High Calcium/ Hanna Checker advice

Connie · Mar 12, 2013

I have been checking my calcium for the past 6 months with a Hanna Checker. It has been registering very high every time. Thinking it might be abad batch of reagent, I bought another batch. The readings are still high. This whole time I have been getting readings between 550 and 600. I think 600 is as high as it will go, so it could have been registering even higher. I have not added any calcium because of this. Over the past few days I have been reading other posts on how unreliable this check is. I really need to add my Tropic Marin Bio-Calcium for the trace elements, but am afraid to. I don't have another calcium test at this time. Do you think it would hurt my tank to go ahead and add the TMBC?

ritter6788 · Mar 12, 2013

Are you using RO/DI water with zero tds?

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Connie · Mar 12, 2013

Yes sir.

ritter6788 · Mar 12, 2013

I use the Hanna checker but the only test I've compared it to is API. I get exactly the same numbers with both.

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dankreef · Mar 13, 2013

Are you using instant ocean reef crystals salt? The levels in that mix are off the charts. If your using salt with high calcium + dosing cal for your trace elements that could be why.

Connie · Mar 13, 2013

That's exactly what salt I'm using, so that could be it! Thank you for the info. What is a better salt I could switch to? I don't want to stop using the Tropic Marin.

dankreef said:
Are you using instant ocean reef crystals salt? The levels in that mix are off the charts. If your using salt with high calcium + dosing cal for your trace elements that could be why.

Dan1789 · Mar 13, 2013

I have not had any luck with the Hanna CA checker

AsphaltPays · Mar 13, 2013

Connie said:
That's exactly what salt I'm using, so that could be it! Thank you for the info. What is a better salt I could switch to? I don't want to stop using the Tropic Marin.

I would try ESV

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CoryC · Mar 13, 2013

i use red sea coral pro salt. great salt, stable levels, dissolves quickly. no residue like from reef crystals. also, i bought a hannah checker and was not getting very good readings, either really high or really low. its just impossible to keep particulate matter out of the sample ( dissolved solids in aquarium water), even when cleaning the tube with rubbing alcohol and ro water. i use the salifert test kit for measuring calc with much more accurate tests, hovering around 430ppm. the alkalinity and phosphate hannah checkers work really well though. i just think its a crap shoot with the calcium one.