Calcium level above Hanna test kit reference range but alkalinity stable within 8-9 dKH

[KingLucy1997]

I have a 7 month old ~3g reef tank containing a faviitees, stone pipe coral, GSP, palythoa, and hydnophora + clean up crew (1 Scarlett hermit crab, 2 blue legged hermit crabs, 5 bumblebee snails and 1 tuxedo urchin). Ever since I’ve started testing calcium, my Hanna reader shows that my calcium is above its reference range (>600ppm), yet alkalinity is stable at ideal parameters. Throughout the last 7 months I have only dosed calcium at most three times without testing calcium first. I am not getting and precipitate either. I have heard people with calcium levels in the 500’s run into problems with dropping alkalinity, but I have not had problems with alkalinity despite my off the charts calcium level. Why is that?
Is there any way to reduce calcium levels besides water changes and not adding any more calcium?
Earlier today I noticed that my pH had dropped to 7.5, so I brought the pH back up to about 8 using Sea Chem’s buffer. My phosphates were also above the Hanna reader’s reference range (>0.9 ppm) until after 2 water changes that included cleaning the aquariums acrylic inside glass and removing macroalgae/algae. This brought the phosphate down to about 0.65ppm.
Could these other parameters be interfering with my calcium results or causing elevated calcium? What parameter that I have more control over than calcium should I focus on that would help bring calcium down indirectly?

 

[homer1475]

First thing I would do is confirm the hanna with another test(salifert is quick, cheap, and reliable). Hanna calcium test is prone to many user errors. It's the one hanna meter no one recommends, just for how easy it is to screw up the results.

And FWIW, that PH buffer you added, is only adding alkalinity for a small temporary increase in PH. One should never use PH buffers in SW. If you continue to use it, measure alkalinity shortly after adding it, you'll find you increased your ALK and in a matter of minutes to a couple hours your PH will be right back down to where it was before you added it.

 

[KingLucy1997]

First thing I would do is confirm the hanna with another test(salifert is quick, cheap, and reliable). Hanna calcium test is prone to many user errors. It's the one hanna meter no one recommends, just for how easy it is to screw up the results.

And FWIW, that PH buffer you added, is only adding alkalinity for a small temporary increase in PH. One should never use PH buffers in SW. If you continue to use it, measure alkalinity shortly after adding it, you'll find you increased your ALK and in a matter of minutes to a couple hours your PH will be right back down to where it was before you added it.

To clarify, I used Marine Buffer by Seachem, which says that it safely raises marine Ph to 8.3 and no higher, even if accidentally overdosed. It’s got a picture of a saltwater Lionfish on the front. I’m pretty sure marine is referring to salt water, plus a pH of 8.3 in a freshwater tank would be dangerously alkaline for the freshwater life inside (excluding chichlids) but is within the ideal pH parameters for a saltwater reef tank.
I know now not to use acids and bases designed to raise and lower the pH of a freshwater aquarium on a saltwater system because a year or so back I did this and crashed my tank at the time.
With regards the to calcium Hanna reader, I actually do not have their typical calcium reader. I bought their new multifunction photometer which measures pH, alkalinity, calcium, HR nitrate, LR nitrate, ultra-low range nitrite, and ultra-low range phosphate. Do you know if the problem with Hanna’s typical single function calcium spectrophotometer test was the device or the reagents/testing procedures used in the test?
Thanks for the quick response

 

[homer1475]

PH buffers even for SW increase alkalinity. Who said anything about using FW buffers in SW? I'm talking about PH buffers designed for SW. I know for a fact seachems buffer is pure alkalinity. Might as well dump baking soda in your sump. It's the same thing.

I have never used the newer all in one from hanna, but the reagents are the same, so I would assume the test is exactly the same. The all in one unit just replaces using each separate "egg" to read the color change.

I would stop using the buffer, and confirm the hanna test before I did anything. A calcium level of that high will not hurt anything, and will fall on it's own in time, assuming you have corals using up the element.

From what I read and have experienced with the hanna calcium test(Again I used the "egg"), it's needing the precise 1ml of water to dillute the sample. 1 drop in either direction can give very vastly different results.

 

[KingLucy1997]

PH buffers even for SW increase alkalinity. Who said anything about using FW buffers in SW? I'm talking about PH buffers designed for SW. I know for a fact seachems buffer is pure alkalinity. Might as well dump baking soda in your sump. It's the same thing.

I have never used the newer all in one from hanna, but the reagents are the same, so I would assume the test is exactly the same. The all in one unit just replaces using each separate "egg" to read the color change.

I would stop using the buffer, and confirm the hanna test before I did anything. A calcium level of that high will not hurt anything, and will fall on it's own in time, assuming you have corals using up the element.

From what I read and have experienced with the hanna calcium test(Again I used the "egg"), it's needing the precise 1ml of water to dillute the sample. 1 drop in either direction can give very vastly different results.

I assumed you thought I was using something like baking soda to raise pH. Didn’t know that Sea Chem’s buffer was basically just doing that with a fancier label. Good to know.
The kit I have actually came with a 100microL pipette that is a mini version of the 1000microliter pipettes I used to work with in labs during college. The kits also got to 1ml syringes with 0.01 intervals. So there is no more trying to guess how many microliters are in every drop.

 

[homer1475]

Your call, but do a search on here for the hanna calcium checker. It's just not all it's cracked up to be, and the one hanna checker no one recommends.

I would still verify your calcium reading with another test before doing anything drastic.

