High calcium what's the cause?

[N2theUnknown]

Hey guys so just for the record I only have 2 calcium test so I have not compared it to any others. Only thing I have in town is the fluval cal test how are these tests?

Now with that out of the way I'm using regular instant ocean. And it's test around 450ish for the most part (this is new saltwater mixed for a WC). But when I test my tank my cal sits around 530. And it just dawned on me that when I set this tank up about a year ago I mixed in 10 pounds of caribsea Aragonite and on the bag it states 381,000 ppm calcium. Would this play into the increase or is something else going on?

 

[Uncle99]

What’s Alk in the DT?
Is it low?
Tank Volume?
The release from Carbi Sea would be slow over time.
I use this sand exclusively as well and can maintain 450ppm.

 

[N2theUnknown]

Alk was low I had coraline plus a few encrusters take off and my alk dropped down to 7 slowly got it back to 9 will low alk make ca red high? I'm new to the whole dosing thing and parameters and how each one effects one another

 

[Uncle99]

Alk was low I had coraline plus a few encrusters take off and my alk dropped down to 7 slowly got it back to 9 will low alk make ca red high? I'm new to the whole dosing thing and parameters and how each one effects one another

I believe Alk and CA have an inverse relationship in terms of maintaining levels. It’s important to keep Alk on point as much as possible and MG in the 1300-1400ppm range to prevent fluxes in these two components.
So, again, update MG, test, update Alk, wait 24 hours and retest.

 

[arking_mark]

I believe Alk and CA have an inverse relationship in terms of maintaining levels. It’s important to keep Alk on point as much as possible and MG in the 1300-1400ppm range to prevent fluxes in these two components.
So, again, update MG, test, update Alk, wait 24 hours and retest.

Ca and Alk do not have an inverse relationship in the saltwater aquarium.

 

[N2theUnknown]

Ill come back here in a day or 2 and report all my readings over those 2 days. Also maybe someone else will chime in. Am still wondering if the agronite will causes issues later down the road? Does it ever spike or is it a fairly constant release of all the elements or would it not even be enough to change drastically

 

[arking_mark]

A couple thoughts:
1. So 530 is not that high.
2. Ca tests are prone to human error and accuracy
3. Increased salinity could contribute to higher readings.
4. Are you dosing anything that adds Ca?

 

[Uncle99]

Ca and Alk do not have an inverse relationship in the saltwater aquarium.

Is that your thinking or just a fact?

 

[Uncle99]

Is that your thinking or just a fact?

This is the concept taught by Lou Ekus at Macna 2019.
It also makes a huge amount of sense.
Check the video, it’s quite interesting.

 

[arking_mark]

Is that your thinking or just a fact?

If you are saying that as Alk goes up, Ca goes down and visa versa; then I'm pretty sure that's not correct, but I've been known to be wrong before. I'm just not aware of a mechanism that makes this happen. In fact, you can adjust either one with additives and they don't seem to impact each other unless you raise them wildly out of balance. For most practical purposes, Ca/Alk is consumed equally in the tank.

 

[N2theUnknown]

A couple thoughts:
1. So 530 is not that high.
2. Ca tests are prone to human error and accuracy
3. Increased salinity could contribute to higher readings.
4. Are you dosing anything that adds Ca?

Salinity is 1.026 and nope no ca additives

 

[arking_mark]

Salinity is 1.026 and nope no ca additives

How are you raising Alk?

 

[vetteguy53081]

A couple of decades ago, we relied solely on kalkwasser (calcium hydroxide dissolved in water) to provide all the calcium that was needed by my corals. We really did not worry about alkalinity nor did we even test for it. The thought process for many of us at the time was that if we kept the calcium level in our tanks over 400 all was good in the tank and the corals would thrive and grow. Now measure alkalinity and magnesium regularly as well as just about every other macro and micro element. For many of us, keeping alkalinity stable and at slightly higher than the level in natural seawater has become our standard. We focus so much on replenishment that we overlook what is using and what needs Calcium.
Now to your issue . . . . . . . How to go about fixing your high calcium low alkalinity is a very simple plan. Stop dosing CAL all together and increase your ALK dosing. This works well for a while but ultimately may not be enough. Eventually, you can do water changes to correct the issue.
Most salt mixes should mix at a calcium level between 360-420. Doing the water changes should help to bring the calcium levels down and hopefully also bring the calcium and alkalinity levels into balance if they aren’t already.

