Very High Calcium -in need of help please

[gmichaela]

I have been battling very high calcium for around 1 month now (677 today). Previously the Calcium was very stable between 420 and 450.

I had stopped all dosing of any kind for a few weeks, im now doing alk and mag because they were getting too low but my calcium just keeps climbing. I think it might be the rock scape as I have eliminated everything else.

My Trident tests the alk, mag and calcium but I have also been double checking the calcium with a red sea calcium pro test and that only goes up to 500 and no colour change in the fluid confirms how high my calcium is, I have checked some freshly mixed salt water, tropic marin pro salt and the calcium is 420. I have also been doing weekly 10% water changes and it has no impact at all, the calcium keeps rising.
Any suggestions on changing my scape safely without losing corals or fish and keeping the cycle phase to a minimum, or should I just do a full re set?
My Tank parameters are:
RSR525xl - age 6 months - Mixed Reef
Alk - 9.02 Trident
Calcium- 677 Trident & Red Sea Pro
Magnesium - 1243 Trident
Nitrate - 8 hanna (diluted)
Phosphate - 0.09 Hanna
Orp - 373 - Apex
PH - 7.9 Apex
Salinity - 1.025 Apex
Temp - 25.1 Apex
Thanks

 

[GHOSTLY]

How are your corals? I use Kent's salt and that salt averages around 550 but for me 560. I heard that in some cases its best to wait it out but if your helping acros I suggest raising alk and stop dosing and allow the corals to grow.

 

[gmichaela]

How are your corals? I use Kent's salt and that salt averages around 550 but for me 560. I heard that in some cases its best to wait it out but if your helping acros I suggest raising alk and stop dosing and allow the corals to grow.

Corals are not doing great, Softies are fine, ive lost a couple of euphyllia, things like trachys, gonis and lobos are sulking. Lost a fair few of my sps too.

 

[Deep]

question - how are you measuring your fresh salt water salinity ? Salinity probes ( especially the apex) are very prone to getting it wrong. Get a reading with a freshly calibrated refractometer or a Hanna probe..

 

[Deep]

Corals are not doing great, Softies are fine, ive lost a couple of euphyllia, things like trachys, gonis and lobos are sulking. Lost a fair few of my sps too.

I dont think thats due to high calcium though. Although we keep calcium at around 440 but i have not seen ill effects with it going a lot higher. The issue is something else.

 

[gmichaela]

question - how are you measuring your fresh salt water salinity ? Salinity probes ( especially the apex) are very prone to getting it wrong. Get a reading with a freshly calibrated refractometer or a Hanna probe..

I measure the fresh salt water using a hanna salinity checker and from time to time a refractometer just to make sure.

 

[gmichaela]

I dont think thats due to high calcium though. Although we keep calcium at around 440 but i have not seen ill effects with it going a lot higher. The issue is something else.

As everything was doing so well prior to this calcium issue I have just focused on that being the issue and as all params seem in check I didnt think there may be other issues. You might be right but I am not sure what to check now.

 

[Deep]

You said you dont dose Alk for a few weeks, but your alk is at 9. Tropic Marin Pro, the salt, mixes at around 7 for 1.025 SG.
So how do you bring the Alk up? Do you dose something?

What lights do you run ?

 

[gmichaela]

You said you dont dose Alk for a few weeks, but your alk is at 9. Tropic Marin Pro, the salt, mixes at around 7 for 1.025 SG.
So how do you bring the Alk up? Do you dose something?

What lights do you run ?

My alk went down to just above 8 and mag went down to 1194 so I started dosing again these 2 elements again.

I run 3 Red Sea reef led 90's at 55% blues and 12% whites for 1 hours total, that includes ramp up and down and a 2 hour moon phase.

 

[austibella]

I had the same problem last year. I also had a problem another time with magnesium way to high.. I thought it was a problem with salt and even sent salt back .then when it happened again I figured it out . When I buy salt now I put the dry salt in a bucket and mix it well .I think it settles in transit. Haven't had that problem since. Mix your dry salt and see if it helps

 

[gmichaela]

I had the same problem last year. I also had a problem another time with magnesium way to high.. I thought it was a problem with salt and even sent salt back .then when it happened again I figured it out . When I buy salt now I put the dry salt in a bucket and mix it well .I think it settles in transit. Haven't had that problem since. Mix your dry salt and see if it helps

Thanks, I am about to mix a fresh batch of salt so will try that

 

[Deep]

My alk went down to just above 8 and mag went down to 1194 so I started dosing again these 2 elements again.

I run 3 Red Sea reef led 90's at 55% blues and 12% whites for 1 hours total, that includes ramp up and down and a 2 hour moon phase.

Okay, but still dont understand how your Alk was above 7 for that salt mix at 1.025. What is the Alk in your fresh salt mix ? If it is 8 then your salinity measure is incorrect.

 

[gmichaela]

I literally do a 10% water change,

 

[GHOSTLY]

My calcium is in the 550 range but my alkalinity is 10 with no bad effects, if you're using a high calcium salt or you got a bad batch of salt I suggest you change it. I heard too high calcium is bad but it might not be calcium it might be a pest or something else.

 

[gmichaela]

My calcium is in the 550 range but my alkalinity is 10 with no bad effects, if you're using a high calcium salt or you got a bad batch of salt I suggest you change it. I heard too high calcium is bad but it might not be calcium it might be a pest or something else.

Thank you, my calcium is still climbing, its now at 697, I have decided to now change out the whole rock scape, I will create a mini cycle but i'm convinced that its the rock leeching calcium.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thank you, my calcium is still climbing, its now at 697, I have decided to now change out the whole rock scape, I will create a mini cycle but i'm convinced that its the rock leeching calcium.

I suspect this is Trident test error. Surprisingly common. Might the container of reagent be running low?

Calcium does not just rise like this on its own. No normal reef rock "leaches" calcium.

 

[gmichaela]

I suspect this is Trident test error. Surprisingly common. Might the container of reagent be running low?

Calcium does not just rise like this on its own. No normal reef rock "leaches" calcium.

I thought this initially but have tested with a red sea pro test kit and that measures upto 500, and at 500 the solution was still bright red which indicates that the trident is correct.

 

[Kaze]

I have red sea pro test kit as well, it can test over 500ppm. You can use additional 1ml of "CA-C". Each 0.01ml equal 5ppm. For example, if you used 1.10ml of CA-C, then your calcium level is 550ppm. 1.40ml is 700ppm.

 

[gmichaela]

I have red sea pro test kit as well, it can test over 500ppm. You can use additional 1ml of "CA-C". Each 0.01ml equal 5ppm. For example, if you used 1.10ml of CA-C, then your calcium level is 550ppm. 1.40ml is 700ppm.

Thats great information, thank you I will try that today

 

[ajm83]

I thought this initially but have tested with a red sea pro test kit and that measures upto 500, and at 500 the solution was still bright red which indicates that the trident is correct.

Silly point, but you said you were dosing mag and alk, no chance you've made a mistake is there?