ooops, the Ca snowstorm?

[Moe_K]

I admit it, I was pushing things.

I'm trying to get the coraline algae to take off. In the past (in a very established tank) once I got the alk and calcium correct, the coraline grew like mad.

I started this tank using Instant Ocean, and I figured it'd be a bit low on alk and Ca. So I've been dosing nightly. Gotta figure there's very little demand at this point.

Tonight I dumped in a lot of a Dowflake RODI solution, and fifteen minutes later it looked like a very light snow flurry in my tank. Mighta been microbubbles, I'm not sure. BUt since it was soon after the Dowflake heavy dose, I think I mighta overdid the Ca.

Now, lets assume it was precipitation of Ca. Does that mean the Ca level took a big nosedive? Or does it mean the Ca level is somewhere near saturation, and the excess precipitated out?

I don't have a Ca test, but will get a refill this weekend.

There are no corals or fish in the tank, so it's not a disaster.

 

[MikeG]

I'm not sure if the levels would just drop to saturation or go lower with precipitation, but I just switched my calcium supliment for fresh salt water so I have been checking the values on the last few batches I have mixed with Salifert kits.

Alk 11.0 dkh
Calcium 355 ppm

You should only have to bump up the calcium unless there is a big difference between batches of salt. I do spot check every now and then and have always had similar results with this brand test kit.

 

[JohnK]

I may be wrong, but IIRC the precipitation can drop one level or the other quite a bit. Not 100% on this, but I would suggest keeping a good eye on the levels just in case.

If either looks a low in the next day or two, supplement carefully and bring it back to normal. Don't try for 12 DKH and 450 PPM all the time, just look for 400-450 ca and 8-12 DKH without pushing the limits.

Sigh and laugh, no corals and no fish, no harm done.

 

[Greg Hiller]

Moe,

It is possible that the calcium level dropped quite low, hard to know without testing. One thing to keep in mind if adding a lot of calcium, and keeping the alk high in a new tank...if you have sand, you can sometimes end up cementing it together. It depends a lot on whether you have much in the way of biomass in the tank. New sand tends to have a very clean surface that can cement together. If there is a lot of 'stuff' already in you tank (live rock with sponges, etc.) then the water probably has enough protein in it so that the surfaces of the sand become 'covered' and less likely to cement together.

Also, keep in mine that at such high alk and Ca levels there may be precip forming on some of your equipment, and it might freeze up a pump impeller here or there. No Rio's in there I hope!?!