Calcium 560!!

[ohioreef]

I have been topping off with limewater. I have noticed that my alkalinity and calcium were going up so obviously my tank isn't using them as fast as they are being added.

I tested today and my alk was 4 meq/L and my calcium was 560! Obviously I'm going to stop topping off with limewater, but should I be doing anything else or should I just let it come down on its own?

[charlieweaver]

Well let it fall. If you don't have much corals will take awhile if you want it come come down quicker the safest no chemical way would be just to do water changes maybe one large one or a few small ones over the next few days.   

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[ohioreef]

I changed 10g earlier today before I tested and realized it had gotten that high. If you don't think there are any immediate dangers I'll let it come down on its own.

Should I try to raise my alkalinity?

[charlieweaver]

No your alk is fine leave. I find its always best to do stuff with out chemicals because stuff can go wrong then and be dangerous. Your ca being that high won't really hurt may slow down coral growth why its that high because something to do with the the calcium gets bonded in a form that corals can't use it a easily. But it will come down over time. Once its fixed I would suggest before dosing again to start by testing each day and finding how much ca is used I'm a day them start with small dosing. Sometime like in my case I only dose once a week because I also do water changes everyweek.   You may find that your may not need to dose but every few days. Why types of corals do you have in your tank?

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[ohioreef]

Thanks for the info.

I'll make sure to keep a closer eye on my calcium levels until I see how much my tank uses.

I have a couple montis, cup coral, candy cane, frogspawn, cactus coral, several zoas and a couple leathers. Everything is pretty small yet.

[Ashlar]

Yup, your alk is fine.. don't forget 4 meq/L is 11.2 dkh.

[charlieweaver]

With those corals you probably don't need to dose your water changes should be more than enough I would think. What salt do I use. How often do u do water changes.  Yeah 11.6 is great I want mine in the 11 to 12 and can't seem to get it there. Stuck in 9 - 10 which is not bad but I want accelerated coral growth.

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[charlieweaver]

By the way this is a website find very usefull it shows different experiences woth alk and ca and shows how to correct. 


http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/11/chemistry


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[ohioreef]

I use IO salt. I have just restarted weekly water changes after a very very long stretch of no water changes. I plan on changing 10g per week in an ~100g system.

[charlieweaver]

Oh u would not have to dose very much. The more water changes the less dosing need

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