High Calcium levels..

[Kalib]

Not sure if its a testkit problem as i don't have another testkit with me to verify this, i've been dripping kalkwasser for quite sometime(for past 4months or so). Using a JBL testkit.

Now here's the question? Should kalkwasser be dripped daily? From what i know, we should drip it daily.

Today, when i measured Calcium, it was at 600ppm. Or is it i'm using too much Kalk powder?

[Kalib]

Oops. Left out the other parameters.

They can be found here:

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/index.php?...pic=14297&st=15

[Achilles Tang]

Hmmm....

1. Test kit could be faulty.

2. Your water has ionic imbalance or a parameter has dropped.

3. You overdosed.

Solution:

1. Get Salifert test kits, high recommended!

2. You have to let us know your PH and Alk lewels, maybe magnesium as well.

3. Stop dosing until you know EXACTLY what's your current alk, cal & PH levels and you know EXACTLY what's your calcium uptake on a daily basis and then dose accordingly, not a anyhow hatam basis.

My 2 cents,

AT

[terryansimon]

but what are the consequences of an overdose? apart from CaCO3 precipitation from occuring...?

[Kalib]

Anyhow hamtam basis, yeah i think i'm doing that Oops, i think i may not have provided sufficient information on my setup.

Think i'll be getting a Salifert testkit 1 of these days to ascertain if its my testkit is cranky so its giving me cranky results or its really 600ppm. I don't have a magnesium testkit, is it necessary? I'm only running a fowlr tank.

Guess i'll just post up my pH and parameters here instead of making everyone look at the link which is of me on 2nd thoughts:lol:.

Parameters:

pH - 8.5

Calcium - 600ppm

Alk - 17 , seems a little high

[nicholasloh]

i heard a high calcium levels will cause the fish to be stressed. and a calcium of higher than 500+ is not too good.

[Achilles Tang]

Nicholasloh,

I don't think excessive calcium levels would hurt fishes.

Kalib,

Your readings are unusually high.

For a FOWLR tank... you do not have to keep such high levels of calcium and alk unless you intend to scrape coralline algae from every surface on a weekly basis!

What you can do is to NOT do anything, all these levels will drop naturally. If you're worried, you should do a 50% water change.

And take a look inside your pipings and pump, do you see calcium deposits?

Maybe you borrow someone's test kits to verify if yours is inaccurate or just get new ones straightaway!

[Kalib]

I was hoping for coralline to grow thats why i started dosing kalk, but looks like i anyhow hamtam and ended up adding too much.

The only thing i have been scraping is the microalgae(unfortunately no coralline!)... all started blooming again(after dying down) few days after i fed my fishes some flake food from T@@@@. Nasty stuff

I think the unusually high readings is probably the dosage of kalk together with low calcium intake. Anyway, lucky such high calcium levels aren't going to harm my livestock or else...

Think i'll just leave it as it is, my fish and inverts don't appear stressed.