calcium overdose.... HELP!!!!!

Discussion in 'Water Chemistry' started by rlman41299, Nov 29, 2010.

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  1. rlman41299

    rlman41299 Skunk Shrimp

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    i came home today and found my second sally lightfoot crab dead and some of my clean up crew. also niticed my elegance shriveled. i tested my water parameters and here are my results:

    magnesium = 1300
    dkh = 11
    calcium = 560 !!!!!!!!!!
    phosphate = 0
    nitrite = 0
    nitrate = 0
    ph = 8.3

    i am assuming that my calcium is the culprit of killing some of my inverts and if i don't do something it may kill the rest of my inverts. i dosed last saturday night with bulk reef supply's 2 part system and followed the exact recommendation for dosing calcium. before i dosed my calcium was at 420 ppm and wanted to bring it up to 460ppm. brs recommends 450.3 ml of calcium which i dosed in a span of 2 hrs. tonight i tested and is is up to 560!!!!! what can i do to lower my calcium? water change? how much?
    this is a 90g tank with 35g sump. thank you. :(
     
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  3. evolved

    evolved Wrasse Freak

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    You can let it fall naturally, or do a water change; that's really it. I don't believe however that it's the source of your trouble.

    Also, it seems you didn't use the calculator correctly. You must account for the space your rock and sand take up in your tank. You enter the water volume into the calculator, not your tank size.
     
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  4. rlman41299

    rlman41299 Skunk Shrimp

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    the brs calculator is asking for the total system water volume which is the same water volume i used to dose my magnesium for a span 6 days. i started with 800ppm and dosed it to 1300ppm on the dot for 6 days of dosing using brs calculator with the same water volume i used for the calcium. also i am sure that i didn't mix the gallon of calcium wrong. i am puzzled to where the rest of the calcium came from. i know purple up will jack up your calcium but not overshoot it by 100ppm. i guess i have to lower my assumption for my total water volume to 95g
    :(
     
  5. evolved

    evolved Wrasse Freak

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    I made my statement after I went and played with the calculator myself to see what you may have entered for water volume as 450ml seemed like quite a lot to me to raise such a little amount. You dosed too much. Mg isn't as sensitive to dosing a precise amount as Ca and Alk are. Plus, some Mg may have gotten consumed in the process of raising.
     
  6. Claic Yuzolt

    Claic Yuzolt Bubble Tip Anemone

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    I had my Ca at around 600 for awhile and nothing in my tank seemed to care at all. So I wouldn't jump the gun and say it is the calciums fault.

    Look into other problems first. Maybe you are dosing to fast and changing everything too fast. That is what I think could be the problem. You want to raise everything slowly.

    Now if you did do that and you are thinking, "Ya man! I totally did that! I raised it super slow!" Then I really don't know the problem. I hope everything works out for you.
     
  7. rlman41299

    rlman41299 Skunk Shrimp

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    i am at least 50% sure it was the calcium. my mistake was when i dosed 50ml, i poured it by my powerhead and was too late when i noticed that my elegance was at least 1.5 feet away from the powerhead. plus dosing 450ml in 2 hours might be a little bit rushed. :(:(
    i am attaching a photo of the elegance and tell me if this one is a goner. thanks :cry::cry:
     

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  9. Claic Yuzolt

    Claic Yuzolt Bubble Tip Anemone

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    Calm down, no reason to jump to any conclusions.

    I have no experience with the elegance type of coral but has it ever looked like this before? Also, it could be expelling waste. Look for it to open its mouth and be spitting out waste.
     
  10. steve wright

    steve wright Super Moderator

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    IMO

    The Elegance will recover once it has established equalibrium with the surrounding water

    IMO
    Dont use purple up, and BRS additions at same time
    Purple up is for people who dont want to mess about with dosing the major elements
    if your maintaining you Mag, Ca and Alk using BRS product the Purple up is redundant

    Steve
     
  11. rlman41299

    rlman41299 Skunk Shrimp

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    just an update after 24 hrs. my elegance has finally opened and seems to be doing fine. tested my calcium and it is down to 520ppm compared to last nights 560ppm. so now i know that my tank uses 40ppm of calcium in a 24 hr. period. still a mystery to why 2 of my sally lightfoot crab died. they were not harmed or eaten by anything , just died where they were in one piece, no limbs missing just stopped moving and died. oh it is not molt also.
    anyway thanks for all the comments and the headups especially to EVOLVED for noting that total water volume :cheesy:. big thanks!!!
    tank seems to be doing fine now and have some additions coming in tomorrow!!!

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    :cheesy::cheesy::cheesy::cheesy::cheesy::cheesy::cheesy::cheesy::cheesy::cheesy::cheesy::cheesy:

     
  12. 2in10

    2in10 Super Moderator

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    Check your specific gravity. Inverts are sensitive to it.