False readings

[USMA36]

is there something in my tank that could cause my salifert calcium test to falsely read very high? I thought I was having a dosing pump issue but I measured what’s left in the core7 bottle and it is not that far off of what it should be. In less than a week I went from normal calcium to reading to 680. The level has not dropped off much in a week of no dosing.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

There's not any likely chemical in your tank at levels that would give a false high reading, but many other things could, such as using it wrong, expired reagents, mismanufacture, etc.

What did you dose in the past week?

 

[USMA36]

Let me give you the extended story. First off my tank is 100 gallons total water volume 1.025, 2.5 nitrates .03 phosphates with a Hannah checker dkh 8.0. I run carbon and GFO 30 min on 30 min off so it runs 12 hours per day total. I use the Triton Core 7 for other methods and I have a Refugium with chaeto. I have been running Triton without issue about 5 months and the tank has been up for a year. It’s lit by a 3’ 8 bulb ATI Sumpower the bulbs are new since October. My dosing pump recently went out of calibration. Not sure for how long but it was dosing too much magnesium. I didn’t catch it until a month or so after a bunch of snails died off. I attributed the snail die off to hermits. THe mag level was 1800. It has since been brought down to normal 1400. Up until last week my calcium was rock steady at 440. All the sudden it has spiked to 700 using the same test kit. The expiration is not until 2020. My tank has been in a downward spiral for the last two months. I have lost two nice birdsnest colonies, 95% of a Pocilipora colony, and I have Montipora Digitata that I raised from a tiny frag and was growing like a weed. No it looks like crap. Polyp extension is minimal and no new growth in the last few weeks. It used to look thick and bushy now it’s thin and sickly. My soft corals, zoanthids, and Euphyllyia all look normal. I also have two small acro frags that seem to be fine but they were only added two weeks ago. My chaeto bed was huge and thriving. That too is starting to disintegrate. It’s not turning white just getting soft and disappearing. It’s lost maybe 1/3 it’s mass over the last 10 days. That seemed to corespondent with when I turned off bottle 2 of Triton which is calcium and trace elements. Any ideas on how I can fix these smaller problems before they become big problems? Ordered a new test. I am also going to test a fresh batch of saltwater and see what that reads. I should know that shortly. All fish are fat and happy. Thank you.

 

[USMA36]

This is that same coral back in November. It’s smaller but you can see how much happier it seems.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It takes a lot to get to 700 ppm calcium. If the dosing bottle is about where it should be, I expect the result is a test error.

Have you used the kit on some new water?

 

[USMA36]

It’s definitely the test kit. Tested new water and got the same elevated readings. Drove an hour to my “LFS” and he tested my calcium at 400. If it’s. It the calcium what is doing this to my coral? Very frustrating.

 

[USMA36]

Here is what it looks like with the lights off.

 

[jsker]

IMO, your nutrients are out of balance. The nitrates need to come up a bit to 4 to 5 ppm or even more. The corals are hungry and starving.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It’s definitely the test kit. Tested new water and got the same elevated readings. Drove an hour to my “LFS” and he tested my calcium at 400. If it’s. It the calcium what is doing this to my coral? Very frustrating.

Good, we can rule out worrying about calcium.

 

[USMA36]

Good, we can rule out worrying about calcium.

What’s my next step?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

For coral health? I'm not sure. I'd be surprised if they are starving at 2.5 ppm nitrate and 0.03 ppm phosphate. I suppose it is a fine experiment to feed more or dose some nitrate.

 

[USMA36]

For coral health? I'm not sure. I'd be surprised if they are starving at 2.5 ppm nitrate and 0.03 ppm phosphate. I suppose it is a fine experiment to feed more or dose some nitrate.

Thanks for your help. I guess I have nothing to lose.

 

[madweazl]

IMO, your nutrients are out of balance. The nitrates need to come up a bit to 4 to 5 ppm or even more. The corals are hungry and starving.

This seems to get blown way out of proportion based on my own results; my nitrates have been 0-.5 for at least four months now and phosphates have been .03-.07 if you believe Hanna ULR or 0-.049 if you believe Triton (last one being .01 in November).