Too Much Calcium!

[oldsaltman]

I just found that my Calcium pump malfunctioned and I dumped two gallons of Randy's two part into my 90g. The calcium level is 1200ppm. I changed out 20g of water with new mix, but the cal only dropped a little. I think it has caused my inverts to withdraw and they are just laying around. The fish look OK. Is there a way to drop the calcium in a hurry? I think I am loosing snails today. I thought the test may be off, but I recalibrated my cal moniter and then checked it with a test kit too.

 

[HighlandReefer]

Solving Calcium and Alkalinity Problems
http://web.archive.org/web/20021127040526/http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

From this article:

"Zone 4 problems are also a little harder to correct. It is typically caused by overdosing calcium RELATIVE to alkalinity, but does not necessarily imply that alkalinity is either to high or too low (though it is almost always too low). To correct problems in this zone, monitoring of calcium and alkalinity values during correction is especially important.

If this problem is extreme (i.e., you are far from the line at the left hand edge of zone 4), then water changes may be the best way to correct to the problem."


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Using a low calcium salt mix may be more benefitial.

 

[HighlandReefer]

Another thought would be to reduce the salinity of your salt mix a little. Definitely less than a 0.002 reduction in salinity. For example if you keep your salinity at 1.0264, then you might drop it down to 1.025. This will reduce the calcium level in the salt mix a bit (it will also reduce your mag and to a lesser extent your alk.) Randy has noted in the above article, that your alk may drop from the large amount of calcium supplement you have added.

Randy will no doubt be back later to make additional remarks.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I think water changes with a normal to low calcium mix, like IO, would be my choice of how to go. But it will take a lot.

25% changes will drop it as follows:

1200
1000
850
738
653
590

It is probably fine to stop there.

 

[HighlandReefer]

Is nice having a reef chemist that is willing to make these calculations for the hobbyists in this forum. :dance:

 

[oldsaltman]

Thanks for all the input. I guess I will buy more salt and do several water changes.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

OK, good luck.