High Calcium and High Alk?

[Jayuh]

So my tank's been out of wack for a bit, and I finally had time to pick up some more test kits, and I'm a bit confused as to what to do now.

Temp 79
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates ~10
Salinity 1.026/35
Ph 7.8
Calcium 540
Alk 16

My calcium and alk were right at the very edge of what my tests could measure, could this be why my corals are not doing well? How do I fix it?

 

[MisterJ]

A couple of questions others will ask.

Do you mix your own salt water if so do you test the parameters before you do the water change

Do you do any dosing in your tank? If so how much are you dosing?

 

[civicdemon]

What test kits ??

 

[Jayuh]

A couple of questions others will ask.

Do you mix your own salt water if so do you test the parameters before you do the water change

Do you do any dosing in your tank? If so how much are you dosing?

I don't mix my own water.

I dose amino acids. 2mls a week, so a little under half of what the recommended dosage is.

 

[Jayuh]

What test kits ??

I use API, which I've read generally gives slightly higher readings, but even what I got is way too high for it to be chalked up to that.

 

[civicdemon]

My api read like yours ok calcium. One I did a red sea test I got way lower numbers at about 410. Get a better test kit. Also my api tested 0 nitrates and I was actually at 15ppm. Might be higher than you think nitrates.

 

[MisterJ]

I don't mix my own water.

I dose amino acids. 2mls a week, so a little under half of what the recommended dosage is.

You should test the new water next time you do a change to get an idea.

As for a test kit try out salifert it's pretty accurate.

A couple of suggestions
Stop dosing AA and hold off on the water change for a couple weeks and test your water every other day to see if the levels will drop.

 

[Jayuh]

Quality of my testing kits aside, would something like this (high cal and Alk) do a lot of damage to corals? My LPSs have been taking quite a beating... I'm pretty sure half of my acans are dying

 

[MisterJ]

Yep too high will burn and stress the corals out. just keep an eye on everything as the levels drop

 

[Scout]

Are you dosing Kalk? Almost like a Kalk swing.

 

[Jayuh]

Are you dosing Kalk? Almost like a Kalk swing.

No I don't dose kalk

 

[nex]

Get on a water change asap

 

[Jayuh]

Get on a water change asap

Just as large of a water change as I can go? Would doing a water change with salt with less amounts of calcium shock my system?

Well... Shock it more? Everything looks pretty messed up to begin with

 

[nex]

You said all your corals look really bad? If so I'd try 50% WC and see how things look. just aim to keep your calcium around 450 it shouldn't be too much of a drop to make things explode loll lol.

 

[Jayuh]

You said all your corals look really bad? If so I'd try 50% WC and see how things look. just aim to keep your calcium around 450 it shouldn't be too much of a drop to make things explode loll lol.

My softies have been looking pretty happy thru all this, it's my LPSs that look really bad. I'll do a 50% WC, and I'll have the bomb squad on standby haha

 

[mr_bigl]

test the water you going to add so you know approximately whats in it. THe place you are getting your salt from may be the cause of your issue.

 

[Jayuh]

Anyone know where I can get saltwater at this hour? In the LA area

 

[mic209]

What are you using to check salinity? When water is mixed to a higher salinity, you'll get higher ALK, CA and MAG. Maybe your water is higher than 1.026/35PPT?

 

[MisterJ]

Where in LA are you at specifically? And where did you normally get your salt water to begin with?

 

[Jayuh]

What are you using to check salinity? When water is mixed to a higher salinity, you'll get higher ALK, CA and MAG. Maybe your water is higher than 1.026/35PPT?

I've been using a refractometer, I calibrated it before I ran tests last night.