? about new Salifert calcium test kit.....

[SueT]

Last saturday I purchased a new Salifert calcium test kit. I opened the test kit when I got home and noticed it's a bit different than my old test kit.

My problem is that it is reading my calcium at or right at 500ppm. My calcium has never tested that high. I have stopped all kalk. dripping for pure ro water into this 120g full sps/clam tank. I have tested the calcium every other day and it has maintained this reading. Meanwhile my alkalinity is falling. I can handle that.

My question is...has anyone had any problems with this new formulated calcium test kit??? I want to trust this reading as being correct but with no avenue for calcium being introduced into this tank, where in the world is the calcium coming from?? Or is this test kit maybe a bad one??

My old kit always ran ~440ppm.

TIA....

[Curtswearing]

Hmmm...I'll do a little digging to see what the differences between the two tests are?

[SueT]

hi Curt, the only differences I can tell are in the amount of tank water used for the test. Used to be 3cc now it's 2cc. Also in the amount of purple powder {reagent #1}used to be a tiny little scoop now it's the same sized scoop as in the magnesium kit. The blue scoop, which seems to be in eye balling it, maybe twice the amount of purple power. You also add 8 drops now of the reagent #2 compared to half that in the old kit.

I have not noticed any ill effects in my acropora, clams and montipora except awesome growth but I don't want to have this elevated calcium level. I've done 2 10g water changes and like I mentioned have no calcium going into the tank via kalkwasser or Tropic marin Bio-Calcium. No calcium has been added in about a week. I keep thinking with the load of corals, frags and clams they have got to be using calcium like crazy.

I just don't understand the test kit remaining at the 500ppm level.

[Curtswearing]

It is odd and I don't know the answer yet. I would follow this RC thread.

There is someone on page two who had the same old test/new test question.

On a side note, if the water sample is going down and the reagent quantity is going up, then it seems (in my mind at least) that Habib has recalibrated for higher accuracy. Or the other possibility is lower quality reagents. I don't know which.

[SueT]

Thanks for that link Curt. Seems like I'm in the same boat as a lot of folks. My batch numbers are all the same as those posted.

Scares the crap out of me not knowing what my actual calcium is running. I'm taking a sample to a LFS tomorrow to let them do a test and see whats going on.

[reefornot2reef]

I have the new test and the old both are giving different reading disturbing to me

[captivereefs]

There is something with wrong with them. This is also the largest batch of kits salifert has ever sent to the USA! I think they do not want to have to reimburse for them so they are going to let it slide and hope for the best. I saw a post on reefcentral where Habib the owner said he could not locate the test batch to verify they were good? Kind of odd to me! For now I would stick with the Seachem test until the bad Saliferts get replaced somehow. I have to replace about 25 of these kits for people out of my own pocket!

[SueT]

Darin, I saw that too and thought how strange. MIA test batch. doesn't make sense. Also Darin, you should not have to replace these kits out of your own pockets. Salifert should reimburse you.

Since I also posted this concern of mine on our local clubs forum several of those members are also having the same high calcium readings.

[IshWish]

SueT,

I would find someone close to you with a SeaChem Calcium test kit. This kit comes with a "reference bottle" of water with a calibrated calcium level of 450ppm. If you are doing the test correctly and the reagents are good then you should get a reading of 450ppm every time with the reference.

Also, have you changed the type of salt you use or anything else that may increase your calcium?

[EdgeKrusher]

I noticed the same thing, though this is after I switched to the Oceanic salt. Before I switched I would get my CA readings just fine, but ever since I switched my CA reads 500+. I've been using the same kit for both salts. Have you recently changed salt brand, maybe to Oceanic?

[Shark Bait]

If you have a good local fish store take a sample to them and see if the can run a test on it for you.

[SueT]

Oh yes, I took a water sample to my LFS for a repeat calcium test as I knew they would have a different test kit. Sure enough they got a reading of 420ppm via a SeaChem kit.

Edgekrusher and Steven, no, I haven't changed anything. Salt, nothing that was why I was so surprised about the elevated level with nothing having changed.

Thanks for the help. I have also found out during emails with Salifert that they are more wanting to say I don't know what I'm doing than take responsibility for this problem. Their customer service leaves quite a lot to be desired.

[Curtswearing]

Stop doing your Calcium test wrong...LOL J/k Sue

Hopefully Habib will get to the bottom of this quickly.

[Craig Manoukian]

Way bummer. La Motte test kits are a little more expensive, but lots more accurate IME.

[SueT]

Craig, are they as easy to use?? I'm not concerned about the price but I am more concerned over the accuracy.

Curt, I'll let that one go, but next time......