calcium problems

hottielover14 · 09-20-2004, 04:26 PM

i have had my tank for 10 months now and i've had cal problems since the beginning. my calcium is 300 and it has been that for about 3 months now. i 've added kent marine liquid calcium but now it's gone and so i bought some turbo calcium and have been using it for like 5 days now. i use 1 teaspoon every day to raise it. i also am using kalk everyday and all day. I can't seem to raise the cal. past 300 and all i have is xenia and a brown acro. I've used liquid calcium for like 8 months and no change in cal. My alk is at 2.5 meg/l. I don't know whats going on. whats happening. what could i do to change it. HELP ME

Jay · 09-20-2004, 04:56 PM

Hottlover:

I think your problem may be your Magnesium level. Have you checked that? Thats just what I get from reading about adjusting calcium and alk. If your Mag is out of whak than you cant raise your levels. I may be wrong though so I would ask Craig or John.

Jay

hottielover14 · 09-21-2004, 12:57 PM

thanks jay. i think it's my mag level too.

hottielover14 · 09-21-2004, 12:57 PM

can nebody else help me

amcarrig · 09-21-2004, 01:02 PM

The only things I can think of is that your mag is low or that your test kits are bad. What's your mag at and what test kits are you using? How old are your test kits?

hottielover14 · 09-21-2004, 01:26 PM

im using fastest and seatest cal and alk. they don't expire til nov. 2006. im not sure what my mag is at. but it must be low because i just keep adding calcium and more calcium and it doesn't budge past 300. Im also using kalk which can cause low mag.

amcarrig · 09-21-2004, 01:41 PM

Are those "dipping" type test kits? Can you get your mag tested? I'd hate to tell you to add magnesium without knowing what you're testing at.

hottielover14 · 09-21-2004, 03:37 PM

no there not those dipping types i would never get those i wouldn't trust them. i might be able to get my mag tested.

GraviT · 09-21-2004, 07:03 PM

I would definitely get it tested. I was using the SeaTest and got consistent readings of 330 no matter how much kalk and Kent Liquid Calcium I added. After the loss of a fish, I took a sample to one of my LFS and it tested at about 500!

I have since switched to an Aquarium Pharmaceuticals test which seems to be way more accurate. I have their master kit, and only really trust the ph and nitrite so I was hesitant to buy their Ca kit.

My SeaTest is supposed to be good until Oct. 2006, but one thing about the kit is the lack of a color sample. The instructions just say continue adding drops of Reagent 3 until the sample turns pure blue. Hrmm, how blue is pure blue anyway?

hottielover14 · 09-23-2004, 02:17 PM

so i should it get it tested. u used seatest. so my cal could be heigher.