How do I get my calcium down ?????
- Thread starter Pellaeon
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Sasquatch
~Brunt of all jokes~
question your test kit first(or use of it) if its 500 its not the end of the world but for it to be 500 something else is off too, what salt do you use?
If the test is true just find a lower calcium'd salt and do a few small water changes
If the test is true just find a lower calcium'd salt and do a few small water changes
aalvarado87
Active Member
that is pretty high what are all you other parameters off again what kind of salt do you have and what exactly is stocked in your tank... I Wish my calcium was way up there i have to dose it like crazy to keep it pretty high. id say get another test kit though or take it to the LFS your kit could be bad.
Pellaeon
Active Member
I have used Saliferts which I dropped and dropped and it never changed color. I then used my API test kit, same results. I took it to a local LFS to test as well, same thing. They recommended Brightwell Aquatics Reef Builder, telling me that when I get all my other parameters set correctly the calcium will start getting absorbed. I realize high calcium isnt the end of the world but have been told this is one of the reasons I am likely have issues with SPS, cant even keep montipora. I just bought some BA salt, I am hoping between the reef builder and changing salts I can finally make a difference. The salt I was using was Seachem.
Specific Gravity in one tank is 1.026 the other 1.025 taken with a refractometer.
Specific Gravity in one tank is 1.026 the other 1.025 taken with a refractometer.
twiggyb
Active Member
Maybe that's what happened to my monti. I had a beautiful lime green plating monti that just browned out one day. I don't know why. My calcium is also reading off the chart with a salifert test kit. I've been using coralife.
Pellaeon
Active Member
I had been using Coralife before I switched over to Seachem but I am pretty sure my SPS death bed tank never got Coralife. My SPS just receeded....and receeded until there was none. This has been a re-ocurring theme with SPS for me.
btkrausen
Fish Hoarder
What is the SeaChem supposed to measure in terms of calcium. If its too high, you could always mix it with another salt thats lower until you run out of SeaChem, something like Instant Ocean. This way you don't waste any Seachem you have left, and still bring down your calcium.
Now someone please correct me if I wrong. Please. From the way I understand it corals can't not absorb calcium without magnesium. Where is you magnesium at? Is it low? Also where is you ALK at?
Whats your alk at? and what are you using to add ca/alk to your system. I imagine its very low as the relationship between ca and alk are tied together.
Corals don't need Mg to use ca. Mg coats ca carb preventing it from falling out of solution at elevated levels
Corals don't need Mg to use ca. Mg coats ca carb preventing it from falling out of solution at elevated levels
Thank you.
btkrausen
Fish Hoarder
Magnesium is required to keep calcium at a higher level though. If Mag is too low, you'll have a hard time keeping calcium up. What are your Mag levels?
MimicOcto8
Valuable Member
hahah that was my first thought. get something in the tank to soak it up lol. Ca and Alk go hand and hand. So if your Ca is high your alk is probably low. With all this good info you just got (what salt do you use, check your test kit, what else is out of rang) you should have it figured out soon.
beaslbob
2500 Club Member
It is very possible to have calcium at 500ppm or higher. espcieally in new systems.
I would check alk and betcha it is low. If that is the case using a ittle baking soda to get KH up to 10 degrees will result in calcium lowering.
look up dr randy holmes-farley's diy 2 part. the first step is to get cal/alk/mag in line. Using a one time dosing adjustment. then to dose according to udage.
my.02
I would check alk and betcha it is low. If that is the case using a ittle baking soda to get KH up to 10 degrees will result in calcium lowering.
look up dr randy holmes-farley's diy 2 part. the first step is to get cal/alk/mag in line. Using a one time dosing adjustment. then to dose according to udage.
my.02
Pellaeon
Active Member
I will retest my Mag tonight. Up until 3 weeks ago, I had never dosed Magnesium. I will also retest my KH, it was a little low the last time I had tested it. Low according to Salifert's recommendation. I have not added anything specifically for KH, only added the 8.3 PH stuff from BA.
Pellaeon
Active Member
Looks like things have changed a bit since I started dosing Mag ?
54 Gallon +40 Gallon
KH 7.7
ALK 2.74
MAG 1050
CALC 450
60 Gallon
KH 7.0
ALK 2.51
MAG 1230
CALC 460
I was using Seachem Reefsalt. Thanks for everyone who chimed in on this post. Looks like I still have a ways to get my water chemistry up to par.
54 Gallon +40 Gallon
KH 7.7
ALK 2.74
MAG 1050
CALC 450
60 Gallon
KH 7.0
ALK 2.51
MAG 1230
CALC 460
I was using Seachem Reefsalt. Thanks for everyone who chimed in on this post. Looks like I still have a ways to get my water chemistry up to par.
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