Tank Params... ??

[cyberchef]

I checked my tank parameters last night because my xenia was looking a little wilted and not pulsing. Unfortunately I can't retest till I get more EDTA from Hache as I used the last of it last night. My calcium seems higher than I would have thought possible. Below are the results of the parameter tests... Except for the calcium result do the other parameters seem ok? Tank was tested at 10pm after the lights had been on all day plus I run 2 refugiums that are reversed photo period from the tank, so that basically one part or the other of the tank is always lit except for about 3 hours each morning.

Lights had been on for about 12 hours. I tested at 10pm, lights start coming on at 10am, in sequence starting with the actinics, with the lights going out, in sequence ending with the actinics, at 1am. The refugium lights come on at 10pm and go out at 7am.

Salinity 1.026
Nitrates 0
PH 8.0
Alk 3.2 Meg/l or 9.0 DKH
Calcium 1000 ppm is this even possible?

I supplement calcium with Turbo calcium and add Super buffer if it is needed. I don't add super buffer very often. The reason I tested tonight was that my xenia seems a little wilted and it's not pulsing at all, good indicator that the Alk is out of balance. The Hache test reads calcium in Meg/L of CACO3 and has to be converted to CA++ by multiplying by 0.4 (the CACO3 result was 2500 Meg/L)

I'm going to be upgrading my lighting to 2 250W MH Iwasakis with 260W PC Actinic supplementation as soon as I can afford the MH ballasts (IceCaps)

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[ckreef]

Seems at that time of day your pH is a little low. AT that time of day you should be somewhere around the peak for pH. 8.0 is a figure you would most likely get at the low pH time, somewhere just before your main lights start to come on. Double check that test with someone elses test kit if possible and fix if a problem really does exist. When comparing pH tests make sure you do the tests at the same time of the day or the test isn't really a valid comparison.

If I'm understanding the calcium question correctly --- I do not beleive you could really get a calc of 1,000. Long before that the calcium would be falling out of solution and forming as a white dusting all over everything. Need to retest for calcium using somebody elses kit or at least new reagents. Also double check your reading and math just to make sure you didn't do anything "HOMER" like.

Alk reading seems fine (could be a little higher but OK just the same)

My conclusion (just from what info you gave):
Calcium test is wrong. Problem is probably more w/ your pH being a little low.

All this was JMO and maybe gives you somewhere to start looking --- Charles

[cyberchef]

Thanks Charles

Normally whenever I've checked my tank, my Ph has been pretty solid at 8.3-8.5, so it was a little low at 8.0... Not sure why but I'm going to be doing a water change this weekend.

I'm out of the EDTA for the calcium test and will be replacing it as soon as I can, probably not till at least Monday before I can call Hache and reorder new EDTA. I did recheck my math to make sure there were no "Homer" like problems... lol I also found it hard to believe that my calcium could be 1000. I'll also be ordering new potassium Hydroxide for the calcium titration test to also make sure that it is not faulty. I have another calcium test but I have not been able to find it since I moved, I'll try it and see what happens if I can find it.