I need help with high calcium level.

Nicolayo · 09/20/2017, 07:26 AM

Hello.
This is my first time asking a question on this forum, although I'm not a novice in our hobby and I have a reef aquarium for 11 years.
I changed many ways of denitrification in my aquarium. At the moment, I use the "korallenzucht" method (denitrification with zeolites) based at ULNS level.
The problem is that SPS corals looking bad, polyps are not open, there is no growth, and some have bleach in the lower part of the coral. In the opinion of my guru, it is possible that this is a problem of prolonged exposure to high levels of calcium, which has not been declining for a year now.
The tank is 280 liters net.
In the tank with a dozen frags of SPS and a dozen LPS.
Of fish, only a flock of 6 chromises.
Already for a long time I can not stabilize the level of calcium, I have it 485 and does not decrease, like magnesium.
Phosphate - 0 (Hanna checker)
Nitrit - 0 (Tropic Marine)
Nitrat - 0 (Tropic Marine)
Calcium-485 (Tropic Marine)
Magnesium - 1400 (Tropic Marine)
KH - 6.8 (Tropic Marine)
Potassium - 400 (Salifert)
Salinity - 1.025 (I use salt of Korallenzucht)
Before, I did not measure potassium, and when I measured I purchased the "Salifert" test, the level was low, 320.
I raised it to 400 (in the method of korallenzucht, this parameter is one of the most important), but nothing has changed.
On the advice of the owner (my guru) of the store, I did one trick that helped him more than once, and this is a temporary decrease in salinity to 1.022, which, as we know, should lead to a decrease in the levels of calcium and magnesium. Further leveling the remaining parameters (KH to 8 and K to 400), helps the corals to begin to absorb calcium.
The paradox is that today, 2 weeks after the decrease in salinity, Calcium is at 470, while magnesium and KH have decreased to levels of 1060 and 6.7.
How do you think, how can this be balanced?
Thank you in advance.
Nick

bertoni · 09/20/2017, 03:38 PM

SG at 1.022 is much more likely to be harmful than calcium at 485 ppm. There are many tanks that run with very high calcium levels and have no troubles. Personally, I would raise the SG slowly to 1.0264, maybe over a week or so, by topping off with saltwater or part saltwater.

If I was worried about the calcium level, I'd switch to a different salt product. 485 ppm calcium and 1400 ppm magnesium should be safe, though. There's some possibility that the test kit is wrong, as well. I'd probably get a second opinion on the calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium levels, if that were easy.

What is going into the tank? Maybe there's some stealth source of calcium.

The

hkgar · 09/21/2017, 02:45 PM

What is the salinity and alk of your salt mix? How large are your water changes, how often?

Nicolayo · 09/22/2017, 04:29 AM

The problem is that a year has passed since the launch and I have not yet gained the growth of SPS corals of normal polyps opening as well as the termination of bleaching LPS corals feel fine and some even have growth (Fabia). I use the salt from Korallenzucht. This is one of the best salts in our hobby and no one has any difficulties with it.
For this year I consulted with more experienced people using the same system, got a lot of advice and none worked. Moreover, in the dealer store Korallenzucht there is a demo aquarium with a lot of SPS corals, which are open and grow fast, and we started almost simultaneously. I was drained 200 liters of water from this aquarium, where all the parameters are normal (My aquarium is 280 liters net). After a few, weekly water changes (~ 15 liters weekly), everything came back before. No one else had any ideas why this was happening, there was one idea that this, a potent, long-term exposure to high levels of calcium.
A little bit about the aquarium.
The main aquarium is ~ 200 liters (60X60X60)
Samp ~ 80 liters
Pumps Ecotech MP-10 2 pieces (6000 L / H each)
Illumination 8 X T5 Lamp from Korallenzucht. (5 X Coral Light Superblue 24 W, 2 X T5 Coral Light 24 W (10000 K), 1 X T5 Coral Light Fiji Purple 24 W
Skimmer - Korallenzucht for aquariums up to 1500 liters.
Zeolite reactor from Korallenzucht.
Active carbon from Korallenzucht
Chiller Resun
Water osmolator TUNZE
Water from the osmosis system with Water Filter Resin (TDS = 0)

mcgyvr · 09/22/2017, 04:55 AM

And have you tried allowing your nitrates/phosphates to increase to measurable levels to see if that has an impact on growth?

They are nutrients and both nitrates and phosphates are needed by all marine organisms..

ssgss gogeta · 09/22/2017, 05:22 AM

I wouldn't even be concerned with calcium of 485, it's not that bad at all

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

bertoni · 09/22/2017, 03:10 PM

I agree that the salt likely is fine, although it's always possible that your batch has a problem or has settled badly during shipment. Have you checked the parameters of a freshly-mixed batch of saltwater?

