parameters out of wack

db7080 · May 19, 2015

So I have been out of town and missed dosing a few times. And I also usually test alk every other day to sometimes one a week. I test the others once a month unless something is off. It has been about two week since I have tested and here is what I came up with mag 1360 alk 10.1 calcium 240. Why would my calcium be so low? So I started dosing extra calcium slowly and still dosing my normal everyday consumption dose. I have since dosed an extra 1500 ml of calcium, checked before work this morning and calcium is at 240. All tests where some with red sea, salifert and api and all read identical.

REEF911 · May 19, 2015

Your adding to much to fast. Dose calcium in smaller amounts more times throughout the day.

db7080 · May 19, 2015

I didn't dose that all at once...

hart24601 · May 19, 2015

I hope Randy can help out, that sounds pretty strange. Can you test new made saltwater to see the value? It's not likely that all those tests are off, but sure doesn't hurt to look at fresh made salt to make sure.

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 19, 2015

Calcium doe snot normally just drop like that, and testing error seems a likely possibility.

To make sure the kit is working, try it on some new salt water. It might just be a kit error.

We can calculate the amount the calcium should have risen (to see if there is an issue with the addition or not) if you tell us the total water volume and indicate what product you added 1500 mL of.

We'd use a calculator such as this one:

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chem_calc3.html

db7080 · May 19, 2015

About 150 total volume and it was BRS 2 part solution. I did recently do a water change with a new bag of kent salt. But that is the only change I've made since last test. I will try testing new mixed saltwater, just hard to imagine all three test kits being consistently incorrect with each other.

Randy Holmes-Farley · May 19, 2015

OK, so assuming you added 1500 mL of the calcium chloride solution that BRS recommends as part of my DIY two part system, that should have boosted calcium by about 100 ppm.

So either the kit is not giving you accurate results, or the material you added is not calcium chloride.