I'm stumped.... Any suggestions?

[craig7220]

I have a 125 gal reef tank. Its been up now for about 4 months and I can't get the calcium to register with my test. I'm using a Hagen calcium test. I've gone as high as 1600 ppm but still not getting a reading. I thought that maybe the test equipment was bad so I tested my 55 gal reef tank and it showed 420 ppm. Here is the rest of stuff
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate .5
PH 8.2
Salinity 1.024
kh 125
Phosphates 0
With calcium off the charts, I would think that it would be snowing in my tank.. its not.....No calc precip at all..... My torch coral and hammer coral are doing great.... Any ideas?

 

[keith burn]

Are you runing carbon???

 

[craig7220]

No... I have a DSB with 2 protien skimmers running along with about 150 lbs of LR....

 

[craig7220]

Forgot to mention that I only use RO/DI water with Seachem Reef Crystals.

 

[bang guy]

Have you tried a different test kit?

 

[keith burn]

you may be skimming it off ???

 

[keith burn]

Originally Posted by Bang Guy
Have you tried a different test kit?
Ha bang guy thanks for the compliment on the outher post...

 

[craig7220]

Not tried another test kit although I will this weekend. Didn't think it was the test kit because of the correct reading in the other tank but at this point I"m at a loss so I'll get another type of kit and see what it reads.

 

[keith burn]

Originally Posted by craig7220
Not tried another test kit although I will this weekend. Didn't think it was the test kit because of the correct reading in the other tank but at this point I"m at a loss so I'll get another type of kit and see what it reads.

may try to have lfs test it aswell.

 

[bennyhill]

Did you try turning off the skimmers and all the other.leave the pump on so the water can just flow . Dont know if it will help but it something to try.

 

[tim86]

Wow lol, weird... is everything alright in your tank? If not then I would do a water change. If theres nothing noticeble then I would just leave it be for a week or two. I wouldent unplug the skimmer, just make sure you dont add any chemicals, and test it after the waiting period.

 

[fishygrl]

The tank is actually doing great (same household, same tank) Here are some pictures of the corals we have right now. I would imagine if there was a problem in the tank that they wouldn't be thriving as well as they do.
Also, we did a water change last week... it didn't seem to make a difference.

 

[reefkprz]

nice zoos.

 

[hatessushi]

Originally Posted by keith burn
you may be skimming it off ???
How do you skim off calcium?

 

[craig7220]

Originally Posted by keith burn
you may be skimming it off ???
I didn't think the calc could be skimmed off?

 

[shogun323]

Do you dose you tank with any calcium supplements?
How strange. :thinking:

 

[craig7220]

No I haven't added any calc. I am going to use another test kit and try that because it just doesn't make any sense to me.. Would have thought that if my calc levels were high, my ph and alk would be low.. I will just watch it and see what happens. The calc levels should come down.

 

[shogun323]

How bizarre. I would think it would have to be the test kit but then again like you mentioned it tests out perfect on your other tank. crazy stuff!!! Good luck.