I might try a PolyFilter. Is there any artificial live rock in the system?

Nicolayo · 09/23/2017, 05:17 AM

Yes, I have live rocks from Indonesia. Over the past year I have used 3 packages and all from different parties. Other users of salt Korallenzucht did not have any problems.

Nicolayo · 09/23/2017, 05:23 AM

OK
My phosphate level is really 0, like everyone who uses zeolites. The level of nitrites and nitrates is not exactly 0. I use the PRO version of Tropic Marine, which allows me to measure very low levels.
Nitrites - 0.05 mg / l
Nitrates - 0.2 - 0.5 mg / l

Nicolayo · 09/23/2017, 05:26 AM

If the bleaching fault is not a high level of calcium, then what?
All previous ideas from different forums and local experts have not been confirmed.
This is just another version.

ssgss gogeta · 09/23/2017, 05:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nicolayo

If the bleaching fault is not a high level of calcium, then what?
All previous ideas from different forums and local experts have not been confirmed.
This is just another version.

A billion things but calcium that isn't even at 500 I can guarantee you is not it.

Get a triton test done and get everything tested that isn't in your usual test kits you'll be surprised what comes back could be metals could be trace elements could be anything

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

ssgss gogeta · 09/23/2017, 05:48 AM

Also I just noticed your alk is 6.8 which may be fine with your ultra low nutrients, but it's not ideal more so than calcium

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nicolayo · 09/23/2017, 05:56 AM

Maybe you're right, but ...
I test the water not only myself, but also in the store, the tests coincide.
If I had everything right, and then something happened, then I would have thought that there was some sort of imbalance with the elements or the accumulation of some harmful substances like metals, etc.
But from the start of the system everything went wrong. That's the question, what's wrong?

bertoni · 09/24/2017, 12:36 AM

I'll have to think about this problem a bit more, but problems like this can be very difficult to diagnose. Some don't ever seem to be resolved.

09/20/2017, 07:26 AM	#1
Nicolayo Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Israel Posts: 21	I need help with high calcium level. Hello. This is my first time asking a question on this forum, although I'm not a novice in our hobby and I have a reef aquarium for 11 years. I changed many ways of denitrification in my aquarium. At the moment, I use the "korallenzucht" method (denitrification with zeolites) based at ULNS level. The problem is that SPS corals looking bad, polyps are not open, there is no growth, and some have bleach in the lower part of the coral. In the opinion of my guru, it is possible that this is a problem of prolonged exposure to high levels of calcium, which has not been declining for a year now. The tank is 280 liters net. In the tank with a dozen frags of SPS and a dozen LPS. Of fish, only a flock of 6 chromises. Already for a long time I can not stabilize the level of calcium, I have it 485 and does not decrease, like magnesium. Phosphate - 0 (Hanna checker) Nitrit - 0 (Tropic Marine) Nitrat - 0 (Tropic Marine) Calcium-485 (Tropic Marine) Magnesium - 1400 (Tropic Marine) KH - 6.8 (Tropic Marine) Potassium - 400 (Salifert) Salinity - 1.025 (I use salt of Korallenzucht) Before, I did not measure potassium, and when I measured I purchased the "Salifert" test, the level was low, 320. I raised it to 400 (in the method of korallenzucht, this parameter is one of the most important), but nothing has changed. On the advice of the owner (my guru) of the store, I did one trick that helped him more than once, and this is a temporary decrease in salinity to 1.022, which, as we know, should lead to a decrease in the levels of calcium and magnesium. Further leveling the remaining parameters (KH to 8 and K to 400), helps the corals to begin to absorb calcium. The paradox is that today, 2 weeks after the decrease in salinity, Calcium is at 470, while magnesium and KH have decreased to levels of 1060 and 6.7. How do you think, how can this be balanced? Thank you in advance. Nick

09/20/2017, 03:38 PM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	SG at 1.022 is much more likely to be harmful than calcium at 485 ppm. There are many tanks that run with very high calcium levels and have no troubles. Personally, I would raise the SG slowly to 1.0264, maybe over a week or so, by topping off with saltwater or part saltwater. If I was worried about the calcium level, I'd switch to a different salt product. 485 ppm calcium and 1400 ppm magnesium should be safe, though. There's some possibility that the test kit is wrong, as well. I'd probably get a second opinion on the calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium levels, if that were easy. What is going into the tank? Maybe there's some stealth source of calcium. The __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

