CA drop?!?!?

[bambam918]

I use Red Sea for all my testing and I have been slowly raising my CA from 350 back to 420. Test rests are the following. I moniture PH and temp with apex probe. Temp ranges from 78.5-79.5 therefore I will not list the temp readings.

10/09
dkH- 9.5
pH- 8.1
SG- 1.026
CA- 475

10/16
dkH- 10.5
pH- 8.3
SG- 1.025
CA- 475

10/30
MG- 1400
CA 340
PO4- .04
PO3- 0.0
SG 1.024
dhK- 9.2
pH- 8.15

I tested twice for CA to verify. At this time I started to dose Brightwell CA, 25 ML. I'll be honest I did not dose every day and this is why I believe it is taking me longer than it should to get things where they should be.

11/6
CA- 350
PO4- .04
dhK- 8.1
PH- 8.25

N 11/14 I saw CA raise to 370. On 11/20 I saw CA around 400 but today when I tested my trident changed colors bedore the Red Sea card could read CA. I tested a second time and got the same thing.

Any thoughts on what could be happening? Test kit bad now? I have had it for a year I believe. I don't see an expiration date on the box. Maybe when I dosed the CA on 11/19 the skimmer pled it out since I left it on??? Should I turn off the skimmer when I dose??

I believe the skimmer pulled out the CA dose since the skimmer filled a gallon jug in 6-8 time frame. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Here is a photo of my entire log

<a href="http://s1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj521/akita451/?action=view&current=397A670E-BC5A-430E-B420-10339B5F6222-2684-000001307321164C_zps8e016088.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj521/akita451/397A670E-BC5A-430E-B420-10339B5F6222-2684-000001307321164C_zps8e016088.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos" /></a>

 

[BobthePhotoGuy]

what about regular water changes?

 

[coral hoarder]

It looks like you have not tested your Mg lately. My guess is your Mg is low. Raising your Mg will help stabilize your Ca.

 

[bambam918]

I normally do WC every other week at 20% but have been doing 10% once a week for three weeks now. Ill test Mg to verify. I did a third test the same day, 5-6 hours after the first two and the reading showed 370-400

Maybe the test are no good now??? After having them for a year now. Ill report back with Mg reading

 

[evolved]

Picking up a new test kit (or having an LFS do a test and verify yours) is certainly a good place to start before you start chasing numbers too much.

 

[bambam918]

Tested CA and the color first changed at 370 but it looked more purple than dark blue to me. I then put enough solution in to read at 400. Looked pretty much the same. I then added the rest to see if there would be a difference however it looked the same as 370 marker.

Mg changed colors at 1400 but the color was too light. This was very easy to tell. I slowly added more until I used all the regiment. The color did not change at all.

I am beginning to think the test is not good anymore. I'll test with my brothers kit and a LFS to compaire.

Anymore suggestion? Any tips on reading the Red Sea test? I read somewhere that when the test first changes that is the reading you should use..... Any thoughts on that?