dKH, PH, and Calcium

[daveb]

Ok, I have read and read and read about this, and I am pretty sure I understand how it works, but... here is the problem.
No matter what I do, I can not get my Calcium level in the right range. It is always HIGH.
My PH is perfect, 8.2 all the time...
My dKh, is 7.4
My Calcium is over 800
Nothing I have done lowers the Calcium very much.
I use RODI water.
Is it possible that my Calcium Test kit is just wrong?
Is it possible for PH to be good, and dKH to be good, and Calcium to be that high?
On the bright side, my corals are gorgeous.. many have doubled in size in the last four months. Every looks great, and I feel that I am worrying about nothing. But it bugs me that the Calcium always reads so high..
I have not tested for Magnesium.. Could this be the problem.?
Thanks, Dave

 

[nas19320]

Have you had your Cal tested by another test kit?
What is the Cal level of fresh SW?
Are you adding any supplements?

 

[6stokes]

IMO your dkh is low. If you brought it up to 9 or 10, it would automatically lower your calcium. Keep an eye on the Ph during this process though, as all three are linked. You may want to get a test kit that can test for borate alk, carbonate alk, and total alk. Dkh doesn't always tell the whole story.
Not 100% sure on the magnesium, but I do know that a low mag level will cause a low calcium level. I wonder if the opposite is true???
The big question is where is the calcium coming from? Are you dosing something? Kalkwasser?

 

[daveb]

We have very very hard water here. Before I got my RODI system my Calcium was at one time over 1000 !!!! And it has been dropping since I started using RODI water. Maybe it is just going to take another month or so for it to come down to proper levels.
My dKH had dropped some, and I have started adding a drip of RODI water mixed with 6 parts Baking Soda and 1 part Washing Soda.. this has brought my dKH up in the last day and will continue to drip this solution until my dKH gets to 9 or 10 as you suggest.
PH has remained stable thru out, and even with this drip solution has stayed at 8.2 as suggested it would in threads I have read about this solution. I am monitoring all of this two times a day just to be safe.
As I type this I am getting ready to leave to go buy a different test kit for Calcium, and one for Magnesium.
I add nothing to my water except the solution I just mentioned, and I just started doing that yesterday. I do have a huge collection of KENT additives that my friendly, helpful LFS guy reccomended to me ten months ago when I started this hobby.. LMAO Probably somewhere in the neighborhood of $150 bucks worth of stuff that has done nothing but sit on a shelf...... but if I ever do need to add anything believe me, I have it... LMAO
Thanks, Dave

 

[bang guy]

It's gotta be the test kit. IMO a Ca level of 1000ppm is not possible with normal PH and ALK.
Elevated Mg makes animals sleepy, it does not raise Calcium.

 

[daveb]

I just got home with a different Calcium Test kit, and the Calcium tested exactly half of what the other test kit did. I feel sort of foolish, because I could never believe that with normal Alk and Normal PH the Calcium could be so out of line either, but I also could not believe that a test kit could be off that much either...
So I have been worrying and fretting and figuring and biting my nails for nothing...
Calcium is 430
PH 8.2
dKH this afternoon is 8.2..
Only one question left... Can the dKH rise too fast? Should I slow down the drip of the Baking Soda, Washing Soda solution, or just let it get to 9 or 10 at the rate it is going which appears to be a half a point a day right now..
Thanks, Dave

 

[6stokes]

In general, slower is always better, but I'm not sure if in this case it matters. Maybe Bang can help.

 

[bang guy]

I agree that slow is better. If you want to raise it then dose just barely more than the consumption rate.

 

[daveb]

I will slow that drip way down then...
Dave

 

[rangermonroe]

....Then, put your test kits away for at least one week. Do nothing, except enjoy your aquarium. Don't add anything.
Test again next Thursday, and then realize that your tank will live without every day maintenance.