Calcium just went to 1050 is this dangerous

[jimreemts]

I have had a constant battel trying to get my calcium above 340. For the last week I have been testing daily while adding three supplyments. here are my tests from the begining.
Calcum 320
alk 3.5 meg/l
magnesium 1050
kh 197 ppm
ph 7.9
for the past week I have been adding
Seachem Reef Builder (raises carbonate Alk) been adding for a year weekly
Kent marines Turbo-calcium been adding for a year daily
Kent marines Tech-m (to raise my magnesium) just started adding this five days ago becuase I was told low magnesium would cause calcium to struggle to raise
after five days my test now read
alk 4.0 meg/l
magnesium 1250
kh 179 ppm
ph 8.1
which all looks good to me but the worry for me is where my calcium is at last night it was at 340 today its gone to 1020? I have no idea what happened I have been adding the stuff just like it says on the bottles and testing everything daily. should I be worried everything is doing fine tonight in the tank but I am really concerned about how hight the calcium is
PLEASE HELP???

 

[candycane]

Originally Posted by jimreemts
I have had a constant battel trying to get my calcium above 340. For the last week I have been testing daily while adding three supplyments. here are my tests from the begining.
Calcum 320
alk 3.5 meg/l
magnesium 1050
kh 197 ppm
ph 7.9
for the past week I have been adding
Seachem Reef Builder (raises carbonate Alk) been adding for a year weekly
Kent marines Turbo-calcium been adding for a year daily
Kent marines Tech-m (to raise my magnesium) just started adding this five days ago becuase I was told low magnesium would cause calcium to struggle to raise
after five days my test now read
alk 4.0 meg/l
magnesium 1250
kh 179 ppm
ph 8.1
which all looks good to me but the worry for me is where my calcium is at last night it was at 340 today its gone to 1020? I have no idea what happened I have been adding the stuff just like it says on the bottles and testing everything daily. should I be worried everything is doing fine tonight in the tank but I am really concerned about how hight the calcium is
PLEASE HELP???
Are you sure you are testing everything right? Also, are you using more then one chemical that may add calcium? Calcium that high, I have seen burn stuff before. I don't know what to recommend except for water changes probably and when you have a fresh batch mixed, check the batch BEFORE you add it to your tank. I take it that you have corals in there or clams or something? Find a salt where the calcium level is around 400-420.

 

[zeroc]

adding the mag could have made all the calcium you've added finally dissolve, it probably all precipitated. Alot of water changes are in your future.

 

[nietzsche]

are you sure youre saying that right? you said calcium is 1050 but i see that as your magnesium. for your second reading i see your magnesium went up to 1250 but no reading for calcium

 

[perfectdark]

IMO I think your test kit or how you read it is off. If your Ca were that high your tank would of tossed by now. Thats unbelievably high and at that amount your Calcium would of most likley spontaneously crystallized carbonates and dropped out of solution. The crystals look like snowflakes in your tank and a lot of them! Your alkalinity crashes in the process and animals are severely stressed if not killed. Have you seen any indication of this?

 

[jimreemts]

i put the calc reading for the fifth days in the paragraph under the other, sorry for the bad writing.

 

[jimreemts]

No sign of snowflakes, no crash of alk, the reef builder and the tech-m for magnesium say nothing about adding calcium. I am going to do a 30 gallon water change today its a 100 gallon tank. My stock is aot of corals, bubble, torch, frog spawn, and a clam. I sure am worried I have been using the same test kits forever all but the ph change color when the reading is reached so they are very easy to understand I think i am reading them right. will keep you posted on what happens. Hope everything doesnt die.

 

[perfectdark]

Just as an FYI... the information I posted was directed to another individual regarding a high Ca reading. Theirs was above 550, the response was given by Bob Fenner, he expressed concern as to the welfare of the tank if this issue wasnt rectified. Just thought you should know where the info came from.

 

[jimreemts]

OK, Guys and Gals, Dont call me stupid, Last night I tested the calc twice and still recieved the same results of 1050 for calcium. I didnt sleep at all last night worried about my tank. I test everything again this morning and this is what I see today.
Calcium is now 360
alk 4.0
ph 8.0
magnesium 1050
last night i didnt add any of the three supplyments because of the reading on calcium. Does this seem right to anyone that the calcium will spike that high and then fall back to where my tank always is? I am so confused? I guess today I am just going to do my weekly 10 gallon water change.

 

[zeroc]

i'm guessing you made a testing booboo. Maybe you put solution two in first and dripped and counted solution one?

 

[nietzsche]

ok youre saying calcium when you mean magnesium. your magnesium is 1050 your calcium is 360
magnesium should be from 1250-1350 range
calcium in the 380-420 range

 

[jimreemts]

I dont know what happened, I guess I messed up somewhere but the odd thing is I checked it twice with the same results. OOPS, boy do I feel like a dumb A$$

 

[pdash]

Originally Posted by nietzsche
ok youre saying calcium when you mean magnesium. your magnesium is 1050 your calcium is 360
magnesium should be from 1250-1350 range
calcium in the 380-420 range
no he is not go re-read his first post.

 

[nietzsche]

Originally Posted by jimreemts
I have had a constant battel trying to get my calcium above 340. For the last week I have been testing daily while adding three supplyments. here are my tests from the begining.
Calcium 320
alk 3.5 meg/l
magnesium 1050
kh 197 ppm
ph 7.9
for the past week I have been adding
Seachem Reef Builder (raises carbonate Alk) been adding for a year weekly
Kent marines Turbo-calcium been adding for a year daily
Kent marines Tech-m (to raise my magnesium) just started adding this five days ago becuase I was told low magnesium would cause calcium to struggle to raise
after five days my test now read
alk 4.0 meg/l
magnesium 1250
kh 179 ppm
ph 8.1
which all looks good to me but the worry for me is where my calcium is at last night it was at 340 today its gone to 1020? I have no idea what happened I have been adding the stuff just like it says on the bottles and testing everything daily. should I be worried everything is doing fine tonight in the tank but I am really concerned about how hight the calcium is
PLEASE HELP???
title of the thread says calcium 1050 but his magnesium is listed as 1050 and calcium at 320. i see that he says it went from 340 to 1020. i thought he was confusing them both.. but if his calcium went from 340 to 1020, then thats a huge problem
you need to stop dosing all those things. for alkalinity i would only use cooked or uncooked baking soda depending on your pH. for calcium you need to use something that only has calcium chloride in it

 

[saltn00b]

i think what happened is that you tested after you dosed. you usually want to wait at least 12 hours from dosing any of the related reef building chemicals (Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium, and pH) as they are all closely related, and a buffer for any one of them can immediately give you crazy false readings. always test at the same time of day, and before you dose anything for that day.

 

[kat74]

Originally Posted by saltn00b
i think what happened is that you tested after you dosed. you usually want to wait at least 12 hours from dosing any of the related reef building chemicals (Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium, and pH) as they are all closely related, and a buffer for any one of them can immediately give you crazy false readings. always test at the same time of day, and before you dose anything for that day.