 

[N2theUnknown]

How are you raising Alk?

Seachem reef fusion 2

 

[vetteguy53081]

A couple thoughts:
1. So 530 is not that high.
2. Ca tests are prone to human error and accuracy
3. Increased salinity could contribute to higher readings.
4. Are you dosing anything that adds Ca?

A calcium level of 500 mg/l is higher than most people run their tanks at but as long as your alkalinity level is also running high it may not be an issue. When high levels (or low levels) of calcium occur in the tank and are out of balance with the alkalinity within the tank, that is normally where this becomes an issue. Seawater is 460-480.

Industry standards are:
Temp 77-79
ph 8.1-8.3
salinity 1.025
nitrate < .4
phos < .04
Ammonia < .03
mG 1300
Alk 8-9
CA 440

 

[N2theUnknown]

How are you raising Alk?

Seachem reef fusion

A calcium level of 500 mg/l is higher than most people run their tanks at but as long as your alkalinity level is also running high it may not be an issue. When high levels (or low levels) of calcium occur in the tank and are out of balance with the alkalinity within the tank, that is normally where this becomes an issue. Seawater is 460-480.

Industry standards are:
Temp 77-79
ph 8.1-8.3
salinity 1.025
nitrate < .4
phos < .04
Ammonia < .03
mG 1300
Alk 8-9
CA 440

See I'm not terribly worried am just curious as to why it's higher than what I'm mixing at. I'd say human error and test accuracy could play a part but between fresh saltwater and tank water I'm averaging 50+ppm higher every time. I will say I thought I had it pegged. My ro membrane took a dump and I was putting 400+ tds water into my tank. My area is high in calcium. But here I am 3 months later and it's still sitting at the same level low to mid 500.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Seachem reef fusion

See I'm not terribly worried am just curious as to why it's higher than what I'm mixing at. I'd say human error and test accuracy could play a part but between fresh saltwater and tank water I'm averaging 50+ppm higher every time. I will say I thought I had it pegged. My ro membrane took a dump and I was putting 400+ tds water into my tank. My area is high in calcium. But here I am 3 months later and it's still sitting at the same level low to mid 500.

With your concern and inconsistencies, I would suggest take a water sample to a trusted LFS (one preferably that does Not use API test kits) and see what reading they come up with and to compare with yours.

 

[N2theUnknown]

With your concern and inconsistencies, I would suggest take a water sample to a trusted LFS (one preferably that does Not use API test kits) and see what reading they come up with and to compare with yours.

I would love to sadly only fish store withen 3 hours is a petco... Guess I could take it to them anyway and see what they get

 

[Uncle99]

If you are saying that as Alk goes up, Ca goes down and visa versa; then I'm pretty sure that's not correct, but I've been known to be wrong before. I'm just not aware of a mechanism that makes this happen. In fact, you can adjust either one with additives and they don't seem to impact each other unless you raise them wildly out of balance. For most practical purposes, Ca/Alk is consumed equally in the tank.

No, not up and down.
His presentation suggests that at high Alk levels, say 11.5dkh, it’s hard to get CA past say, 330ppm before it precipitates from solution, and vice versa.
He furthers by indicating that as we increase MG, we move the “inverse relationship” upwards on both Alk and CA, so we can maintain stable and higher levels.
IMM, anytime I see higher than expected, or varying tests in ALk or CA, MG should be checked.
Or at least, that’s my understanding.

 

[arking_mark]

No, not up and down.
His presentation suggests that at high Alk levels, say 11.5dkh, it’s hard to get CA past say, 330ppm before it precipitates from solution, and vice versa.
He furthers by indicating that as we increase MG, we move the “inverse relationship” upwards on both Alk and CA, so we can maintain stable and higher levels.
IMM, anytime I see higher than expected, or varying tests in ALk or CA, MG should be checked.
Or at least, that’s my understanding.

So you are talking specifically about very high-levels of Alk/Ca which may cause precipitation and how to push these boundaries. For most, we are talking about natural sea water or elevated levels that many aquarist try to keep. At these levels, there is no inverse relationship.