API test kit question

Just bought my first test kit and don't really understand how to do the calcium test. Could someone please walk me thru it ? Thanks
I did it but not sure if I did it correctly .
calcium between 540 and 560
KH 179 ppm
nitrate 0 ppm
phosphate 0 ppm

 

Calcium is a bit high if that is the right way to do it..

From what i remember, you add a drop of the 2nd bottle or whatever,shake it once or twice, add another drop,shake it,add another drop shake it..And you keep repeating this until it hits that certain color AND remember to count every drop you do(it should show you the color on the instructions or something)

Once you hit that certain color, and you have counted your drops that you did..It should have chart that will say the number of drops you did and it will give you your calcium.

Thats what i remember..Not 100% sure if its right tho.

 

Tank is 3 months old. This is a picture of it.
http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j428/btcole333/IMG_0948_3695.jpg

If it is to high what do I do ?

 

you can do water changes, but i mean the corals that you have dont REALLY use up alot of it..The Candy Canes may use some of it but not much, they arent that big.

test again just to be sure..Look up the direction on Youtube or google just to be 100% sure you did it right.

 

I did it again and pretty much got the same results. Last time I got salt water from the LFS I got the premium salt water ( what ever that means ) they said it would be better for reef tanks.

 

What should KH be ?

 

Yeah..Well it should be okay..It will go down with time from the few corals using it..

Might get your coraline aglae growth started too!

And for Kh, if i have the right measurement it should be 7-12DKh, anywhere in between those number and being stable at that number will be okay.

 

What does coraline algae growth do ? I have heard other people talking about that.

 

It just says your tank is doing well and maturing..It looks good, it is like a purple or green or red color that grows on your rocks and your glass and back of the tank here is a pic.
Coralline algae in reef tank image by tommyt01 on Photobucket

That is a good pic of it..It is the purple stuff on the glass and rocks.

 

API cal test. Add 5 ml of tank water to vial, add 10 drops of bottle #1 and shake lightly. Add 1 drop at a time of bottle #2 until you reach a light purple to blue color. The amount of drops it takes to change the color X 20 = ppm. 25 drops X 20 = 500 ppm. Each drop equals 20 ppm. Convert KH to DKH. DKH should be 8-12, considered normal range, I like mine at 10 DKH.