High Calcium

RamsReef · Aug 20, 2017

Hello,

I had my tank parameters locked in. I am using reef salt and dosing 1/2/3. I have been losing my SPS lately and could not figure out why. I was testing alk every 3 days and everything was solid. I decided to test calcium and it was around 540, I was expecting 420. I had changed buckets of reef salt about a month ago. I tested fresh salt water and the calcium was 540. Used 3 different test kits and all confirmed above 500.
ALK + Mg were good.
I do 20% water changes every week so my SPS did not like this.

Was there a bad batch of salt that went out? My bucket did not have the slip in it this time.
Should I stop dosing 1 or keep it the same as 2/3 for the time being? I was dosing 6 ml a day but since my sps loss it is now at 2 ml.

reef Salt
000828
pass A.K.

@Aquaforest

Diesel · Aug 20, 2017

Bad batch of salt is always possible.
Stop dosing CAL and don't do a water change for a week or two.
Your CAL should come down slowly.

RamsReef · Aug 29, 2017

@Perry @Gary Wilkinson Do you know of any high calcium lots?

acro-ed · Aug 29, 2017

I ended up dosing my Calcium level way high recently because of a bad test kit. I was at approximately 520ish; acro only tank. The corals have not responded negatively.

You may want to look into other potential issues with that salt, or in general, if you are losing coral. What was your Alk doing when the Calcium shot up? If the Alk dropped that would be more likely to explain the losses.

I agree it certainly isn't helping having it that far out of whack, but I'd be looking for other potential issues (start with the salt). I agree with the above that letting it come down on its own is the preferred solution. That is what I'm doing and over the course of two weeks I'm already back around 480ish. Best of luck with this!

-Ed

RamsReef · Aug 29, 2017

Thanks Ed. The alk has always stayed 7.5-8. My dosing starts 1 hour before lights on and continues 1 hour lights off.

I locked it in like this over a period of 3 days (i work out of town 4 days a week) taking alk 3 times a day, morning, mid day, lights fading. Now I test every 7 days same time to make sure values are stable, they are.

Needless to say I will always be testing new buckets.

I know test kits can be out but the kit should be out the same amount in your current tank vs new salt water, just mix to match.