Calcium Test Kit Woes.

I had some similar problems in the past. It sounds like your calcium may be
too high.

What brand of salt mix are you using and at what SG? How are you measuring
it?

Can you get your hands on the salifert test kit?

~Mort

"Mandarin333" wrote in message
...
I am unable to get a reading with either a Red Sea calcium test kit or a
Tropic
Marin. The samples simply -will not- change color. In the case of the
red sea
test, the sample simply gets darker and darker pink rather than changing
to
orange as it should. In the case of the tropic marin, the sample should
go
from light blue to clear and it won't. Anyone have any ideas why? This
is a
90g with moderate pre-established coraline growth and only 1 hard coral
(lg
bubble) and six sinularia. The substrate is a 1 inch thick layer of
Southdown
sand and I have a plenum with a 5 inch layer of aragonite gravel and some
crushed coral. The tank has been up since memorial day and I have not
been
able to get a read on it in six or more tries. I also dose with Kent
Turbocalcium at a rate of 1/8 tsp 3 times a week. I have some new
coraline
growth but it is small and slow. At this point I suspect that the
Southdown
sand is somehow throwing the test kits off. It is the only thing that is
different about this tank compared to previous reefs I've run. Also KH is
9
and Ph is 8.2. TIA -M333

I also have a similar problem. I think it is the Oceanic salt that I am
using. It has a very high calcium level. I am reading around 700 with
a salifert kit (using the low resolution mode). If I used the high
resolution, it wouldn't ever change color. I don't think it's the kit.
My dKH is also low so I am thinking that the calcium level is actually
high.

You may be having a similar issue. My solution was to increase the
buffering slowly by adding baking soda. I'm doing it over a couple of
weeks time. I'm doing it slowly so I don't get calcium precipitation.
I am also monitoring and not adding additional caclium.

regards,

-soji

Mort wrote:

I had some similar problems in the past. It sounds like your calcium may be
too high.

What brand of salt mix are you using and at what SG? How are you measuring
it?

Can you get your hands on the salifert test kit?

~Mort

"Mandarin333" wrote in message
...


I am unable to get a reading with either a Red Sea calcium test kit or a


Tropic


Marin. The samples simply -will not- change color. In the case of the


red sea


test, the sample simply gets darker and darker pink rather than changing


to


orange as it should. In the case of the tropic marin, the sample should


go


from light blue to clear and it won't. Anyone have any ideas why? This


is a


90g with moderate pre-established coraline growth and only 1 hard coral


(lg


bubble) and six sinularia. The substrate is a 1 inch thick layer of


Southdown


sand and I have a plenum with a 5 inch layer of aragonite gravel and some
crushed coral. The tank has been up since memorial day and I have not


been


able to get a read on it in six or more tries. I also dose with Kent
Turbocalcium at a rate of 1/8 tsp 3 times a week. I have some new


coraline


growth but it is small and slow. At this point I suspect that the


Southdown


sand is somehow throwing the test kits off. It is the only thing that is
different about this tank compared to previous reefs I've run. Also KH is


9


and Ph is 8.2. TIA -M333

Subject: Calcium Test Kit Woes.
From: "Mort"
Date: 9/30/04 10:42 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Message-id: m

I had some similar problems in the past. It sounds like your calcium may be
too high.

What brand of salt mix are you using and at what SG? How are you measuring
it?

I am using IO at an s.g. of 1.025 at 75 degrees measured with a small seatest
s.g. meter (acrylic box and needle style).

Can you get your hands on the salifert test kit?

Yes but money is tight. I am going to try cutting the sample with 50%
distilled and then double the results. I'll report on how this goes.
-M333