calcium levels

[tsmitti99]

I have been waiting a long time(6 mths) for my tank to be ready for some acroporas, and now that I have the lighting I am trying to find a "bargain" calc reactor. In the meantime however I am attempting to get some sort of calcium level reading in my tank with this salifert test I have, but despite first using aragmight mixed in w/ my top off and water change water, and then second directly adding in this bio-calcium powder. Yet still I am not reading a trace on my test. What next?

[Billybeau1]

How are you testing ?

[Boomer]

I have, but despite first using aragmight mixed in w/ my top off and water change water, and then second directly adding in this bio-calcium powder

Stop usng that stuff, put in garbage. It is just sitting on your tank bottom, waitng for something to happed to make it dissolve and them WHAM ! the Alk and Calcium will go throgh the roof. I would syphon the gravel and doing a 25 % water change. Come back here with test kit results :)

[Spuds725]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7616249#post7616249 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tsmitti99
I have been waiting a long time(6 mths) for my tank to be ready for some acroporas, and now that I have the lighting I am trying to find a "bargain" calc reactor. In the meantime however I am attempting to get some sort of calcium level reading in my tank with this salifert test I have, but despite first using aragmight mixed in w/ my top off and water change water, and then second directly adding in this bio-calcium powder. Yet still I am not reading a trace on my test. What next?

You can't not have any calcium in your water-- if you are doing the test correctly and not getting the color change (endpoint of the titration) then your calcium is above the maximum level it reads--- if you empty the syringe, refill it and keep adding.. when the color changes add the reading you get to 500 and that is your calcium reading---

[Billybeau1]

I think you scared him off Boomer :lol:

tsmitti.........come back........ we're trying to help :) We were all newbie's once.

[tsmitti99]

I noticed that every time I added it(aragamight) to the top off water, it didn't really seem to disolve. That's why i switched to the bio-calcium, which is meant to be slowly added to the return pump outlet stream, and it seems to be dissolving. However i've put like 15 scoops in, in the past two days, so i have since stopped because i hate adding any chemicals to my water. The test is the Ca Profi Kit from Salifert.

[Billybeau1]

Yes but I'm asking you how you are using the test kit. Sounds to me like testing error. It is unlikely you have no calcium in your tank.

[Boomer]

You got him back Billy ;). I agree there is also something wrong with the kit or testing. There is no such thing as NO Ca++

[tsmitti99]

I just did the test again, and refilled the syringe a second time as you suggested, and the solution turned once i put in an additional 2 ml. So that would mean my levels are massive? My girlfriend and I put in a Sailfin tang yesterday, and it is no where to be seen, which leads me to think the hermits had their way last night with it, thanks to my stupidity in dosing this junk calcium. What next?

[Billybeau1]

600 ppm calcium is high but I've seen worse. I doubt it killed your tang. No more fish until you get this under control. Like Boomer said, do a water change vacuming the gravel. Continue water changes weekly until you get your calcium in the 400's. Once you get that done, check your alk, ph and salinity and if alls well you'll be ready for fish.

What brand salt are you using. Get back to us with test results and we'll be glad to help. :)

[tsmitti99]

we use coralife salt. my levels for everything else are good, i had just tested on thursday and the ammonia,nitrite,nitrate were all trace, and the ph, which usually runs consistently low is between 7.8-8, the salinity 1.25. i have to make water still, and salt and heat it, so i won't be able to do a new test till tomorrow, but i'll be back when that's all done.

[Billybeau1]

Thats fine. Take your time. You'll be rewarded.

FWIW - Coralife salt at 1.025 has calcium in the high 500's. I've used it, I know. If you dont have many or any calcium consuming animals, you might want to switch to a salt lower in calcium.

Most salts are lower except Oceanic. If you have a lot of Coralife left you could buy something like Instant Ocean and mix it 50/50 until its gone. That way you are not wasting it.

Also you didnt say what your alkalinity was. If you are not testing for it, you should. It is as important as calcium and ph. I'd be willing to bet your alk is through the roof.

[Spuds725]

It is a good practice not to dose anything you don't test for...in the case of calcium or alkalinity supplement (buffer)-- you should test both your calcium and alkalinity if you dose for either one... you can cause serious problems if your dose calcium with low alkalinity...

A great read on the subject by guess who???

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

[Boomer]

600 ppm calcium

That is the 3rd thread in two weeks on this stuff going ballistic :(