Calcium Levels?

[piscian]

I've had a problem for the last month or so with my salinity being a little too high. My LFS said that it could be as a result from using Tech CB. He has had us doing half fresh and half salt water changes along with us only using the Tech CB once a week. Well, I bought a test kit to see where my calcium levels are and the test kit didn't say what levels are too high. So my question is what would be too high for calcium?

 

[sato]

You want calcium around 400, I would try to keep it from going over 450 or so and if you have hard corals or alot of coraline algae its going to sap it from the water pretty quickly.

 

[piscian]

Okay then. Mine is high, so how do I get it down? I do a 10% water change every week. I have 90gal tank with 30 gal sump and an Excalibur skimmer.I have 165lbs of LR and a 2 inch sand bed. I also change my socks every week and I rinsed out my sponge last Sunday.
pH-8.2
salinity-1.3
nitrates-15
phosphates-0.15
calcium-500ppm
ammonia-0
alk-I can't remember off the top of my head but it was in range
nitrites-0

 

[ctgretzky9]

Originally Posted by Piscian
Okay then. Mine is high, so how do I get it down? I do a 10% water change every week. I have 90gal tank with 30 gal sump and an Excalibur skimmer.I have 165lbs of LR and a 2 inch sand bed. I also change my socks every week and I rinsed out my sponge last Sunday.
pH-8.2
salinity-1.3
nitrates-15
phosphates-0.15
calcium-500ppm
ammonia-0
alk-I can't remember off the top of my head but it was in range
nitrites-0

It will usually drop on its own...stop dosing the calcium portion of the tech cb. What is your alk and magnesium as all 3 are related. I would get alk and if ytou can mag tested.
Are you using oceanic salt mix?
Your salinity is 1.3? Do you mean 1.030? And that is a measurement of specific gravity, not salinity (not thta it matters much anyway lol)

 

[piscian]

Yeah, 1.030. Sorry, I'm posting while at work.
I tested my alk and it was fine. I don't have a magnisum test kit. My LFS doesn't carry them.

 

[piscian]

I buy all my R/O water from my LFS, so I'm not sure what salt mix he uses. I might be getting a free R/O unit here soon. If that happens, I'll be making my own.

 

[ctgretzky9]

Originally Posted by Piscian
Yeah, 1.030. Sorry, I'm posting while at work.
I tested my alk and it was fine. I don't have a magnisum test kit. My LFS doesn't carry them.
And are you using oceanic salt at all?
I suggest to stop dosing the calcium part of tech altogether, but keep your alk dosing until the meet each other in balance.
This will be important as well, as you change water out to lower salinity, as more than likely your fresh water is near the 7.4 pH or so range, probably lower.

 

[ctgretzky9]

Originally Posted by Piscian
I buy all my R/O water from my LFS, so I'm not sure what salt mix he uses. I might be getting a free R/O unit here soon. If that happens, I'll be making my own.

You are buying your fresh and salt waters from them?

 

[piscian]

Yes it is oceanic salt. I've been doing 5 gallons of it and 5 gallons of R/O. And I've been using just the R/O to do top offs. I usually have to add about 5 gallons a week due to evaporation.

 

[ctgretzky9]

Originally Posted by Piscian
Yes it is oceanic salt. I've been doing 5 gallons of it and 5 gallons of R/O. And I've been using just the R/O to do top offs. I usually have to add about 5 gallons a week due to evaporation.

Unfortunately, oceanic has a very high calcium content...the highest of all salts. I believe, and im going off the top of my head, the calcium is around 480 or so? So you are also dosing calcium with the kents product. You can now see the problem?

 

[piscian]

Ahh. I see. Thanks for the help. I'll cut out the calcium and just dose for the alk until all is well.

 

[ctgretzky9]

Originally Posted by Piscian
Ahh. I see. Thanks for the help. I'll cut out the calcium and just dose for the alk until all is well.

That would be your best bet...
In addition, you may want to look into another salt mix in the future, until you have a large population of stony corals and other creatures that draw on calcium. Oceanic is the best salt for a coral heavy tank, not so good on other types of reef tanks.
Just my opinion on Oceanic.
I like io, just because it is easy to work with the b-ionic (or in your case the kents) buffer system...easy to keep parameters in check.
Good luck!