Alkalinity 222, Calcium 556. How worried should I be?

smartwater101 · 09/30/2012, 11:26 AM

The ocean water I get at the LFS seems to be high in calcium. Also, I was dosing with kent purple-tech (every 3 days) until last week when I finally got my Hanna checkers and was able to properly read the levels. (not a fan of color matching) I also did a 10% water change.

29 gallon tank. 15 gallons of water in sump/refugium
Temp 77.5-79.5
Salinity 1.026
Ammonia 0.25
Nitrate 0
PH 8.2
Calcium 556
Alkalinity 222

I have 3 Zoa colonies , Star polyps, trumpet, 5 small duncan heads, 3 bubble tip anemones (2in,3in,5in), and just added a branching acopora (5 inches) and Scrolling Montipora (3 inches)

Are these levels dangerous? Or should I just wait it out?

bertoni · 09/30/2012, 12:22 PM

Those levels are safe. I'd just stop dosing until they drop. The usual recommended range for alkalinity is 125-200 ppm, and for calcium it's 350-450 ppm.

smartwater101 · 10/21/2012, 11:43 PM

I'm no longer dosing anything. And and my calcium is still 550-600+ (Hanna checker doesn't go above 600). Last sun I checked and alk was down to 153 and after a water change is now 213... isn't that jump a bit much?

The acro my clown goby lives in started to turn white in the areas he lives/picks at... and now nearly the entire bottom half has bleached! I assume the goby/high alk is responsible. Also a branching Monti is turning white near its base while other Monti and acros are regaining color in areas where they were bleached when purchased.

So confused. Any thoughts?

KCombs · 10/22/2012, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smartwater101

I'm no longer dosing anything. And and my calcium is still 550-600+ (Hanna checker doesn't go above 600). Last sun I checked and alk was down to 153 and after a water change is now 213... isn't that jump a bit much?

The acro my clown goby lives in started to turn white in the areas he lives/picks at... and now nearly the entire bottom half has bleached! I assume the goby/high alk is responsible. Also a branching Monti is turning white near its base while other Monti and acros are regaining color in areas where they were bleached when purchased.

So confused. Any thoughts?

yeah, I'd verify that CA with another Calcium test kit just to be sure....
there is a long thread and a lot of unhappy buyers of that very Ca test (incl myself)

coralsnaked · 10/22/2012, 07:48 AM

Possibly ow K+ concentration, There is a new tread going on now about the new salifert K+ testing titrator kit.

The .25 ammonia in my mind needs immediate treatment , as anything over .1ppm is problamatic.

Merry Skerry

bertoni · 10/22/2012, 10:54 AM

Hmm, I missed the ammonia reading. I'd get a second opinion on that test kit, and on the calcium. Have you measured some freshly-mixes saltwater? How big was the water change? 215 ppm or so for alkalinity should be safe. I don't think that's the source of the coral problems.

smartwater101 · 10/22/2012, 03:05 PM

The ammonia has been back and forth from 0-.25 for several weeks.
I've double, triple, QUADRUPLE checked that all inhabitants are alive. I originally thought it was from overfeeding, and the back-n-forth has calmed since I've got that in check. This morning it read about .1
My Tank is only 2.5 months old. And I had a small alge bloom last week... nothing the CUC couldn't manage. BUT I did (for the first time) have registrable phosphate when I checked this morning! (0.25)

Can ammonia/phosphate do damage to coral in the same way it does fish? All the fish seem to be happy as of now. And can dying coral actually produce ammonia?

I'm using Ocean Water not mixed salt/water.

bertoni · 10/22/2012, 06:18 PM

Okay, I might not worry so much about the ammonia, then, although I'd still get a second opinion. The kit might be starting to fail the way mine (and many other people's) did, and read a bit of ammonia everywhere.

Ammonia can damage pretty much anything in the tank, and any dying animal will produce ammonia. Ammonia is an end product of protein being consumed.

smartwater101 · 10/27/2012, 12:20 AM

I did a 25+% water change and everything seems to be okay now. The acro has stopped bleaching... but I think its far too late. It was dieing off SO fast.

