My calcium won't go down

[JustinMN18]

Hello,

I am having a weird problem. My calcium won't go down. I have been using tropic Marin all for reef for quite some time (powder mixed with RODI), and recently I've noticed my alk and mag are ok (9dkh, 1375 mag) but my calcium is 550-600 (usually 430-460).

I lowered my all for reef dosing by 8ml per day, and my Trident says my alk and mag are dropping, but my calcium isn't. I used the Hanna checker to confirm. So I've been dosing red sea alk and mag, and it just seems like my calcium goes up.

pH is 8.1-8.3. Any thoughts on why this is happening, and how to resolve it?

 

[Andresnyc93]

What salt mix are you using? Might be a high calcium concentrated salt mix and it’s making your calcium go up faster than your corals can uptake it

 

[JustinMN18]

What salt mix are you using? Might be a high calcium concentrated salt mix and it’s making your calcium go up faster than your corals can uptake it

I use tropic Marin pro reef, and I have it mixed in a brute for a few weeks at a time. Heater and powerhead going in there. It's so weird lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Try the kit on some new salt water.

How are you determining the All for Reef dose?

It won't go down once high if using All for Reef to match alk demand (except by water change).

IMO, its not a big deal.

 

[Andresnyc93]

When was the last time the trident was calibrated? I was getting out of whack readings as well and a calibration solved the problem.

 

[JustinMN18]

Try the kit on some new salt water.

How are you determining the All for Reef dose?

It won't go down once high if using All for Reef to match alk demand (except by water change).

IMO, its not a big deal.

Thanks for that idea, I'll test my calcium in the brute. I was dosing all for reef to maintain alk, but as I've seen my calcium rise, I've lowered it with the dose based on hoping calcium will go down, and then supplementing with red sea bottles of alk and mag.

Any idea how calcium consumption and alk consumption get out of whack like that? I haven't had any crazy fluctuations in pH, mag, or alk.

 

[JustinMN18]

When was the last time the trident was calibrated? I was getting out of whack readings as well and a calibration solved the problem.

Last time I calibrated it was when I swapped my reagent, so it's been like a month or so.. I tested the calc and alk with my Hanna checkers to see if the Trident was within the range I know it's in, and it seemed to match what I'd expect.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks for that idea, I'll test my calcium in the brute. I was dosing all for reef to maintain alk, but as I've seen my calcium rise, I've lowered it with the dose based on hoping calcium will go down, and then supplementing with red sea bottles of alk and mag.

Any idea how calcium consumption and alk consumption get out of whack like that? I haven't had any crazy fluctuations in pH, mag, or alk.

If you have alk consumption that is not calcification, such as rising nitrate or a sulfur denitrator, a balanced method like all for reef will boost calcium over time.

Also if formate is accumulating and not being metabolized to detectable alk, calcium will rise.

 

[JustinMN18]

If you have alk consumption that is not calcification, such as rising nitrate or a sulfur denitrator, a balanced method like all for reef will boost calcium over time.

Also if formate is accumulating and not being metabolized to detectable alk, calcium will rise.

Is there anything I could do to help stabilize the alk and calc consumption?

 

[JustinMN18]

If you have alk consumption that is not calcification, such as rising nitrate or a sulfur denitrator, a balanced method like all for reef will boost calcium over time.

Also if formate is accumulating and not being metabolized to detectable alk, calcium will rise.

I run a Clarisea roller, skimmer, refugium, reactor with carbon and GFO mixed, UV sterilizer, and that's it. All I dose is all for reef.

 

[JustinMN18]

If you have alk consumption that is not calcification, such as rising nitrate or a sulfur denitrator, a balanced method like all for reef will boost calcium over time.

Also if formate is accumulating and not being metabolized to detectable alk, calcium will rise.

I really would love

Try the kit on some new salt water.

How are you determining the All for Reef dose?

It won't go down once high if using All for Reef to match alk demand (except by water change).

IMO, its not a big deal.

The calcium in my brute saltwater was 444. I did a 12 gallon water change today, so I'm hoping that'll help balance it out a bit more.

 

[Gatorpa]

I really would love

The calcium in my brute saltwater was 444. I did a 12 gallon water change today, so I'm hoping that'll help balance it out a bit more.

Have you verified the trident is accurate?
Test the tank water with a reliable test kit, 2-3 times