I am stupid, Calcium way to high. Please help

Hail_Ceasar · #1 04-30-2008, 01:03 AM

I have recently been having troubles with my 29g biocube. It has been up for over a year now and i have never had anu deaths till this month. then in a week span both my cleaner shrimp, my clowfish, and my yellow tailed damsel all die. Cyno wreacked havoc on my tanks and a few of my corals are a shadow of there former selves. I feared my tank was crashing but after checking my water i discovered nothing was high but phosphates and they were still at acceptable levels.

However i have not checked my calcium in a long time, i had a routine calcium adding time and i never really checked for a while. Well I went out and bought a calcium test kit (lost the old one) and checked and my calcium was at

840 ppm!!!!!!!

Is this the reason my tank has been having problems and what do i do to safley drop the levels. Also I have been having a hard time keeping my ph over 8

Lesson learned alway test.

christyf5 · #2 04-30-2008, 01:35 AM

What brand of test kit are you using?

Regular waterchanges should drop the levels.

Hail_Ceasar · #3 04-30-2008, 01:42 AM

I am useing the nutrafin test kit. I took it into the store for them to test as well and they got the same numbers

i have crabs · #4 04-30-2008, 01:45 AM

id check to make shure a fresh batch of saltwater dosnt have a crazy number also just incase its a bad batch of salt or something and if its normal start doin waterchanges.

Hail_Ceasar · #5 04-30-2008, 02:12 AM

the salt mix is fine, this is a case of my overdoseing and not testing. I am just wondering if this is the reason for my shrimp and fish dieing or could there be another problem

i have crabs · #6 04-30-2008, 03:06 AM

i would assume it could be killing things either from the high calcium or the effects the high calcium are having on other factors. since its only a 29g tank i would start doin 5g changes every day untill thing are normal.

mark · #7 04-30-2008, 03:30 AM

water changes.

Guess depends on your Alk but sort of surprised you could get your Ca that high without a precipitation event.

Myka · #8 04-30-2008, 03:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hail_Ceasar

the salt mix is fine, this is a case of my overdoseing

Have you actually tested your waterchange water for its calcium level? What brand of salt are you using? It IS possible that you have a bad batch of salt which may be contributing to the high calcium. It wouldn't be the first time. Although it IS likely that it is from you overdosing. I would also suggest 5g waterchanges daily until the levels even out. For your low pH (I have the same issue), try switching to SeaChem Reef Buffer 8.3 for supplementing your alkalinity, it will help raise your pH.