Hanna calcium checker is still reading 600+. I think it may have been a waste of $$

bertoni · 10/27/2012, 12:55 AM

The calcium checker doesn't get great reviews. A lot of people seem to have trouble with it.

09/30/2012, 11:26 AM	#1
smartwater101 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 382	Alkalinity 222, Calcium 556. How worried should I be? The ocean water I get at the LFS seems to be high in calcium. Also, I was dosing with kent purple-tech (every 3 days) until last week when I finally got my Hanna checkers and was able to properly read the levels. (not a fan of color matching) I also did a 10% water change. 29 gallon tank. 15 gallons of water in sump/refugium Temp 77.5-79.5 Salinity 1.026 Ammonia 0.25 Nitrate 0 PH 8.2 Calcium 556 Alkalinity 222 I have 3 Zoa colonies , Star polyps, trumpet, 5 small duncan heads, 3 bubble tip anemones (2in,3in,5in), and just added a branching acopora (5 inches) and Scrolling Montipora (3 inches) Are these levels dangerous? Or should I just wait it out?

09/30/2012, 12:22 PM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Those levels are safe. I'd just stop dosing until they drop. The usual recommended range for alkalinity is 125-200 ppm, and for calcium it's 350-450 ppm. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

10/22/2012, 10:54 AM	#6
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Hmm, I missed the ammonia reading. I'd get a second opinion on that test kit, and on the calcium. Have you measured some freshly-mixes saltwater? How big was the water change? 215 ppm or so for alkalinity should be safe. I don't think that's the source of the coral problems. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

10/22/2012, 06:18 PM	#8
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Okay, I might not worry so much about the ammonia, then, although I'd still get a second opinion. The kit might be starting to fail the way mine (and many other people's) did, and read a bit of ammonia everywhere. Ammonia can damage pretty much anything in the tank, and any dying animal will produce ammonia. Ammonia is an end product of protein being consumed. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

10/27/2012, 12:55 AM	#10
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	The calcium checker doesn't get great reviews. A lot of people seem to have trouble with it. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

10/21/2012, 11:43 PM	#3
smartwater101 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 382	I'm no longer dosing anything. And and my calcium is still 550-600+ (Hanna checker doesn't go above 600). Last sun I checked and alk was down to 153 and after a water change is now 213... isn't that jump a bit much? The acro my clown goby lives in started to turn white in the areas he lives/picks at... and now nearly the entire bottom half has bleached! I assume the goby/high alk is responsible. Also a branching Monti is turning white near its base while other Monti and acros are regaining color in areas where they were bleached when purchased. So confused. Any thoughts?

10/22/2012, 07:48 AM	#5
coralsnaked Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Austin / Port Aransas, TX Posts: 1,479	Possibly ow K+ concentration, There is a new tread going on now about the new salifert K+ testing titrator kit. The .25 ammonia in my mind needs immediate treatment , as anything over .1ppm is problamatic. Merry Skerry

10/22/2012, 03:05 PM	#7
smartwater101 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 382	The ammonia has been back and forth from 0-.25 for several weeks. I've double, triple, QUADRUPLE checked that all inhabitants are alive. I originally thought it was from overfeeding, and the back-n-forth has calmed since I've got that in check. This morning it read about .1 My Tank is only 2.5 months old. And I had a small alge bloom last week... nothing the CUC couldn't manage. BUT I did (for the first time) have registrable phosphate when I checked this morning! (0.25) Can ammonia/phosphate do damage to coral in the same way it does fish? All the fish seem to be happy as of now. And can dying coral actually produce ammonia? I'm using Ocean Water not mixed salt/water.

10/27/2012, 12:20 AM	#9
smartwater101 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 382	I did a 25+% water change and everything seems to be okay now. The acro has stopped bleaching... but I think its far too late. It was dieing off SO fast. Hanna calcium checker is still reading 600+. I think it may have been a waste of $$