Running Triton - High Calcium Issues

[djbetterly]

So I've been struggling with high calcium for some time now. I thought I identified the source, but maybe I was wrong, I'm not sure. I was told that if calcium gets too high, switch back to two part and just dose the alkalinity portion. Well my LFS has been out of two part, so I've just been using my triton alk solution for now. I know I'll end with uneven amounts in the end, but I'm fine with that for now. Anyway, last time my Calcium was in check was August 20th. Since then it has slowly started to creep back up. When calcium reached around 480 I shut the calcium channel off, hoping the levels would drop. Well, they haven't, they have only continued to rise. I did a check on Saturday, calcium was at 515, today, 553. I cannot figure out what is going on and I'm getting very frustrated. My alk is staying very steady at 8 and Mag at 1400.

By the way, today I double checked my testing, I used my Hanna checker and my Elos Alk kit. Elos kit read a bit lower than Hanna at 525.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

What salt mix and salinity are you using?

Some salt mixes have 500+ ppm of calcium.

 

[djbetterly]

I've been using topic marin, however I haven't done a water change in quite some time.

I picked up some instant ocean today, as I know that had lower calcium in it. Hopefully if I change out 10 gallons or so that will help me out a bit.

The baffling part to me is how calcium is rising without explanation.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

More than likely testing error (or an addition you are unaware of). Calcium cannot rise 38 ppm in two days without dosing quite a bit of material.

 

[djbetterly]

That's why I double checked with my backup Elos Kit. The calcium doser head is physically removed so it's impossible for it to be dosed.