Cal level at 500ppm! Is it too high??

[kschew1498]

Hi

Really need help! I have measure twice! Yes Twice! with Salifert Cal Profi Tester and yet still at 500ppm! Is this good? Is it too high? The receoommeded is 425-450 ppm cal! Do I still need to dose Kalkwasser?

FYI, I have a 2 footer and I change the water weekly.

I have a lots of hard and soft corals....really packed! To name it......button, mushroom, ricordea, brain, jewel, leather, chirstmas tree, bubble, fan worm, xenia, star polyps, hammer, frog spawn, sun coral, gonipora.....I think thats about it!!

Very worried!!!

[Terryz_]

Isnt 500ppm normal...

[FuEl]

Something like my case. Stop with the kalk dosing for now. Check your kH..it should be quite low..

[kschew1498]

Something like my case. Stop with the kalk dosing for now. Check your kH..it should be quite low..

A! you quite good huh!!! really leh....I just tested....it is at 8-9dkh! I better go add some Ph buffer quickly.......

[FuEl]

I seriously don't think adding pH buffer would be recommended...

8-9 kH is alright...leave it to balance itself..or you can do waterchanges

Dun be like me..itchy hand......add additives until chemical imbalance.

Don't fix what is not broken.

[ben]

ca 500ppm is ok but it hurts the KH. better increase KH buffer to 11-12. There is some buffer that increase to 11-12. read the info on the bottle before buying. no info, dont buy.

From ur tank info seems its overloaded. very very dangerous. may end up not CA/KH prob but overload disaster.

[kschew1498]

You think so.....I just change the water yesterday!! and I also same same....itche hand...just add some ph buffer!! hahahaha fast hor!

[FuEl]

Don't use commercial kH buffers....they will only raise your calcium levels further. They contain CALCIUM bicarbonate and carbonates.....

I would suggest you don't do anything...continue with your water changes. Adjusting water parameters in such a small tank if not done cautiously enough can shock your inhabitants. It happened in my 4 footer..not to mention a 2 footer.

[kschew1498]

ca 500ppm is ok but it hurts the KH. better increase KH buffer too 11-12.

From ur tank info seems its overloaded. very very dangerous. may end up not CA/KH prob but overload disaster.

Bro....dont frighten me leh!! They are my precious baby....what should I do!! I just add my new addition....a xenia!! today!!

[ben]

all ph and KH will increase KH. so its actually nonsense that they tell u that wont exceed limit although u add more. lots of ppl proved it.

[kschew1498]

Lucky I check my cal level! I just DIY a cal. doser and was about to mix the KW and I thought maybe I should measure the cal level.....

Itche hand I must say!!!!

[kschew1498]

all ph and KH will increase KH. so its actually nonsense that they tell u that wont exceed limit although u add more. lots of ppl proved it.

ben...dont quite understand what you mean??? " all ph and KH will increase KH."

[regularguy]

Lucky I check my cal level! I just DIY a cal. doser and was about to mix the KW and I thought maybe I should measure the cal level.....

Itche hand I must say!!!!

i got this same problem some time back when my CA was about 600+ppm tested using salifert also. however it tested 400+ppm on another reefer tank.

so you might want to try to see if there is anything wrong with yours

[ben]

so sorry, PH and KH buffer. they contain bicarbonate that hardens the water on carbonate hardness.

[kschew1498]

Guess what I can do now is to measure everything again tomorrow!!! Keep my finger cross nothing happen!!!

Will further seek your guys advise....thanks in advance.

[ben]

well, I always keep above 500ppm and lots of KH buffer to maintain stable at 11-12KH level. why keep 500ppm? cuz Im lazy, hehe.

[fnscasey]

I doubt dosing any dKH buffer will bring up your alkalinity level if the calcium level is high !! I have experience this using the Kent Marine superbuffer dKH to bring up the alk level as my calcium is high.

What u should do now is to stop dosing any chemical additives !

Let the calcium levels will fall naturally as the calcium is used by corals, as well as invertebrates, clams, desirable algaes, and other tank inhabitants. Once the calcium level falls, dosing KH buffer is more efficient.

Calcium levels that exceed approximately 550 ppm in the typical reef setup will "precipitate" out of solution. This means that given the water conditions at the time (including elements such as pH, temperature, and alkalinity) the calcium is saturated in the water and no more can be held. At this saturation point, the calcium becomes solid and forms calcium carbonate. When this happens, the tank can appear as if it is "snowing", or may become quite cloudy.

To safely avoid dangerous imbalances in the Ca-Alk dynamic, aquarists simply need to avoid pushing either component to an extreme end or both simultaneously high. Within the accepted ranges (350-480 ppm Ca and 8-14 dKH Alk), one parameter can be pushed to a high end while the other is allowed to stray toward the middle or lower end. More importantly, consistent levels of both are far more supportive of growth in calcareous organisms than the inconsistent but high average of either component otherwise.[/

B]

I am a firm believer that alkalinity levels are more critical than calcium levels, so boosting calcium while letting alkalinity do its own thing is not the way to go. There is also the unfortunate fact that calcium and alkalinity levels tend to counteract each other where increasing calcium forces alkalinity to decrease and vice versa, even if this is not what is desired.

[kschew1498]

Hi fnscasey

Great stuff you have.....thanks for your advise.... These infor. will be filed up for my reference...kekeke

[sunny03]

guys i need some help

today as i am too free i did a test on my tank and i found out that my KH is very low it around 3 to 4 dkh and my cal level is around 800ppm or maybe higher and i did the Ca test for 3 time using Azoo and sera brand and the result is around 800pm for both

having said that last night i added "coralife strontium plus" does it affect the KH and Ca level if it does what can i do to increase the Kh level ?? does changing water helps ??

i know that i cant be adding any more cal anymore as it already too high......but i do have a bottle of "calcium hydroxide Ca (OH)2" a product from GCE laboratory chemicals which i never use b4(given by a friend) does this product increase the Ca or increase the KH if i not wrong i think it increase the Ca am i right ?? cos it saids "calcium hydroxide" (me fail my chemstry most of my time in sch serve me right now )

LS

i have a clam

2 frag of small frogspawn

2 Cleanner shimps

2 clown

5 fan worms

lot of zoos,yuma and mushroom

[BarraCudaTM]

calcium hydroxide is actually kalkwasser and it increase both Ca and kH. It cannot be added straight into the tank.

[sunny03]

guess my only choice it to chang water liao

[SharkBait]

Change your testkit. These are grossly inaccurate.

[Tanzy]

Don't use commercial kH buffers....they will only raise your calcium levels further. They contain CALCIUM bicarbonate and carbonates.....

No they don't! Calcium carbonate is not even soluble in the first place!

They are mostly sodium bicarbonate.

Don't talk about things you are clueless about.

[sunny03]

No they don't! Calcium carbonate is not even soluble in the first place!

They are mostly sodium bicarbonate.

Don't talk about things you are clueless about.

sodium bicarbonate and Calcium carbonate are different element ??

how can sodium become calcium

[Tanzy]

I meant commercial KH buffers are mostly sodium bicarbonate.