That's it, I've officially had it.

[Greg Hiller]

Spectrum,

I don't know what's wrong. All your parameters look pretty good to me. Magnesium's a bit high, but I doubt that's your problem.

Has anything else happened to your system? Stirred up the sand bed? Changed salt mixes? Did a really large water change? Added any corals? Changed water flow in the tank, more or less? Added some sand, or removed some? Started using lots of carbon, or a phosphate remover, or some other chemical? Add an ozone reactor? Add any live rock? Start using a new calcium reactor substrate? Anything large die? Any large critters missing? Sea apples?

The corals that have died or look bad, were they all tank raised pieces? What % of their mass was grown in your tank? Do the other corals look stressed? Have you cut any large pieces off any soft corals in the tank?

How are you maintaining calcium in this tank? If you are using a lot of kalkwasser I might be worried about the pH which you say you cannot measure. Has it ever been a problem in the past?

 

[Greg Hiller]

I just noticed, when you say calcium >500 ppm, does this mean you don't know what it is? How high might it be? Did you recently add a lot of calcium chloride? I suggest you dilute your tank sample 1:1 with DI water and see what you get with your kit.

 

[RichConley]

Its Gremlins



I agree with the above poster....if you can't get a test to work, dilute 50% and try again..then double the result.

(except for PH, which is a logarithmic scale......if I remmeber correctly...or dOH and dH are logarithmic....too long since chem 101)

 

[spectrum]

Has anything else happened to your system?
No
Stirred up the sand bed?
No
Changed salt mixes?
No
Did a really large water change?
NO
Added any corals?
Yes
Changed water flow in the tank, more or less?
No
Added some sand, or removed some?
No
Started using lots of carbon,
Not lots, but recently just started to use carbon, a phosphate pad, but that was a months ago
Add an ozone reactor?
No
Add any live rock?
No
Start using a new calcium reactor substrate?
No
Anything large die?
Had a fish get sucked into a pump and killed about a week ago, removed before decomposition set in

Any large critters missing?
See above
Sea apples?
No

The corals that have died or look bad, were they all tank raised pieces?
yes
What % of their mass was grown in your tank?
in one case I'd say 99% of the mass grown in my tank

Do the other corals look stressed?
All others seem OK, nice polyp extension and appear healthy

Have you cut any large pieces off any soft corals in the tank?
No

How are you maintaining calcium in this tank?
Calcium Reactor, been running for years

If you are using a lot of kalkwasser I might be worried about the pH which you say you cannot measure.
No Kalkwasser

Has it ever been a problem in the past?

You mean a die off, yes once over the summer due to heat spike while on vacation.
If you mean PH, well, it's always been slightly depressed due to the reactor

 

[Armando]

I thought Ca at 500 would cause problems. No?

 

[Greg Hiller]

What corals did you add....wait...let me guess....a thick branched, wild collected Acropora, that did not undergo an iodine dip before addition? If it was not an Acropora or other SPS, then from your answers to the other questions I may be at a dead end on ideas.

Armando...IMO 500 ppm calcium is not likely to be the problem. >500 might be.

 

[spectrum]

The recent additions were all tank raised SPS from well established BRS members tanks , and all went through a dip.

 

[spectrum]

Just did a diluted water test for calcium, it's at 800!
Is that even possible?
Needless to say, I'm in the process of making new water.

 

[Armando]

Greg I have a wonderful idea Can you draw a generic "diagnosis chart" for us?

 

[jango]

Just did a diluted water test for calcium, it's at 800!
Is that even possible?
Needless to say, I'm in the process of making new water.

HOLY CRAP!!! I have had it around 550 before but that is insane...

 

[MarkO]

Just did a diluted water test for calcium, it's at 800!
Is that even possible?
Needless to say, I'm in the process of making new water.

I thought it would precipitate out, but if you read 800, I think you may be on to something.

 

[Moe_K]

Whew.
Dan, you want another test kit to confirm that Ca result?
Let me know, you can have my Ca test kit.

 

[Ifferfish]

Thanks Greg, as usual, you are a wealth of knowledge. No Joke!!!

 

[Scuba_Dave]

I have over 500 CA...my test only goes up to 500
Maybe if I double the water sample to do a diluted test I can get a reading
Hang in there Dan...I am

 

[spectrum]

It's amazing, a small bottle of a decent Austrailian Shyraz and I'm almost willing to stay in the hobby. I guess reefing IS all about chemistry......

stay tuned.

 

[Aquaman_68]

Some sps are more sensitive to higher Ca readings than others. I've experienced this in the past where a couple sps in my tank went south quick. Everything else in the tank was fine with polyps extended. (some sps I may add)
My opinion is that most don't even like Ca in the range of 470ppm. & I would have suggested that even a ca reading of 500ppm was a bit too high....800 ppm with no precip is insane!!! But chemistry sometimes can be!!

 

[Greg Hiller]

Well, I feel comforted, considerably. I REALLY hate it when a problem comes up in a tank and there is no clear answer as to why.

Question is...HOW did it get so high? Did you ever add pure calcium chloride? Dowflake?

FWIW....whenever I ask about a problem 90% of the time that answer is a problem with calcium and alkalinity. It's rare to have it THAT high.

As far as why it hasn't preciptated, better answered by Randy. I would however in the short term be VERY careful about any pH spikes up. You could start a very ugly precipitation event. I'd also be very careful about your water changes. Make sure that the salt is VERY well dissolved. If there are any small particles of calcium carbonate in the water, they might act as seeds for precipitation.

Moe, this thread might be worth putting in the archives?

 

[Moe_K]

Tagged for Archiving, Dr. Hiller!

 

[spectrum]

You asked about Dowflake, I did indeed use it for a short while, but that was a year ago.
Glad to see that one of my posts actually is archive worthy, too bad it's because my tank if the reef equivelent of Love Canal (you young'uns go look that up)

Dan

 

[jango]

Greg,
magnesium-1125