calcium level

[Veni vidi vici]

Hi all,
i have a quick question.
do calcium leves fluctuate during the day? i ask this because over night seem to have done just that.
TIA

 

[deep6er]

How much of a swing?

 

[bertoni]

Calcium levels will change during the day, but the change is usually small enough to be close to the testing limits of most hobbyist kits.

 

[Veni vidi vici]

120ppm i ran my first test last night and the result was 420 ppm ,i ran it again today and it was 300 ppm.
the test kit is salifert Ca and i know i did the test right .I know this because i watched the podcast on Talkingreef.salifert instruction arent very noob friendly or maybe im not so bright lol

 

[bertoni]

That's too large for anything except a precipitation event, which would have produced a snowstorm. The most likely cause of that would be alkalinity over-supplemented. I suspect a testing error. What was the alkalinity before and after?

 

[Veni vidi vici]

CA:300
nitrate :0 mg/l
nitrite:0mg/l
ammonia: 0 mg/l
Ph:8.2
alk:4.0 meg/l
these are the tests results i took today
and other than whater changes of 20% every 2 weeks i dont add any suppliments yet.

 

[bertoni]

I think the problem was a measurement error. The alkalinity level is fine, and if nothing was supplemented, the alkalinity would be very low after 120 ppm of Ca were consumed.

 

[Veni vidi vici]

thanx for the help.

 

[reefnetworth]

how many pounds of rock you have will make a difference in a new tank with alot of new LR.
ive had mine drop 20ppm each day when i first started using Randys 2 part solution. after a month or so it leveled off with a pretty steady Alk of 3.8, CaC12 @ 440, & Mg @ 1330...its been pretty steady for over 2.8 years...:thumbsup: to Dr Randy!!!