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View Full Version : Calcium test kit? And help needed!



kerry
01-18-2012, 09:18 AM
What test kit do you prefer to use? I currently have been using the API deal. Its cheap and comes with the whole kit so thats why I have it. I do not know how accurate it is, I am adding Kents Liquid Calcium reactor and the results do not seem to change. I had a pH crash due to my stupidity and days after correcting that we had a power outage for about 8 hours and the temp in the house got to under 50 degrees. My corals are dieing off slowly while my fish are just fine. Now for some reason my Calcium is down to about 250ish. I dose the Kents Iodine, mag/iron, liquid cal reactor (as needed), and strontium/molybdenum at half what the bottle says so I think they are ok. I do have test kits for those coming in the mail so I can be sure. I have done it for so long this way with great results that I never bought those test kits again when they ran out (I know, not a good idea). kH and gH are up to par but calcium wont move. Anyway, is this API calcium test at least in the ball park?? I can get a Red Sea cal test at my local. The API seemed to work in the past, I would dose the Kents and I could see it come up. Now I dose and its about the same with no real noticeable color change. I even took a huge swing at it which left white powdery residue behind and still there was no real color change in the test. Maybe the Kents calcium can go bad???? I am at a loss here. My fish are GREAT but, my corals are not so good. Oh, and my snails are not active, plus my bristol worms and little black stars are dieing to. Nutrients are all zero but the ammonia was up to almost .25 with all the stuff dieing. Any pointers or a push in a direction I am overlooking would be great. Also, the calcium tests where the same after two 30% water changes using instant ocean mix, I figured that would bring the calcium reading up???
Sorry this is all over the road, I am working and the phone is ringing off the hook.

SantaMonica
01-18-2012, 10:11 AM
Sounds like a bad P test.

kerry
01-18-2012, 10:57 AM
"P" test?? You think the phosphates are up? I have not checked those, they have been zero since the scrubber nipped that in the butt. I will check them when I get home to be sure. I check those about once or every other month so its been about 4 weeks ago.

SantaMonica
01-18-2012, 01:50 PM
Whoops I meant Cal test.

But, high P can cause calcium to precipitate.

kerry
01-18-2012, 04:57 PM
I just checked the p its zero in that tank and just .5 in the other. My Cal test works, I mixed up some salt water and its 440 by my test so it tested it OK. This has happened since we lost power for 8 hours and the house temp got to under 50 degrees. I guess I am going to do a 60% change in my 10G and put all the corals in that tank until I work this out.

SantaMonica
01-18-2012, 05:29 PM
You just had a lot of die off, that's all.

kerry
01-18-2012, 07:06 PM
Thats for sure, most of my Bristol worms and little black stars died. My snails are not dead but do not move at ALL. I did that 60% change in my 10G and transferred everything so I hope not to lose any more. The weird thing is my fish are GREAT!!!

kotlec
01-19-2012, 12:50 PM
I have had problems reading cal when my pH was gone south due to bad test kit. After I brought pH to norm I have found calcium very low.

kerry
01-20-2012, 07:08 PM
Well the CAL API seems to be fairly accurate or at least in the ball park, took it to the local to check against theres. Now with all this death my ammonia was up to over .5, almost 1.0!!!!! Can anyone give my any info on Iodine test kits, I bought a seachem and am not impressed at all. I will also be buying a Mag and strontium kit, any suggestion on these as well????? I need something that is reasonably priced for the results it gives. I plan to spend in the area of 30-50 buck for each kit.

SantaMonica
01-20-2012, 07:42 PM
Fish are not fragile like corals.

I would not worry about cal until the die-off cycles and the N and P peak and fall back down. Nothing going to grow anyway for a while.

Just keep the ammonia low by scrubbing, water changes, or even additives.

kerry
01-21-2012, 10:00 AM
I have put all my surviving (most barely hanging on) corals in my 10G a couple days ago and have been doing every other day water changes of 3 Gallons. The corals are starting to really turn around now. I also put all my snails in the 10G as well and only lost one. It looks like I lost my yellow watchman as I have not seen him in a week.
I am still fighting the ammonia in the 40G as its a lot of work to keep it under .25 the last few days. I gave up on the CAL in that tank since there are no corals in it. I am still seeing bristol worms dying off but not as bad. My screen on the 40G has always been a little large as future plans called for more fish but, with this disaster I cut it down to 6x6 as I feed 2-3 cubes a day. Just to let everyone know, the green has already started to really turn out, before it was patches of green in the brown algae. Well just from about 30 hours ago its all a very dark, dark green. So as noted before in other posts if you cut it down it will turn green!!!!! Provided your light and flow are correct in the first place.
Anyway, does anyone have any suggestions on good and fairly priced test kits for Iodines, MAG, Strontium, and others. I bought the iodine seachem and its a turd!!! Any pointers on good kit would be great. Thanks, Kerry

Thank you SM!!!!

SantaMonica
01-21-2012, 01:46 PM
Nice. Hope the ammonia ends soon :)