09/21/2017, 02:45 PM	#3
hkgar Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Dewitt MI Posts: 5,051	What is the salinity and alk of your salt mix? How large are your water changes, how often? __________________ Gary 180 gallon, 40 gallon sump, 3 250 W MH + 4 80W ATI T5's, MTC MVX 36 Skimmer, Apex controller Aquamaxx T-3 CaRx Current Tank Info: A 2 Barred Rabbitfish, Red Head Salon, Yellow/Purple, McMaster Fairy, Possum, 2 Leopard Wrasses, Kole, & Atlantic Blue Tangs, 2 Percula Clown, 3 PJ and 1 Banggai Cardinalfish , Swallowtail, Bellus and Coral Beauty Angels

09/22/2017, 04:55 AM	#5
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	And have you tried allowing your nitrates/phosphates to increase to measurable levels to see if that has an impact on growth? They are nutrients and both nitrates and phosphates are needed by all marine organisms.. __________________ Who me?

09/22/2017, 03:10 PM	#7
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I agree that the salt likely is fine, although it's always possible that your batch has a problem or has settled badly during shipment. Have you checked the parameters of a freshly-mixed batch of saltwater? I might try a PolyFilter. Is there any artificial live rock in the system? __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

09/22/2017, 04:29 AM	#4
Nicolayo Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Israel Posts: 21	The problem is that a year has passed since the launch and I have not yet gained the growth of SPS corals of normal polyps opening as well as the termination of bleaching LPS corals feel fine and some even have growth (Fabia). I use the salt from Korallenzucht. This is one of the best salts in our hobby and no one has any difficulties with it. For this year I consulted with more experienced people using the same system, got a lot of advice and none worked. Moreover, in the dealer store Korallenzucht there is a demo aquarium with a lot of SPS corals, which are open and grow fast, and we started almost simultaneously. I was drained 200 liters of water from this aquarium, where all the parameters are normal (My aquarium is 280 liters net). After a few, weekly water changes (~ 15 liters weekly), everything came back before. No one else had any ideas why this was happening, there was one idea that this, a potent, long-term exposure to high levels of calcium. A little bit about the aquarium. The main aquarium is ~ 200 liters (60X60X60) Samp ~ 80 liters Pumps Ecotech MP-10 2 pieces (6000 L / H each) Illumination 8 X T5 Lamp from Korallenzucht. (5 X Coral Light Superblue 24 W, 2 X T5 Coral Light 24 W (10000 K), 1 X T5 Coral Light Fiji Purple 24 W Skimmer - Korallenzucht for aquariums up to 1500 liters. Zeolite reactor from Korallenzucht. Active carbon from Korallenzucht Chiller Resun Water osmolator TUNZE Water from the osmosis system with Water Filter Resin (TDS = 0)

09/22/2017, 05:22 AM	#6
ssgss gogeta Registered Member. Join Date: Jul 2017 Posts: 251	I wouldn't even be concerned with calcium of 485, it's not that bad at all Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

09/23/2017, 05:17 AM	#8
Nicolayo Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Israel Posts: 21	Yes, I have live rocks from Indonesia. Over the past year I have used 3 packages and all from different parties. Other users of salt Korallenzucht did not have any problems.

09/23/2017, 05:23 AM	#9
Nicolayo Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Israel Posts: 21	OK My phosphate level is really 0, like everyone who uses zeolites. The level of nitrites and nitrates is not exactly 0. I use the PRO version of Tropic Marine, which allows me to measure very low levels. Nitrites - 0.05 mg / l Nitrates - 0.2 - 0.5 mg / l

09/23/2017, 05:26 AM	#10
Nicolayo Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Israel Posts: 21	If the bleaching fault is not a high level of calcium, then what? All previous ideas from different forums and local experts have not been confirmed. This is just another version.

09/23/2017, 05:48 AM	#12
ssgss gogeta Registered Member. Join Date: Jul 2017 Posts: 251	Also I just noticed your alk is 6.8 which may be fine with your ultra low nutrients, but it's not ideal more so than calcium Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

09/23/2017, 05:56 AM	#13
Nicolayo Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Israel Posts: 21	Maybe you're right, but ... I test the water not only myself, but also in the store, the tests coincide. If I had everything right, and then something happened, then I would have thought that there was some sort of imbalance with the elements or the accumulation of some harmful substances like metals, etc. But from the start of the system everything went wrong. That's the question, what's wrong?

09/24/2017, 12:36 AM	#14
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I'll have to think about this problem a bit more, but problems like this can be very difficult to diagnose. Some don't ever seem to be resolved. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni