Calcium Level - 800+

[Norvin Ng]

Bought a Sera Calcium test kit and my calcium level was > 800 (ideal is 400 +, right?). Will it be harmful to my corals + fish? Is water change the only to lower it if its no good for the tank?

My fishes and corals looks ok all these while though..

I guess I might have over done the Seachem calcium additive + Kalk .....

[Hon]

Must be your high ALK level which contribute to the wrong reading in CA.

Have you been using Seachem buffer?...

Cross your fingers that the water will not turn white in colour....

[chanbi]

Norvin, i think u should get the Salifert calcium test kit before doing anything drastic. Yesterday i was doing the same test and it showed up ~600+ppm from my JBL test kit. So i bought the Salifert from Hong Leong and it is only ~450+ppm and i definitely trust this reading more.

[Norvin Ng]

Hon

Been dripping Seachem Marine Buffer the last few days - one cup per day. My kh is only at 5, should be at least a 7 right?

Tanzy suggested Seachem Reef Builder instead but could not find it so far.

If my water turn white, so will my face!!!!!

Chanbi - will try to locate Salifert. have not seen this brand yet, HL is too far for me. Thanks.

[Reefgang]

Norvin,

U shud b able 2 find both Seachem R/builder & Salifert Test Kit at Sea Life.

BTW I thought fr marine the kh shud read around 10-12deg.

Reefgang

[Achilles Tang]

No way your calcium level is 800!!!

Calcium precipates out above 550 mg/l! You would have a snow storm at that level already!

Your KH should be kept around 10 to 11.

Whatever you do, don't induce drastic measures to correct the above imbalance....

Good luck!

AT

[Tanzy]

800! No way! Something is wrong with the testkit! If you use Kalk, the calcium level will be self limiting. If the calcium level is too high it will precipitate. 800ppm is only possible if pH<7. Kalk will raise pH.

Get a new testkit or check the instructions again.

[Limpc]

got similar problem, months ago. Ca about 600ppm. The rest of the water parameter were within tolerance. Did not do anything different. Initially thought JBL test was not reading correctly. But now, with same kit, my tank's CA is about 450ppm.

Don't ask me why ? I'm blurred too.

Limpc

[Tanzy]

Incorrect methods or techniques for the test conducted? It is physically impossible for calcium to be at 600ppm while all the other parameters are at normal seawater levels. Assuming that you did everything correctly, then the testkit is suspect. If it is then the calcium level may be lower than 450ppm.

[Limpc]

really beats me. I'm only struggling with NO3.

Limpc

[B|uEc@rpEt]

Think its test kits prob and not so much for user prob....

Diff test its yield dif results...I've used JBL b4...I think its not too accurate...usually show a higher reading of CA.

[hongqixian]

Don't do anything drastic if the tank looks fine. Why worry about some funny reading if the animals don't?

[Norvin Ng]

Thanks for all the replies. I will not be "chong dong". Will try testing again. Didn't know that 800 plus is impossible. It was a gauge as it stated that every drop of the solution 3 is 20 mg/l and I was dripping 40+ drops and it was still not the desired colour.