow to settle out of aquarium water. A sand grain getting into the test will dissolve and give a false high reading.

If my MG is in normal ranges, then more than likely my CA correlates with that, or no?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If my MG is in normal ranges, then more than likely my CA correlates with that, or no?

Calcium depletes about 10x faster than magnesium, so an undetectable drop in magnesium of 10 ppm would be associated with a 100 ppm drop in calcium. Thus, I would not try to associate the two in that way.