Calcium problems

[Popan]

I have a biocube 29 and im having trouble with the calcium. I tested with API test kit yesterday and it was between 340 and 360. I did a water change with my red sea pro salt. I also dosed 10 ml of "calcion" which should have brought the 20 gallons I have of water in there up aproximitely 80 ppm. Which means it should have been at 460. I tested today and it was still at 360. I dosed another 2.5 ml. Ima afraid my test kit is not working and my calcium should be 500 now.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Reefs

 

[sun1914]

besides maybe some nuisance algae...what could be wrong if your cal is that high?

 

[Popan]

High calcium wont affect coral in a negative way?

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[troywalkerphoto]

You need to test you Mag! If your mag is not at or around 1400 then your CA and Alk will slip or teeter toter. Stable mag stable ca/alk Then all you have to do is replace what is consumed by bio load

 

[Boomer]

Popan

Easy solution for that kit. Test a new 1 liter or 1 gallon batch of freshly made salt to see what it reads. RedSea Pro shoud read in the high 400 ppm .

What is your Alk and pH ? Are you adding any buffers ? If so, who's are they ? Do you shake or roll dry RS salt mix bad/ container ? Do you add the RS salt to water or do you add water to RS salt.

Why ^
High Alk and or pH can cause precip of Calcium carbonate. For every 20 ppm calcium drop there will be at least a Alk drop of 1 meq/l or 2.8 dKH or 50 ppm Alk.

Certain buffers like SeaChem Labs Marine Buffer should never be used in a reef tank. It can cause the exact issues you are having.

Bags and containers are prone to settling of the dry salt due do particle size and density. So, the salt mix at the top is not the same as the middle or bottom.


When you add water to a dry salt mix, the pH, Alk and Calcium will be so high that you will get high precip of Calcium carbonate, giving what you have. You always add salt to the water.

Lastly, if you mix / add to much salt to the water at once you can also get precip, lowering the Calcium or if the mixing temp is to high.

 

[Popan]

Im gonna buy a red sea kit for that then. Thanks

You need to test you Mag! If your mag is not at or around 1400 then your CA and Alk will slip or teeter toter. Stable mag stable ca/alk Then all you have to do is replace what is consumed by bio load

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Reefs

 

[Popan]

Im gonna try on my next water change. My ph is like 8.1 and my alk is around 10 according to API. No I dont roll or shake my salt container. I do not add any buffers. I put the salt in the rodi one plastic drinking cup at a time gradually. The water is cold when I do so and I tested the water with the last bit of salt I had left in my bucket. Ive already had a monti cap, a birdsnest and another sps whos name I forgot bleach on me. Slme zoas are not open (the ones mid high) im guessing that has to do with too much flow but thats another issue ill just have to fix afterwards.

Thanks for all the useful info so far. I could not have gotten better more accurate answers.

Popan

Easy solution for that kit. Test a new 1 liter or 1 gallon batch of freshly made salt to see what it reads. RedSea Pro shoud read in the high 400 ppm .

What is your Alk and pH ? Are you adding any buffers ? If so, who's are they ? Do you shake or roll dry RS salt mix bad/ container ? Do you add the RS salt to water or do you add water to RS salt.

Why ^
High Alk and or pH can cause precip of Calcium carbonate. For every 20 ppm calcium drop there will be at least a Alk drop of 1 meq/l or 2.8 dKH or 50 ppm Alk.

Certain buffers like SeaChem Labs Marine Buffer should never be used in a reef tank. It can cause the exact issues you are having.

Bags and containers are prone to settling of the dry salt due do particle size and density. So, the salt mix at the top is not the same as the middle or bottom.


When you add water to a dry salt mix, the pH, Alk and Calcium will be so high that you will get high precip of Calcium carbonate, giving what you have. You always add salt to the water.

Lastly, if you mix / add to much salt to the water at once you can also get precip, lowering the Calcium or if the mixing temp is to high.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Reefs

 

[iOMIC]

keep an eye out for your red/purple coralline
and monti cap growths.

 

[Popan]

Too much coraline growth has to do with exccessive calcium? Too much calcium stops monti cap growth?

keep an eye out for your red/purple coralline
and monti cap growths.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Reefs

 

[iOMIC]

other way around.