MJOR FRUSTRATION!! I am not a freaking chemist!

[Hara]

ok, I am getting past the point of frustration. In my never ending search for truth, justice and the american way..oh wait, wrong board...anyway, I am trying to be very diligent about weekly water testing, especially with the limewater being added. I only dripped the limewater (one quart each night) for two nights, that was almost a week ago. The calcium test is acting strange, I have done it 3 times now and am not ever getting it to switch from the pink to the lavender color. I have passed 30 drops each and every time and instead of it staying pink, or turning lavender, it turns clear.

Does anyone have any ideas what is going on here? The directions are simple enough, but it is not working. I have a hard time believing that the calcium is past 660.

 

[reefrunner69]

What test kit are you using? It is quite impossible that Kalk is raising the CA that high, if your only adding a quart per day, plus I don't think it's possible for it to be that high (have to wait on Guy and Mark for that one). Curious as to why your supplamenting CA this early in the game? Isn't this a new set up? What kind of CA consumers are in the tank?

 

[Hara]

I am using a Hagen testkit.

I was adding the Kalkwasser because the Alkalinity was not in the recommended proportion to the Calcium level. When it reached the point where it was (after the two dosings) I stopped adding it.

As far as the inhabitants, except for the cleanup crew, there is one sebae anemone and one clownfish. I was adding the limewater to help the coraline algae grow.

 

[CaliGal]

Hara,

I hear your frustration. We will have to wait for those with lots of experience to offer aid.

One question: Have you noticed any sign of Coralline growing with the time your dosed?


Sue

 

[reefrunner69]

First thing, is you gotta verify the test. Take a sample of water to the LFS and get them to test for CA and ALK. No offense to the Hagen people, but theior test kits do not instill confidence in the reefkeeper in me I do not believe your test is accurate, there should be a snowstorm going on in your tank. What is the ALK level? What is the Mg? What is the PH? Kalk will not raise one level and not the other. If the Alk was out of balance with the CA, Kalk will not restore the balance, you would have to buffer until the levels were in balance and then dose Kalk to maintain the balance.

FWIW, I use Salifert test kits, I've also had good luck with Seachem kits and Hach.

 

[Hara]

First thing, is you gotta verify the test. Take a sample of water to the LFS and get them to test for CA and ALK. No offense to the Hagen people, but theior test kits do not instill confidence in the reefkeeper in me I do not believe your test is accurate, there should be a snowstorm going on in your tank. What is the ALK level? What is the Mg? What is the PH? Kalk will not raise one level and not the other. If the Alk was out of balance with the CA, Kalk will not restore the balance, you would have to buffer until the levels were in balance and then dose Kalk to maintain the balance.

Unfortunately, the LFS is over an hour away. This guy was so brilliant, he told me you could not test Calcium levels without a couple hundred dollars worth of test kits. The first couple of times we did the test, we got results of 440. Alk was 125. Ph is 8.2 today.

To Sue:
The lavender color got thicker and covered more, there is even coralline growing on the white marble! (I did not realize that it would do this, silly me, thought only on the rocks)

 

[fishfreek]

Coraline will grow on just about everything that does not have soft skin. For example you will see coraline growing on the snail and hermit shells, inside surface of the glass, heater, powerheads, filter intake and outlets.

Given that your so far from any LFS I strongly urge you to check out the following online venders.

www.ffexpress.com

www.petwarehouse.com

www.marinedepot.com

www.thatfishplace.com

Mailorder is usually cheaper than LFS pricing in general and factor in the driving time it can be much more convient also.

I have used some different test kits and must say that I like the seachem kits. They are relitivly easy to use (calcium is acutally the most complex of the ones I have because it has 3 compounds you have to use) and quick. For an instant ammonia test look at the seachem ammonia alert. Its bascily an ammonia test that is always in the tank. Just at a glance you can see if your ammonia levels require further testing.