Ca 500, not sure why

[ninkylou]

So testing yesterday and my alk is 10, pH 8.2, but Ca is 500. I do not have test kit for Mg but that is coming soon.

EVerything appears healthy, just not sure why the numbers are so high.

I was using Purple Up but stopped over a week ago and did an 18gallon water change within that time span.

I do have an Aragonite substrate, would that account for the elevated Ca?

Corals I have are all softies, mushrooms etc. I have some crabs and snails as well as fish.

I am using IO reef crystals as my salt mix.

[Mitchell]

My calcium is 500 in my sps tank, its not a bad thing. What probably happened in your case is that the purple up raised your calcium and your softies don't use calcium, so its being kept at that elevated level.

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[ninkylou]

so not to worry?? I can assume it will return to more normal levels. Since I do not have hard corals, nor do I plan to, should I be using a regular salt mix rather than a "reef mix"??

[finch6013]

Stick with your current salt. CA of 500 is just fine, nothing to worry about. Some salt mixes even mix right at the parameters you tested, like Kent reef salt.

[finch6013]

Stick with your current salt. CA of 500 is just fine, nothing to worry about. Some salt mixes even mix right at the parameters you tested, like Kent reef salt.

[Mitchell]

so not to worry?? I can assume it will return to more normal levels. Since I do not have hard corals, nor do I plan to, should I be using a regular salt mix rather than a "reef mix"??

If you stop using the purple up "which is junk anyway" I think it should go down once you do a few water changes. If everything is happy I would continue using the same salt.

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[ninkylou]

ya I stopped the Purple up last week, I will just keep things in good order and hopefully Coralline will develop naturally, there is a little bit there already :)

[cellowithgills]

500 is fine, some parts of the ocean have been found with ppm of 700+ or something crazy like that. Just be sure that your other levels are balanced. High levels aren't bad unless the swing the pH like crazy.