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

gbroadbridge · Jan 4, 2022

KingLucy1997 said:
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?

You realise that the Hanna checker requires 1ml of reagent + 9 ml of RODI water, not tank water to zero it?

You then add 0.1ml of tank water + the second reagent.

If you used tank water for the first step it will give over range readings.

KingLucy1997 · Jan 4, 2022

gbroadbridge said:
You realise that the Hanna checker requires 1ml of reagent + 9 ml of RODI water, not tank water to zero it?

You then add 0.1ml of tank water + the second reagent.

If you used tank water for the first step it will give over range readingI

I didn't use tank water, I used RO/DI water that I purchased from Reef Collective (a local reef store in Bloomington, MN.) I think that I am just screwing up the Hanna procedure because its really easy to make a mistake doing the hanna calcium test compared to the API calcium test.

homer1475 · Jan 4, 2022

Save yourself a headache, throw the hanna calcium checker in the garbage. It's way to finicky to be of any help. Get a salifert or red sea kit. API is OK for a ballpark figure, but we typically want better results then "ballpark".

I don't think you'll find any experienced reefer that actually uses and likes the hanna calcium checker. it's the only checker thats absolute garbage. And only for the procedure it requires to run the test. One drop in either direction(yes just a single drop) can give vastly different readings.

KingLucy1997 · Jan 4, 2022

homer1475 said:
Save yourself a headache, throw the hanna calcium checker in the garbage. It's way to finicky to be of any help. Get a salifert or red sea kit. API is OK for a ballpark figure, but we typically want better results then "ballpark".

I don't think you'll find any experienced reefer that actually uses and likes the hanna calcium checker. it's the only checker thats absolute garbage. And only for the procedure it requires to run the test. One drop in either direction(yes just a single drop) can give vastly different readings.

Yeah the fact that even though API could only benefit me with a general reading of the calcium level in my tank literally get any other calcium checker besides Hanna. API's calcium test vs Hanna's calcium test is significantly better. It is still a significant improvement on the Hanna calcium kits because the Hanna made me think my calcium levels were way too high to dose any calcium, alk, and other elements, when the reality was that I actually should be dosing calcium, kH,, minerals, ect to maintain my aquarium. But I figured it out so whatever.