My Calcium is over 700!!

[maryc137]

I've read that this is impossible without having a "snowstorm" effect. The corals, fish, inverts, etc all look great. I actually bought a different brand test kit because I thought mine was screwy. I have a Fastest and a Hagen kit. PH is 8.0 and alk is 3.5. Haven't added any calcium supplement in over a month because I started getting the high readings. I know the PH is a little low and started adding Seachem buffer last week a little at a time. Did a water change last week, but the calcium is measuring about the same. I water changes all I can do to get the calcium down? How would it have got that high to begin with? Can it just be because the PH is low?

 

[maryc137]

Doesn't anybody have any suggestions?

 

[don-9]

I am not familiar with the hagen kit but I have a seatest kit that gave me readings close to what you are getting. I am now using the Red Sea kit and I am getting reasonalble results. The seatest kit was on clearence at a lfs so it might have been sitting around for a long time and too old to get good results. I assume you are talking about the fastest kits from aquarium systems. I did not see a fastest kit for calcium on their web sight only the seatest. I can't explain why you would get a reading that high out of 2 kits unless both are wrong. I would hate to think you bought 2 bad kits from 2 companies. I have never heard of accurate readings that high. I know this post doesn't help much but it did not look like you were getting any help. Maybe your lfs could test a sample for you and if they get 700ppm then ask how it is possible.

 

[bingo]

I would agree that you should either get a different test kit, or compare your results with a LFS. I want to say 700ppm is beyond or close to the solubility limit of saltwater, so it would at least start to precipitate out of your water.

 

[maryc137]

I actually did take some water down to the LFS store yesterday. They were out of the calcium test kit stuff so couldn't help me. Only have one other store in the area and I didn't have time to go yesterday. They are closed Monday and Tuesday. Maybe if I can get it tested by Sunday, I'll drive to Portland and find someone who will test for me. I really find it very hard to believe the test kits are that nuts. I want to find a Salifert test kit since everyone says they are so good. So far I haven't found one locally.

 

[javajoe]

You can have calcium that high without snowstorm- especially with low PH. before i got my tank balanced out, my calcium was around 900-950 quite regularly- never had a snowstorm.