Calcium is too high

[Jake4232]

I am worried that my calcium is too high. I just tested it today and it's reading at 520 ppm. I do a 10% water change weekly using reef crystals and keep my salinity a little high at around 1.025. Some of my corals look very happy while others almost always look stressed out and I can only figure it is because of the calcium levels. Is there anything I should do to lower it?

 

[beaslbob]

double check your reading.

Look up the diy 2 parts system.

check alk. if you have to add baking soda go get 8-10dkh, calcium will lower in the process.

if alk is ok then do nothing. calc will drop on its own

My .02

 

[florida joe]

let it come down naturally, are you adding any calcium other then what you are getting from the reef crystals. the only issue i foresee you having is Eventually, calcium carbonate will start to precipitate,

 

[2quills]

+1

Double check your reading. And check alkalinity I bet it's low.

If you have trouble maintaining those two then check Mag.

 

[Jake4232]

My Alc was not really low, between 8 and 9 DKH. I did use a little bit of buffer to bring it up a little bit. The test kit that I used was brand new and I checked twice over the course of a couple days. I haven't been dosing calcium because it's been consistently in the mid 400s but I hadn't checked for a little over a month and was surprised to see it so high. I want to start getting into more SPS in the near future and I know it needs high calcium but I thought that seemed a little excessive.

 

[florida joe]

You calcium is not super high; in fact low calcium in a reef thank is more detrimental then high calcium. Here is some good reading on the subject



http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/4/chemistry

 

[beaslbob]

IMHO you get corraline algae and/or sps corals established and that calc will drop so you will have to restart dosing.

my .02

 

[Jake4232]

thanks for the tips everyone. I'm feeling a lot better about this