Lowering calcium without affecting alkalinity

[alindell]

I have so far kept my alkalinity around 8.5 to 9 dkh mag around 1350. Everything seems to be doing pretty good but my calcium stays above 500 to like 520. Id like to lower it without affecting alk or any ill affects on the coral.

Current system is about 140 gallons. I dose 5.7 ml/min of kalk, 70 ml a day all for reef with about a gallon a day water change. Is this worth lowering? So far everything is doing okay including acros. The only issue right now is low pH which has been a battle

 

[Garf]

I have so far kept my alkalinity around 8.5 to 9 dkh mag around 1350. Everything seems to be doing pretty good but my calcium stays above 500 to like 520. Id like to lower it without affecting alk or any ill affects on the coral.

Current system is about 140 gallons. I dose 5.7 ml/min of kalk, 70 ml a day all for reef with about a gallon a day water change. Is this worth lowering? So far everything is doing okay including acros. The only issue right now is low pH which has been a battle

My wife has similar dosing methods in her tank. When the calcium gets a little high, i just substitute the all for reef for sodium bicarbonate for a while. Doesnt appear that the lack of trace from all for reef makes any difference. However, i do add a squirt of DIY iron, iodate and manganese daily anyway, even with the A4R.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

FWIW, calcium at 520 ppm is fine, but the options if you really want to lower it are as GARF suggests, or a water change.

 

[alindell]

FWIW, calcium at 520 ppm is fine, but the options if you really want to lower it are as GARF suggests, or a water change.

At what amount should I worry

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

At what amount should I worry

There’s no clear problem from rising calcium except eventually increased precipitation of calcium carbonate, but pH is a much bigger driver of precipitation than is calcium.

I generally recommend 400-550 ppm calcium as fine.