 

[KingLucy1997]

Your call, but do a search on here for the hanna calcium checker. It's just not all it's cracked up to be, and the one hanna checker no one recommends.

I would still verify your calcium reading with another test before doing anything drastic.

Thanks for the advice, I was worried that high calcium level could hurt my corals. If high calcium isn’t going to hurt anything as long as I don’t dose more, I’m not going to worry about it, especially if my calcium test is known to be inaccurate. I’ll get something else to test calcium with.

 

[homer1475]

The pipette they include now has vastly improved reliability with the test, but just a single drop in either direction can give vastly different results.

Just not one of the hanna testers I would use to verify a reading. Just do a couple tests back to back. If you can get repeatable results, good for you. You can use the tester better then most, and your reading is probably accurate.

If you get wildly different results back to back, you'll understand what I'm trying to tell you. I never could, but also had the older test that did not include the new pipette.

 

[homer1475]

Thanks for the advice, I was worried that high calcium level could hurt my corals. If high calcium isn’t going to hurt anything as long as I don’t dose more, I’m not going to worry about it, especially if my calcium test is known to be inaccurate. I’ll get something else to test calcium with.

I just don't want you to do anything too drastic without first verifying the original result. The worst thing we can do as reefers is respond with a knee jerk reaction without first verifying the issue.

 

[sam2110]

I brought all hanna checkers. Never use the calcium one though it sits in the cupboard. Nitrate ain't all it's cracked up to be aswell. Get a salifert for CAL.

If you insist on using the hanna make sure you buy distilled water like what you would buy for a car battery, your ro system will not be good enough

 

[homer1475]

Thanks for the advice, I was worried that high calcium level could hurt my corals. If high calcium isn’t going to hurt anything as long as I don’t dose more, I’m not going to worry about it, especially if my calcium test is known to be inaccurate. I’ll get something else to test calcium with.

Your calcium, isn't all that high really. Just let it fall on it's own down to whatever level you want to keep.

A level that high will hurt nothing.

 

[homer1475]

I brought all hanna checkers. Never use the calcium one though it sits in the cupboard. Nitrate ain't all it's cracked up to be aswell. Get a salifert for CAL

Which nitrate kit? The low range I hated using and could never get consistent results. The high range kit is a single reagent pack(like the ULR phosphate kit), and is in line with most other test kits.

I use hanna for ALK, phosphates, and nitrates. Salifert for calcium and magnesium. I find these work best for me.

 

[sam2110]

Which nitrate kit? The low range I hated using and could never get consistent results. The high range kit is a single reagent pack(like the ULR phosphate kit), and is in line with most other test kits.

Yeah the low range kit used it once and what a mess about it was

 

[sam2110]

Which nitrate kit? The low range I hated using and could never get consistent results. The high range kit is a single reagent pack(like the ULR phosphate kit), and is in line with most other test kits.

I use hanna for ALK, phosphates, and nitrates. Salifert for calcium and magnesium. I find these work best for me.

Just looked at a video of the high range one I think I might order it and give it try

 

[homer1475]

Yeah the low range kit sucked. I hated it so bad, I mailed it to someone on here. All they had to do was pay for the shipping.

The high range kit is very accurate, and very repeatable, and very easy to use(same exact procedure as the phosphate kit)

 

[KingLucy1997]

I brought all hanna checkers. Never use the calcium one though it sits in the cupboard. Nitrate ain't all it's cracked up to be aswell. Get a salifert for CAL.

If you insist on using the hanna make sure you buy distilled water like what you would buy for a car battery, your ro system will not be good enough

I have been using almost exclusively RO/DI water from the local fish store I get my Red Sea water from for my tanks. Would the typical reef hobby store’s RO/DI system be enough?
I’m planning on using a new calcium test kit now regardless though.
is the Hanna high range nitrate any more reliable that the low range nitrate version? How off are Hanna’s nitrate tests in your opinion and what other test kit do you think is better?
Thanks

 

[KingLucy1997]

The pipette they include now has vastly improved reliability with the test, but just a single drop in either direction can give vastly different results.

Just not one of the hanna testers I would use to verify a reading. Just do a couple tests back to back. If you can get repeatable results, good for you. You can use the tester better then most, and your reading is probably accurate.

If you get wildly different results back to back, you'll understand what I'm trying to tell you. I never could, but also had the older test that did not include the new pipette.

The problem I am having kind of prevents this strategy from being useful in my situation because the back to back calcium tests I have done have came back above the upper reference range of the calcium test (>600ppm). Therefore I could have gotten to wildly differing values above 600ppm or similar values, I can’t tell.

 

[KingLucy1997]

Your calcium, isn't all that high really. Just let it fall on it's own down to whatever level you want to keep.

A level that high will hurt nothing.

Above the test’s upper level limit for calcium isn’t high? I have no idea how high my calcium is.

 

[KingLucy1997]

Which nitrate kit? The low range I hated using and could never get consistent results. The high range kit is a single reagent pack(like the ULR phosphate kit), and is in line with most other test kits.

I use hanna for ALK, phosphates, and nitrates. Salifert for calcium and magnesium. I find these work best for me.

The machine itself is capable of both low range and high range nitrate tests, but the only reagents not included with the multikit were the ones for the low range nitrate and I can’t find low range nitrate reagent packet refills for Hanna in stock (at least at my favorite store, I’m sure i could find them somewhere eventually).

 

[homer1475]

Thats why I said get another test kit. With the salifert kit, you can just keep adding the third part and add the results together to know how high it is.

EDIT:
Second part. Forgot salifert changed the calcium test to just 2 parts.