Calcium/PH Question

crny1

Premium Member
Hey all,
Just happened to noticed this afternoon that my colt coral totally shrank up in a tight ball for a unknown reason. I decided to test the calcium and the Ph and etc to see if anything was up. Everything else looked great. My calcium level was upwards of 650ppm..... is this something that is dangerous? I dont dose anything to bring the calcium up. Also my PH was at 7.9-8.0 area. After about 2 hours the colt opened back up and looks fine so i dont suspect the water as a problem but why would my clcium be so high and will it have any negative effects on things and lower itself with time? Also the PH..... what would i need to do to bring the PH up. I have some pickling lime but have never used it to date. Should i use it (as top off) to bring up the PH? Or will that just add to the calcium level. I know that ALK comes into play in all this but i get lost in all the scientific mumbo jumbo! lol. Any suggestions?

Wes
 
What is your alk reading? Also, what ca test brand? High ca in itself is not a problem depending on alk and magnesium levels. Limewater will add a balanced amount of ca and alk so while waiting for it to fall to the low 400's I'd stick with just baking soda or baked baking soda for the alk and pH.

Also, how did you determine pH? If pH meter what brand calibration solutions and how recently calibrated?
 
Red Sea 2nd attempt on PH.....same as aquarium pharacuticals results.
Red sea for ALK but it dont return a # Just says its in the normal-low area
Calcium tested with aquarium pharacuticals ....
Dont have a magnesium test as of yet.....probably should get one!
Not sure of how to use baking soda etc.
For what its worth...
ammonia was 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
phosphate 0
where do i go from here?

Wes
 
I'd get a better alk test which has numbers to it. If it says low/normal I'm not even sure what to interpret that as. On the baking soda for alk boosting, here is a great article on mixing some standardized solutions:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

And then here is a calculator for how much to add:

http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

In that article it mentions using a certain amount and watching whether ca/alk rises or falls. I'm not a fan of a guestimate so I would measure the level, correct using the calculator, then use actual measurments vs. "try 60ml to start" type thinking.

7.9-8.0 won't kill anything if you want to wait until you get a better alk kit. Just test first thing in the morning before the lights come on and make sure it isn't a lower number than that as that will be your low pH time.
 
Back
Top