High Calcium & Low PH !??!

Update: Yesterday evening I took some water to my lfs (in test tubes) for them to test my calcium & magnesium, he also tested the pH & alk. The results were the same and magnesium was 1350.

Ca: 640
pH: 8.0
dkH: 12
Mg: 1350

He said that the high ca is probably since I'm using purple up to kill aiptasia (I didn't think I killed THAT much of it) and that he had an employee there once who's corals started dying, checked the Ca and it was 700, and was not falling out of solution. He was also using purple up to kill aiptasia.

I find this odd since people use limewater, kalkwasser, misc calcium stuff to kill their aiptasia all the time. He said check into joes juice because he thinks it works great. I know people use boiling water to kill it too... I'm just surprised that my small diabetic syringe full of purple once every couple weeks to kill 3 or 4 small aiptasias would do this...

????

 

suggestion:

bump Mg to 1500-1550
bump dKH to 13-14

and finally, check your Sr, nsw is around 8, bump it to 30-35, DO NOT dose directly, Sr is very tricky and will wipe out your tank if dosed wrong. Sr is almost better than Mg for a very strong link between dKh,Ca.

with all that said the system should be allowed to lower on its own, corals tend not to respond that good with Ca over 500. maintain dKH while system comes down on its own, correct solution is 1dkH/20Ca, no need to raise dKH over 25

 

Hi bc, I disagree with the LFS guy, sounds like he has no answer so he grasped at a staw. He is way off on this one...o.k. let's say the reading on the Calc. is correct. We now have to go back to basics. I went back to look at the thread and either I am missing it or whatever but what is your water source, test kit brand and type of substrate. I read and heard of tanks over time having the crushed coral break down and start releasing a lot of Calc. into the system. The ratio of Mag. to Calc. is 3:1 I don't think you should raise the Mag. to 1920 ppm as per the ratio, however, keeping it higher at 1500-1550 ppm as suggested by guru isn't a bad idea to hold the Calc. better in solution. Let us know about the 3 things I mentioned o.k.?

 

1. Test kit brand I have is API, test kit brand that LFS guy used was Salifert for all tests.

2. I use RO/DI water from the store that I buy from the drinking water machine thing.

3. Tank has crushed coral, yes I know it is not recommended, I will not use it again. Tank has been going for 10 months, I would be surprised if it started breaking down that fast.



Also upon a little research it seems that people think joes juice is just calcium carbonate (kalkwasser) so I don't see how that's really any different than using purple up. To my knowledge purple up dosen't have THAT much more calcium than the other stuff.

 

bump dKH to 13-14
Why do you recommend taking the kH so high? That COULD help bring the water to a supersaturation and potentially bring about a precipitation.

Also upon a little research it seems that people think joes juice is just calcium carbonate (kalkwasser) so I don't see how that's really any different than using purple up. To my knowledge purple up dosen't have THAT much more calcium than the other stuff
Using a kalkwasser solution is SIGNIFICATNLY different than using Purple Up or other comparitive Ca supplement. Kalkwasser is used to actually INJECT the aiptasia whereas, unless you do the same w/ the Purple up all you are doing is raising the Ca and alk. Kalkwasser works because it is VERY BASIC. Typically a kalk solution is about 14 pH the intense alkaline solution is what kills the aiptasia not the Ca and kH aspect of the kalk.
BTW kalkwasser is not CaCO3 it is Ca(OH)2 which is very different!!
Honestly bc, against everyone else, I would just let it all ride. Would bringing the Mg higher hurt? No, BUT is it NEEDED? No, your tank will be fine even though it is slightly out of balance.
Back to the aiptasia, the problem w/ many remedies even kalk is when aipatasia is threatened it releases its planula, which is its way of asexually reproducing, creating more of a problem. Red Sea's Aiptasia X is the only REALLY effective way to eliminate aiptasia w/o causing more issue by means of planula.

Good luck

 

if the Ca was 420 i would totally agree, but it isnt. the dKH can actually go much higher but 13-14 is a safe zone with 640 Ca. keep in mind bc219 is going to have to keep an eye on the levels to match the correct ratio of 1dkH/20Ca.

everyone plays with there chemistry set differently than others, this is my suggestion, doesnt mean he has to do it.

Dr. fragenstein i just tested my tank and the Ca is 500, dKH 25, Mg 1550. cant even tell theres water in the tank, unless you look at the fish, lol.

 

Hi, API is an accurate test and you are correct the substrate shouldn't be breaking down but who knows. I'm stumped...maybe, do this, next time you are going to do a water change or mix up your normal batch early, get the SG where you normally have it and then check the Calc, Alk and Mag levels for the new batch of water. Let us know. Thing like this happen from time to time and we all learn from them.

 

Alright at this point I'm at a loss. I guess I'm just going to let it go for now. I'll check the water next time before I use it for a water change. By the way I'm using Instant Ocean's Sea Salt.

By the way I do inject the aiptasia directly with a diabetic syringe, I don't dose the tank with it. jftr

ugggggh!

 

Yes, the purple up would not do it...I feel your pain, but, look at it this way, for now nothing diabolical is happening!

 

why?