Very High Calcium, 800+!! Please help!!

[emsilkina]

Apparently, my calcium is very high and is at 800+.

My other parameters seem fine:
KH - 9
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 10
Phosphate - 0.25
PH - 7.8
Salt - 1.024

Yesterday, I had very high salinity but I took out 5 gallons (I have a 29-gallon tank) and replaced it with fresh water. My corals seem to be doing fine but I'm very concerned about the amount of calcium. What should I do to fix it?

 

[glency]

Test it again. If you get the same try another test kit to make sure yours isn’t wonky.

 

[piranhaman00]

Faulty test

 

[emsilkina]

Test it again. If you get the same try another test kit to make sure yours isn’t wonky.

I got it tested at the LFS. Do you think it's not working properly? Does 800 seem absurdly high to be possible? I think that at that point everything in my aquarium would be dead.

 

[Jonify]

The best way to reduce calcium is through several water changes. You said your water tested high salinity. How high?

 

[glency]

I got it tested at the LFS. Do you think it's not working properly? Does 800 seem absurdly high to be possible? I think that at that point everything in my aquarium would be dead.

Likely a good test but you never know. Test it again before doing anything drastic, especially if you don’t see any negative signs in your tank

 

[Spare time]

If the test kit isn't wrong, it doesn't matter. You may see a bit more precipitation, but otherwise it's likely harmless (I've seen some other who had 800ppm and their tank was fine). Just let it drop.

 

[emsilkina]

The best way to reduce calcium is through several water changes. You said your water tested high salinity. How high?

Like 1.03 but it's now at 1.024

 

[emsilkina]

If the test kit isn't wrong, it doesn't matter. You may see a bit more precipitation, but otherwise it's likely harmless (I've seen some other who had 800ppm and their tank was fine)

I'm honestly not seeing any precipitation but I'm worried about calcium burn

 

[Spare time]

I'm honestly not seeing any precipitation but I'm worried about calcium burn

I've never heard of calcium burn. Only alk burn but that requires high alk and ulns

 

[Jonify]

Like 1.03 but it's now at 1.024

Ah. Yeah, that will put your foundation elements in chaos. Things will precipitate out and throw your foundation elements into imbalance. Do several (3-4) 5-gal water changes to get your foundation elements into balance. In the future, when you're mixing up salt water, put a little less than the instructions, and then slowly add a little more, wait 10-20 minutes, retest salinity, repeat, to get you up to where you should be. In my experience, when I mix up salt water and I way overshoot, I have to throw it all out, and start over, because the balance will never be right. You can't just add fresh water to get back to the target salinity. Several elements have already precipitated out, and it takes several water changes to get it right again.

 

[emsilkina]

Ah. Yeah, that will put your foundation elements in chaos. Things will precipitate out and throw your foundation elements into imbalance. Do several (3-4) 5-gal water changes to get your foundation elements into balance. In the future, when you're mixing up salt water, put a little less than the instructions, and then slowly add a little more, wait 10-20 minutes, retest salinity, repeat, to get you up to where you should be. In my experience, when I mix up salt water and I way overshoot, I have to throw it all out, and start over, because the balance will never be right. You can't just add fresh water to get back to the target salinity. Several elements have already precipitated out, and it takes several water changes to get it right again.

Ok thanks for your help

 

[Ribo15]

Ah. Yeah, that will put your foundation elements in chaos. Things will precipitate out and throw your foundation elements into imbalance. Do several (3-4) 5-gal water changes to get your foundation elements into balance. In the future, when you're mixing up salt water, put a little less than the instructions, and then slowly add a little more, wait 10-20 minutes, retest salinity, repeat, to get you up to where you should be. In my experience, when I mix up salt water and I way overshoot, I have to throw it all out, and start over, because the balance will never be right. You can't just add fresh water to get back to the target salinity. Several elements have already precipitated out, and it takes several water changes to get it right again.

Is that for real? I’ve never heard that’s a problem I overshoot sometimes to like 1.03 and have to drop it to 1.026 but I’ve never thought anything of it?!

 

[Cell]

Is that for real? I’ve never heard that’s a problem I overshoot sometimes to like 1.03 and have to drop it to 1.026 but I’ve never thought anything of it?!

Never heard of such a thing.

 

[Ribo15]

Okay, I hope not! Thanks for the reassurance

 

[jtma4914]

Do you have another LFS in your area that you can have check a sample?
Even if a second test does come back with the same/similar results, take any corrective steps slowly as to not shock and of your coral.

 

[rtparty]

Are you dosing calcium by itself? If not, your calcium can't be 800. It's that simple. Your salt isn't mixing anywhere near that and even at 1.030, your calcium wouldn't shoot nearly that high. High salinity causes all elements to raise, not just one.

This is either a bad test kit or user error. Do not panic and make things worse. Find another store or local reefer and get a second opinion. Get your own test kit and test as well.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Let's back up.

As folks have noted, calcium cannot every get to 800+ without massive overdosing.

Salinity at sg = 1.030 only gives 477 ppm calcium using natural seawater.

Before doing ANYTHING to "correct" it, I suggest getting your own quality calcium kit, such as a Salifert kit.

 

[Vagabond]

Let's back up.

As folks have noted, calcium cannot every get to 800+ without massive overdosing.

Salinity at sg = 1.030 only gives 477 ppm calcium using natural seawater.

Before doing ANYTHING to "correct" it, I suggest getting your own quality calcium kit, such as a Salifert kit.

Im having the same problem, except my Hanna test reads 600 yesterday and today it's 554.Just got the test kits and are brand new.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Im having the same problem, except my Hanna test reads 600 yesterday and today it's 554.Just got the test kits and are brand new.

Sounds like a testing issue. It cannot drop 50 ppm in a day, regardless of the level.

Try Hanna on soem new salt water.

That said, 554 ppm is Ok (top end of OK, IMO).