Calcium Extreamly High

[mike126]

I test my calcium in my tank and it said it was 920ppm.. So i took my water to 3 different lfs and it tested the same my alk is 9.. i stoped using all additives except dkh buffer and i have been changing 5 gallons of water a week on it for the past month and a half and it still has not changed at all. what do should i do nothing in the tank seams to be affected by it so how do i lower it?

 

[Billybeau1]

Let me guess, Oceanic or Coralife salt ?

And you don't use ro/di. right ?

 

[mike126]

I do use ro/di and i use oceanic what salt should i use??

 

[Billybeau1]

Well Mike, the problem is, Oceanic is extremely high in calcium. For most average reefers it is just too much. Some reefers with very high calcium demands love this salt because it works for them. You obviously are not in that category. Don't worry, you are in the majority.

I don't know what salts you have available to you but I would buy a bucket of Instant Ocean first. Very low calcium, but it will help get your level down without messing with the other important parameters.

Then, once you get your calcium within range, you may want to try Reef Crystals. Calcium comes in around 420 out of the bucket and I find it to be a fine salt mix.

 

[bertoni]

I use Instant Ocean, but supplement it with calcium and magnesium before dosing. I personally would avoid Oceanic salt due to the high calcium and other issues.

 

[Icefire]

What with Coralife salt? I/my LFS use it and only need to buffer the alk a bit..

 

[GoblinFish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9796476#post9796476 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bertoni
I use Instant Ocean, but supplement it with calcium and magnesium before dosing. I personally would avoid Oceanic salt due to the high calcium and other issues.

How much calcium and magnesium do you add to your saltwater mix before adding it to the tank?

I also use Instant ocean but i dont add anything to it, i just recently bought an aquadose because my calcium is low (360 mg) but i am still very new to adding kalkawasser to my tank.

 

[Billybeau1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9798441#post9798441 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Icefire
What with Coralife salt? I/my LFS use it and only need to buffer the alk a bit..

Coralife is ok if your tank has high calcium consumption, but if it is average to low, your calcium will start to rise past the recommended levels. The last time I tested Coralife, the calcium level was 580 @1.026, alk was 9 and mag was around 1380.

 

[Billybeau1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9802425#post9802425 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GoblinFish
How much calcium and magnesium do you add to your saltwater mix before adding it to the tank?

I also use Instant ocean but i dont add anything to it, i just recently bought an aquadose because my calcium is low (360 mg) but i am still very new to adding kalkawasser to my tank.

That all depend how big of a batch you made. This calculator tells you how much to add.

Reef Chemicals calculator
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

 

[bertoni]

Calcium comes in around 350 and Mg at around 1100 for IO, in my experience. I still have to use the calculator, since I can never remember the dose for a 5g container.