Is my calcium level too hig?

[lil.guppy]

Ok so I tested this morning and it was between 450-480 I hate those testers because when it was slightly purple it was 450 but if I wanted it full blown purple in the test tube it would probably be more at the 480
Anyways......Should I keep it no higher then 450? That Kent Coralline stuff really shoots up the calcium levels. Im going stop using it or have to cut the doses in half if it keeps doing this. Unless ya'll think its ok.

 

[bang guy]

It's high but could be fine depending on your Alkalinity, how's that look?

 

[lil.guppy]

I have a test kit for KH is that the same thing?

 

[cmaxwell39]

Unless you have a lot of calcium demanding corals or clams in your tank, you probably don't need to dose calcium. Water changes with a quality reef salt should keep up with the calcium demands of most tanks. Use the Kent product to raise calcium to the desired level when it is low, but don't dose it as a standard additive.
Rather than using turbo calcium you might want to look into a two part additive that will dose both the calcium and the alkalinity.

 

[shyfish]

Hi lil.guppy
I don't like my test either. To get a purple to match the test color mine is reading 600. My Master test kit didn't have a calcium test so I never tested for calcium before, so now I am worried. My test kit just says it should not be below 400 -450, nothing about being high.
I have more deep red coraline and only a little purple, could that be why? What kind of damage does high calcium do???

 

[cmaxwell39]

Originally Posted by lil.guppy
http:///forum/post/2943542
I have a test kit for KH is that the same thing?
Yes KH and alkalinity are the same test.

 

[veni vidi vici]

You will know when Calcium is to high and Alkalinity is to low and out of whack,"Calcium Carbonate Precipitation".

 

[shyfish]

Hi,
My Alk. is reading normal. What is carbonate precipitation??? Are you talking something like an alka seltzer effect???
If Alk. is normal should I even be concerned?

 

[veni vidi vici]

Originally Posted by Shyfish
http:///forum/post/2943608
Hi,
My Alk. is reading normal. What is carbonate precipitation??? Are you talking something like an alka seltzer effect???
If Alk. is normal should I even be concerned?
"Normal"This is relative to Calcium,Alkalinity and Magnesium balance.
Calcium Carbonate Precipitation is when calcium and carbonate turn into solid and fall out of solution.
Your looking for ionic balance ,not so much normal test readings on a single element .

 

[bang guy]

Originally Posted by Shyfish
http:///forum/post/2943608
Hi,
My Alk. is reading normal. What is carbonate precipitation??? Are you talking something like an alka seltzer effect???
If Alk. is normal should I even be concerned?
"Normal" isn't a meaningful level. We'll need a number. ALK is more important for Coralline than Calcium so you may want to switch your concern away from Calcium. If it were me I would stop using any product that raises Calcium until you actually need it.

 

[lil.guppy]

my ears!!!!! Chemistry I hate chemistry

 

[bang guy]

Originally Posted by lil.guppy
http:///forum/post/2943676

my ears!!!!! Chemistry I hate chemistry

 

[spanko]

Really want ot burn up your ears, google this and read it.
Reef Aquarium Water Parameters

 

[shyfish]

Hi,
I have a Red Sea master test kit. The PH reading says 8.3 and the Alk. test has low, normal and high. It goes by color there are no numbers. Not on the card or in the pamplet that came with it.
My Alk. reads normal.
When I test the Calcium, (I have a new test kit)... It says my calcium is 600. The pamplet that came with it says I should not be below 400-450, it says nothing about if it is high.
My concern is what high calcium will do, if anything.

 

[bang guy]

Originally Posted by Shyfish
http:///forum/post/2944150
Hi,
I have a Red Sea master test kit. The PH reading says 8.3 and the Alk. test has low, normal and high. It goes by color there are no numbers. Not on the card or in the pamplet that came with it.
My Alk. reads normal.
When I test the Calcium, (I have a new test kit)... It says my calcium is 600. The pamplet that came with it says I should not be below 400-450, it says nothing about if it is high.
My concern is what high calcium will do, if anything.
High Calcium will remove Alkalinity and Magnesium from your water. With low Alkalinity corals cannot grow skeleton and the PH will fluctuate more. In addition you will begin to get a Calcium carbonate crust on your heaters and on the spindles of your waterpumps and powerheads.

 

[coral head]

Originally Posted by Veni Vidi Vici
http:///forum/post/2943616
"Normal"This is relative to Calcium,Alkalinity and Magnesium balance.
Calcium Carbonate Precipitation is when calcium and carbonate turn into solid and fall out of solution.
Your looking for ionic balance ,not so much normal test readings on a single element .
Does calcium carbonate precipitation cause your substrate to solidify and harden into solid chunks?

 

[bang guy]

Originally Posted by Coral Head
http:///forum/post/2944243
Does calcium carbonate precipitation cause your substrate to solidify and harden into solid chunks?

No, bacteria does that if there isn't enough animal diversity in the sand bed.
If you have a major precipitation event it can form a thin Calcium carbonate crust on everything, including the sandbed. This crust is very thin though.

 

[shyfish]

Hi,
I don't seem to have any of these things going on.My PH doesn't fluctuate much. There is nothing on my heaters and powerheads but coraline algea spots. Maybe I did the calcium test wrong.
I hate chemistry too.
I got a test for phosphates, I don't have any cyano going on but that test reads high as well. What kind of damage does that do? And how do I fix it. I did a 30% water change last week.