Crazy Cal ??!!

[sen5241b]

For the least year my calcium was always high 400s and sometimes higher. In the last month or two it has steadily dropped. My test and dose log is not perfect but it seems to show that dosing does nothing! I can't keep cal up. I'm using Reef Crystals. Could my cal test (API) be bad? Its only a few months old. Or could my cal just be low.

I did a 50% change on 12/11. Yesterday cal was 340 and I dosed 30 ml of cal but today after a 25% change, the cal was down to 320. Does that make sense?

I have not added any new corals or seen any explosive coralline growth since the cal started dropping. Take a look at these numbers and tell me what the heck is going on here??

http://mindofscott.com/Images33v567779/Chem_graph.pdf

 

[XxKnuckleheadxX]

one way to find out if your test kit is bad, take a water sample to be tested my your lfs

 

[yote]

Also test every new batch of water before you do the waterchange and dose that if its low.
Something else that I do when mixing water.I always roll the bucket around some to stir the contents good.I've found that gives more constant results for calcium,alkalinity,and such.

 

[sen5241b]

Ever seen an API Cal test go bad?

 

[yote]

Yep.Sure have.
I've even picked up new un-opened API kits that were bad.
If its man-made,it can be bad.

 

[sen5241b]

Just got a LFS test and Cal was 368 ppm today. This is even more crazy!

1/10 cal was 340 so I added 30 ml of API cal
1/11 did a 25% change and cal went to 320 afterwards
1/12 Today its at 368 (lfs test)

HOW COULD IT HAVE GONE UP WITH NO DOSING AND CHANGES? Also isn't that unusual to be putting 30ml in almost every other day and not see cal rise above 400?

 

[yote]

That could be the suppliment your using.
I know that in my 125,with calcium at 380,I can dose 5.4 tsps of Kents Turbo Calcium and that will put the calcium at 400.

 

[tankedchemist]

I wonder... is your supplement liquid or solid?

 

[daugherty]

Just got a LFS test and Cal was 368 ppm today. This is even more crazy!

HOW COULD IT HAVE GONE UP WITH NO DOSING AND CHANGES? Also isn't that unusual to be putting 30ml in almost every other day and not see cal rise above 400?

you have a bad test kit. i had my tank precipate alk because of a bad kit

 

[sen5241b]

My test results match the LFS pretty much.

I put 30 ml liquid API Cal in yesterday and its down to 360. (Alk 8 dkh, Ph 8.3). I put 60 ml in today. It just won't go above 400 and I have never put this much cal in before.

Gonna try a different cal brand.

 

[sen5241b]

One other thing: how long after putting supplement in should you wait to test the resulting rise in the tank's cal? Minutes?

 

[Bifferwine]

No, hours. You want to wait long enough to get all the water in your tank mixed up.

 

[yote]

I normally wait 24 hours before testing after I dose ANYTHING.
Like Biff said,you want it to get mixed in good to accurate results.

 

[sen5241b]

Okay after waiting 24 hours the cal is only up to 400. Last summer I put 30 mls in and my cal shot up to over 600 according to LFS test! Now I put 30 ml in and it comes up from 360 to 600. What's eating all that cal suddenly in the last month? Has anyone seen coralline increase its consumption even though it has not visibly spread?

 

[sen5241b]

It was suggested on my local reef club's website that the root cause may be low mag.