Calcium Test help - *UPDATED*

[Black96WS6]

Hi,

I need some help determining a problem testing my Calcium levels.

I am moving up to Shrooms from a FOWLR setup. So now I have a FOWLR + Shrooms tank.

I recently purchased a Salifert Calcium Test Kit, and have tried testing my Calcium levels without success twice so far.

The first time was last week. I couldn't get the solution to turn blue, even after using the entire 1ml syringe.

Since I had recently done a water change about 16 hours before the test, I thought that was the problem.

So I waited a week, tried again this morning, and again no luck. The solution stays pinkish-violet. It never turns to clear blue.

Does this mean:

A) The Salifert test is broken (perhaps something was labelled incorrectly or gone bad)?
B) I have TOO MUCH calcium in the tank
C) I have TOO LITTLE calcium in the tank
D) Or something else?

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[ChrisRD]

Have you tried testing a batch of the new saltwater?

 

[Black96WS6]

Great idea Chris, I will try that this weekend when I do a water change before I pour the new water into the tank! If that doesn't register, then something is either mis-labelled, was put into the wrong bottle at the factory, or expired prematurely...

 

[cklayko2000]

could mean your calbium level is above 500ppm... Do you dose alot of Calcium?

 

[Black96WS6]

Don't dose at all, just do regular water changes. I am doing a water change tonight or tomorrow (Sunday) so I'll test the new batch of seawater with the Salifert kit and see if I get a reading (should be around 300).

 

[Black96WS6]

Ok I just did a water change. I use CoraLife salt by the way.

I did the test again using a sample of the freshly-mixed salt, and it finally turned blue. The new batch measured about 450ppm of Calcium (give or take I don't know how much depending on how accurate everything is).

I haven't been dosing calc, however I picked up some SeaChem Reef Complete tonight for 5 bucks, just incase I am running low.

I can't imagine I'm running over in Calcium, the tank is about 2 years old and I've never added anything except water changes. It's been a FOWLR tank forever until I decided to move up to mushrooms now.

So I am going to wait 24 hours and do the test again on the main tank water and see what happens...

 

[jdeets]

Do the test using "low resolution." If your Salifert test kit is the most recent version--that calls for 2 mL of water--then just use 1 mL and use 4 drops of the liquid solution and 1/2 scoop of the other one. Then multiply the result by 2. That will measure Ca levels up to 1000 ppm--although it's really intended more to make your test kit last longer.