Very high Ca readings from ICP test.

[ChrisIC]

Hi guy, hoping I can get some advice. I just had an ICP test on my tank water and it shows my Ca to be 840ppm! It also shows Mg at 1347, KH at 8. My Hanna checkers tell me that my Ca is at 540, Mg is at 1650 and KH is at 8.
I'm assuming that the ICP is accurate and that I'm not using the Hanna checkers correctly, although I really try to be as careful as I can about following the instructions, cleaning cuvettes and using the right amounts or reagent.
Is a Ca level that high a major problem? What can I do, apart from water changes, to lower it?
Thanks guys.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Hi guy, hoping I can get some advice. I just had an ICP test on my tank water and it shows my Ca to be 840ppm! It also shows Mg at 1347, KH at 8. My Hanna checkers tell me that my Ca is at 540, Mg is at 1650 and KH is at 8.
I'm assuming that the ICP is accurate and that I'm not using the Hanna checkers correctly, although I really try to be as careful as I can about following the instructions, cleaning cuvettes and using the right amounts or reagent.
Is a Ca level that high a major problem? What can I do, apart from water changes, to lower it?
Thanks guys.

I would not worry too much about it.

It will decrease on it's own and with your normal water changes provided that your salt mix has normal levels.

Have you been dosing Ca individually?
Have you tested your freshly mixed salt water and checked your Salinity.

 

[JaaxReef]

This is one of the reasons I stopped doing ICP. I have sent two of the exact same water sample to the same vendor and got back some shockingly different results (including some things that showed quite high on one test and not on another).

I wouldn’t panic and do anything about it. Get another hobby grade kit to check it if it really is bothering you. ICP can give you incorrect results occasionally and I wouldn’t take it as gospel.

Do you know if you have been overdosing calcium separate from buffer in an imbalanced way? 560 is not really a number to worry about, just let it come down naturally over time. What salt are you using?

 

[ChrisIC]

I've always dosed my tank with the Fauna Marin Balling light system. I was dosing Alk and Ca at their own individual amounts but kept reading that they have to be dosed at the same amount so I started doing that about a month ago.
I'm using RedSea salt. I don't test the fresh salt mix but I use the Hanna checkers every week for Ca, KH, Mg, Posphorus and Nitrate. Salinity is at 34ppt.
Thanks for the replies!

 

[JaaxReef]

I've always dosed my tank with the Fauna Marin Balling light system. I was dosing Alk and Ca at their own individual amounts but kept reading that they have to be dosed at the same amount so I started doing that about a month ago.
I'm using RedSea salt. I don't test the fresh salt mix but I use the Hanna checkers every week for Ca, KH, Mg, Posphorus and Nitrate. Salinity is at 34ppt.
Thanks for the replies!

Sounds like you are likely fine in my opinion. Just keep regular maintenance, water changes, and dosing those two elements in a balanced amount and things will level off over time.
Is it Red Sea Coral Pro or the blue bucket?

 

[ChrisIC]

Sounds like you are likely fine in my opinion. Just keep regular maintenance, water changes, and dosing those two elements in a balanced amount and things will level off over time.
Is it Red Sea Coral Pro or the blue bucket?

I use the blue RedSea bucket.
Glad to get some reassurance that I shouldn't panic!!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Which icp company? They are not equally reliable in my opinion.

 

[Spare time]

This is one of the reasons I stopped doing ICP. I have sent two of the exact same water sample to the same vendor and got back some shockingly different results (including some things that showed quite high on one test and not on another).

I wouldn’t panic and do anything about it. Get another hobby grade kit to check it if it really is bothering you. ICP can give you incorrect results occasionally and I wouldn’t take it as gospel.

Do you know if you have been overdosing calcium separate from buffer in an imbalanced way? 560 is not really a number to worry about, just let it come down naturally over time. What salt are you using?

Which vendor?

 

[ChrisIC]

I used Aquaforest Lab for the ICP test. I am just very surprised at the difference in the Ca results. The ICP says 840 but my Hanna checker says 560.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I used Aquaforest Lab for the ICP test. I am just very surprised at the difference in the Ca results. The ICP says 840 but my Hanna checker says 560.

Yes, I understand the concern. I’d get some sort of tie breaker test, such as a different kit or icp company, or the Hanna on some new salt water.

 

[JaaxReef]

Which vendor?

I can’t remember if it was Triton or ICP Analysis. It was a couple years ago. I’ve used both with mixed results.

 

[Spare time]

I can’t remember if it was Triton or ICP Analysis. It was a couple years ago. I’ve used both with mixed results.

I've heard mixed results with triton and then not so great results with ICP Analysis .com. I've used ATI and nothing seemed extreme. I haven't done a double test though. I want to try oceamo sometime and compare it to ATI at the same time.

 

[ChrisIC]

I'll make up a batch for a water change this week and test it, I'm very curious now about the results!

 

[ChrisIC]

Well it took a few days to get around to it but I tested my fresh salt mix today before I did a water change and the Ca and Mg values match up with what they should be for the fresh salt mix.
I'm sure enough now that my Hanna checkers are giving accurate results so I'm going to stop dosing Mg and let it come back down to normal levels. Hopefully the Ca and Alk will gradually balance out too, but I'll keep testing to stay on top of it!
Thanks for all the advice .

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Sounds good.

Happy Reefing.

 

[dirtie]

Which icp company? They are not equally reliable in my opinion.

Any recommendations on which company to use?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Any recommendations on which company to use?

Several seem reasonable to me. This might help you decide. Oceamo also seems appropriately knowledgeable.

How We Use ICP-OES Results Of Unknown Accuracy And Precision

ABOUT THIS ARTICLE This article was authored by @Dan_P, @taricha and @Rick Mathew. We collaborated in the development of the experimental methods, the cost of the project and the analysis of the data. The project was started in August of 2021 with the purpose of understanding the quality of the...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Reefahholic]

Any recommendations on which company to use?

OCEAMO ICP-MS is a quality analysis.