Calcium Problem

WhiteysTA

New member
Ok, I have been trying to maintain a good calcium level for as long as i've had a test kit, but cant seem to get it above 150! I use Seachem Reef Complete twice a week, sometimes more, but it seems like it never comes up. All I have are live rock, fish, and some snails/hermit crabs and its almost like they are sucking my calcium suppliment dry. My pH is usually good, so i'm at a loss for whats going on. Should I use the calcium stuff every day or keep to the directions and use twice a week?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9048820#post9048820 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fade32
What test kit are you using and how old is it?

also what is your alkalinity and magnesium


maybe take it to someone to test your reading against there reading
 
Get yourself a Salifert Ca test kit... or take your water to a LFS, get it tested. Ca, Alk, and Mg.
 
i use seachem complete, seachem carbonate, and purple up in between and mine been staying up around 400.
 
The test is a seachem one and its not quite a year old. I guess I better have somebody check it, because I can never get the reading to be very high. As for my pH, I check it with the test strips and it shows to be around 8 or so. Not sure about the salt, I get my water RO and already mixed at the pet store. What should I use to buffer my pH with? I have some Kent superbuffer dKh, should I start using it regularly? I found out the hard way not to mix the buffer with water and the seachem reef complete, it started bubbling and fogged up my water with a cloud of white flakey stuff.
 
dont add anything my ph is 8.0 also


see what your readings are and i wouldnt add anything with out getting things tested first
 
I should have told you to send me a vial of your water...I would have run a complete test for you...the shifter came today and it would have been so easy to drop a little water in it.

Get a real test kit...Salifert...or if you want send me some water. Don't add anything at this point except topoff water.
 
Ok, who wants to poke the idiot??? I re-read the instructions on how to interpret the readings and found out that I was reading them in reverse! My calcium is actually at 480! And to think i've been doing it wrong for almost a year now! Well, thanks for the help on this issue! One of many goofy questions to come!!
 
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