Calcium Test Troubles.

[Mandarin333]

Hi again all. I got my 90 set up with the southdown sand and it cleared after
much diatom filtration. I just tested the calcium levels for the first time
today using RedSea's kit. The problem is that I couldn't get a result. I
followed the directions exactly but the sample would not change from pink to
orange it just got darker red as I added more and more of reagent B. After
twelve or more drops I gave up. Any idea what the problem is? I'm thinking
that there is a hell of alot of calcium in the water but it ain't snowing or
precipitating out. Could the southdown sand and all that fine silt be screwing
up the test?

-M333

[Richard Reynolds]

> Could the southdown sand and all that fine silt be screwing
> up the test?

could be however the redsea kits have a less than perfect reputation

the ammonia/nitrite kits are ok

the single oxygen kit i tried isnt even close
and pH is a joke

try salifert or seachem


--
Richard Reynolds

[skozzy]

Keep doing the test untill you would reach over 700ppm, I had to do that on
mine when I first started. Since then I have it sorted out.

You might have a high level since you started off, if you still don't get
any change after the 700ppm worth of drops of part #B then I guess you can
assume it's low. Also I would drop some calcium into the test kit befor you
dump it to see if it picks it up.


"Mandarin333" > wrote in message
...
> Hi again all. I got my 90 set up with the southdown sand and it cleared
after
> much diatom filtration. I just tested the calcium levels for the first
time
> today using RedSea's kit. The problem is that I couldn't get a result. I
> followed the directions exactly but the sample would not change from pink
to
> orange it just got darker red as I added more and more of reagent B.
After
> twelve or more drops I gave up. Any idea what the problem is? I'm
thinking
> that there is a hell of alot of calcium in the water but it ain't snowing
or
> precipitating out. Could the southdown sand and all that fine silt be
screwing
> up the test?
>
> -M333