Oceanic salt giving calcium level of 650?

doodle1800

doodle1800

Active Member
Using Oceanic Natural Sea Water mix....
Took a calcium reading after a complete water change and read over 600. Threw out the test kit (old) and bought another. Reading over 640!!!.
Went to LFS to ask whats up and he told me that some - like oceanic are over 550.
Can anyone verify this and what consequences will I have with such high levels.
 
doodle1800

doodle1800

Active Member
Here's the advice I got from Oceanic.
If the alkalinity level is high, you will need to add a reef buffer to lower the calcium. If the level is normal, then the calcium will even out on it's own.
 
007

007

Active Member
I have heard of some shady batches of oceanic lately.
Additionally, is it just me or is the advice above from Oceanic not making any sense? Why would you ADD buffer to LOWER Ca?
:notsure:
On a final note . . . I have been hearing of more and more inconsistencies in Oceanic salt . . . I think for me, its back to IO after this batch that I have runs out. :rolleyes:
 
doodle1800

doodle1800

Active Member

Originally posted by 007
I Why would you ADD buffer to LOWER Ca?


Thats what I thought - but is there a way to lower calcium?
 
dragonboy

dragonboy

Active Member
If you look at some of the threads there are a lot reports on high calcium from oceanic. I switch back to IO and also the oceanic gave me some algae problem.
 
solonfairy

solonfairy

Member
i think they meant to say if the alk was low to increase it and that will bring Ca down
dkh has been around 6-7ish on my last bucket... raise that up to 11 or 12 and the Ca should fall 30ppm for every 2.0dkh raised (or somewhere around those numbers)... that should get ya around 470Ca and 12 dkh.. which are mighty fine numbers. also.. if you use tap water... you have Ca in your water to start with and that will drive Ca numbers even higher.
as far as the algae thing..... still, i have yet to see it. even with the numerous reports over the net and some saying that its only recent batches... i still can not say the salt alone spawns algae somehow. I just bought, opened, and tested a new bucket of oceanic about 2wks ago. Over the last year i ahve seen Ca creep up... but nothing that isnt managable when i bring the chemistry into balance by adjusting dkh. I love this salt. My tank uses tons of Ca daily so i have no complaints. But, I agree... this stuff should be formulated where a newbie or a hobbyist with low tank demands can use it worry-free right outta the bucket.
High Ca in only a problem if you dkh is high and your pH gets 8.5 or above.
 
solonfairy

solonfairy

Member
tank alk or new water alk?
also interested in your tank Ca ppm after you added the high 650ppmCa new water to it
 
007

007

Active Member

Originally posted by shawnts106
I'm starting to think we've seen enough of your nonsense.
Please explain to me exaclty where this "nonsense" that you're seeing in this thread is.
 
007

007

Active Member

Originally posted by SolonFairy
. . . raise that up to 11 or 12 . . .
What are you using to raise your Alk in the mixed water?
 
doodle1800

doodle1800

Active Member

Originally posted by shawnts106
I'm starting to think we've seen enough of your nonsense.

we've had a few replies deleted.... a good thing...
 
solonfairy

solonfairy

Member

Originally posted by 007
What are you using to raise your Alk in the mixed water?
baked-baking soda (carbonate) mixed in ro/di water since the pH of newly mixed oceanic is around 8.0ish. If it were higher than 8.2ish... i would use just baking soda (bi-carbonate)
i am not sure, but for some reason i think that doodle has mentioned using tap water before. if so, this can shoot the ca levels up even higher.
about 3-4yrs ago i was using tapwater to topoff for evap... slowly, day by day, i was adding Ca from my tap to the system. (faster than my few corals could use it) i ended up with astronomical Ca readings. luckily my pH and dkh werent really high or i woulda had snow storms.
 
doodle1800

doodle1800

Active Member
This time I used a "pharmaceutical"s tap water filter. I don't know how affective they are, but better than straight tap water I would think.. I need a RO unit... (next purchase)
 
solonfairy

solonfairy

Member
if the resins are kept fresh.. then they work pretty good
unfortunately they get exhausted really fast.
the expense in swapping out these filters will buy you an ro/di unit pretty fast
i like airwaterice.com typhoon III's :)
 
solonfairy

solonfairy

Member
yeah.. spread it out on a large cookie sheet (use foil so you dont ruin the pan).... bake for an hour.. this dehydrates it
as far as cooking temp and how much baking soda... i will have to look that up for ya when i get home (i am thinking it is 600g of baking soda.. dont hold me to that yet... let me verify)
ya take the baked-baking soda and add it slowly to a gallon of ro/di water (add half.. shake it up.. add the other half) shake it like there is no tomorrow :)
the end result will be a solution that will raise dkh by 2 for every ml/g you add
example: in 20g of water... 20ml of finished solution will raise by 2dkh
 
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