Water Chemistry Question

[rick4him]

I have a 25 gallon tank and my parameters are as following:

 

Calcium: 660

PH 7.9

DKH 9.0

Mag - 1470

Salinity 1.026

 

 

I use Instant Ocean Reef Crystals. I've been checking my Calcium the last three days and have been pretty steady at 660 although I have been dosing about 5 ml's of Brightwell Reef Code B to keep the Alk up.

 

I'm not sure why my calcium is so high and why it's not being used up. I have a good amount of SPS and LPS in my tank. Everything is opened and looks to be doing really well. I have checked the calcium in both api and Salfiert test kits and it's almost exactly the same in both kits.

 

Any thoughts as to what's going on?

[bonsaidarrell]

First question on a seemingly out of whack reading is, is your test kit accurate? Have you tested freshly mixed water? What does the salt manufacturer claim for calcium levels when mixed?

[brandon429]

calcium will remain in solution until its pulled out to be laid down as calcification from the various calcifying animals that would consume it. without new biomass being added, something you can see as new septal growths in your lps, or clear areas of expansion in the sps, there isn't actually that much consumption. corals consume calcium and alk and you can see it in their mass, or they are in a slower growth phase, still looking pretty much like when they were bought, and consumption is low