calcium and alk

[twisted]

ok, almost since the startup of my tank it has maintained a cal of about 550, i havent seen any negative from that level but cant figure out how to lower it. i dont add calcium other than what is in the salt during water changes. my mg is around 1400. since my cal stays high i keep the alk at 7 because i believe raising it will cause the cal to precipatate? what keeps my cal so high? im sure my tests are accurate. (i do water chemistry for a living and have some high quality kits availiable)......everything in the tank is very healthy and has been for almost a year, but i am anal about numbers and perfect water so are these readings gonna come back to haunt me?

[metalhead]

What kind of salt mix are you using?

[twisted]

What kind of salt mix are you using?

im using coral life salt

[metalhead]

im using coral life salt

Have you tested the Ca levels in your make-up water? If they are elevated (>450) you may have to either cut back on the frequency of water changes or switch salt mix until your corals start using more Ca as they grow. I'm assuming you do a fairly large WC's frequently now?

[twisted]

Have you tested the Ca levels in your make-up water? If they are elevated (>450) you may have to either cut back on the frequency of water changes or switch salt mix until your corals start using more Ca as they grow. I'm assuming you do a fairly large WC's frequently now?

to be honest, i havent taken out alot or do it often...my water changes are usually about 15 gal every 4 to 5 weeks. it seems that's what works best with the tank. i know the numbers are off, but everything is very healthy and has great colors and reproducing.
as for make up cal numbers....275 is about the average. thats the part that stumps me...i have never added cal. so i would think it would be a bit lower than 550

[metalhead]

to be honest, i havent taken out alot or do it often...my water changes are usually about 15 gal every 4 to 5 weeks. it seems that's what works best with the tank. i know the numbers are off, but everything is very healthy and has great colors and reproducing.
as for make up cal numbers....275 is about the average. thats the part that stumps me...i have never added cal. so i would think it would be a bit lower than 550

Yeah, kinda stumped here too. Unless your PH is unusually low or getting there when the lights are off I don't know what could be the culprit. Otherwise I would think that coralline algae growth alone would deplete the Ca from the make-up, or at least a good portion of it. How fast are your stony corals growing?

[twisted]

my ph stays good. it never falls under 8.2 and never goes over 8.4...my elegance coral and my tongue coral arent growing real fast. the coraline in the tank is shelfing due to the high cal. other than the elegance and tongue the rest of the stock is zoas and ricordia, zenia and an anenome.
there isnt enough in there to really deplete the calcium but there is no reason i can think of that it should stay so high. i've spent hours reading on alk and cal and years working with and balancing it in pools...it doesnt make sense. i understand the relationship between the two very well and this is the first chem balance thingy i cant answer. if this had just happened i'd be concerned, but its been a long and i havent seen anything negative as of yet.

[charlie]

Just for grins, have you had anyone else test your calcium, just in case? I am not doubting that your kits are quality kits, it is just that 2 heads are better than one sometimes.

[twisted]

Just for grins, have you had anyone else test your calcium, just in case? I am not doubting that your kits are quality kits, it is just that 2 heads are better than one sometimes.

i have charlie, i've brought it to my pool store and ran it on my pinpoint system that does a spectrum test. i've used my api test kit and tested cal and alk with my pool kit and used test strips and all read between 540 and 550 for cal and 6 to 7 for alk.

[charlie]

As was asked before, I really think you need to test the water you are using for changes. You are using RO/DI water....right?

[twisted]

As was asked before, I really think you need to test the water you are using for changes. You are using RO/DI water....right?

yep! and the water is tested before salt and after salt. before salt the ph is 6.0, alk is 0 and the cal is 10. after salt and adjustments, the ph is 8.3, alk is 7 and the cal is about 275. salt is .024

[charlie]

Well......................I am at a loss?????????????

Do us all a favor and shoot kevinpo a PM and have him take a look at this. I don't understand something here!!!!! We are missing something and for the life of me, I don't know what it is.

You aren't dosing anything, or haven't in the past, have you?

[twisted]

Well......................I am at a loss?????????????

Do us all a favor and shoot kevinpo a PM and have him take a look at this. I don't understand something here!!!!! We are missing something and for the life of me, I don't know what it is.

You aren't dosing anything, or haven't in the past, have you?

other than the phyto the only thing that has gone in in the past year was 2 doses of a vit/amino supplement and that was in the beginning. in the past 8 months the only thing that goes into the tank is food and makeup water and i dont add anything to the makeup except for 1 mil of alk to every other gallon. the evap rate is about a gallon a day so 3 times a week it gets a little alk.

[charlie]

Let's get in touch with Kevin, and have him throw in his .02 here, I am stumped. To me, there is absolutely no reason the Ca. should be that high with no additions being made, and the makeup water testing at 275?????? If anything, you should be having to dose to get your calcium to 400.

One thing, have you taken your water to an LFS and had them test it?

[twisted]

Let's get in touch with Kevin, and have him throw in his .02 here, I am stumped. To me, there is absolutely no reason the Ca. should be that high with no additions being made, and the makeup water testing at 275?????? If anything, you should be having to dose to get your calcium to 400.

One thing, have you taken your water to an LFS and had them test it?

the 275 is after salt has been added. my daily makeup has a cal of 10.
my lfs gets the same readings i do. but you are right, i should be having to raise the cal.
in pools the only way to lower cal is to add water. same in a tank, but its not happening...i sent a pm to kevin

[charlie]

How does your daily makeup have a reading of 10??? If it is RO/DI, it should be totally neutral, shouldn't it?

[Parrothead]

Hey Twisty and Charlie,

Here's a thought, Twisty, didn't you mention in another thread that you have crushed coral for a substrate, if so would that cause the cal. to remain at elevated levels?

Tanks,
Robert

[charlie]

I don't really know Robert, I don't think it would get used up that fast???

[Parrothead]

I was just thinking that it might be the cause of his cal being so high, when I kept africian cichlids, I used crushed coral because of its buffering cap. would the crushed coral be adding calcium to the tank????

[charlie]

What was your Ph when you kept cichlids. If I understand things right, the Ph has to be low to have the Ca. dissolve?? I hope that is right.