Calcium Reading Over 500

[DigitalWeight]

Originally Posted by Ryan

Aquavitro salt is super dry so the NaCL, Calcium, Alk, and Magnesium disolve at different rates causing the participate.

SK you are right and wrong. Yes when you change water your salt level will come up but most salt companies dont have high levels of calcium in their mix. So even if you changed water every day all day your calcium level will never be above whats in the bucket. In the case of Aquavitro your calcium level will never be over 443mg/l or so the bucket says. If their calcium mix is off like some of the mag levels then yes it could go up. But you wont see something crazy like 700 or 1000.

Over all Aquavitro is a pretty high grade crap salt. It mixes poorly, levels are off, and its expensive. Seachem needs to review their entire line (Instant Ocean, SeaChem, Aquavitro) and figure something out. For the money you would be better off with Fuvals new salt or H2 Ocean.

Thanks for this - sounds like I was sold a bag of crap in the marketing of this stuff. You mention some salt brands there, are there others I should consider as well?

[Ryan]

Personally I have switched to the fluval salt. Ive tried alot of the big brands as well as the cheap stuff and the fluval is the best by far. Consistant levels, fast disolving even with cold water, and no crap left in the bottom.

[Skimmerking]

Ryan if he is dosing something to bring the Cal up then the cal will start to climb. Like with Kalkwasser it will happen

[Ryan]

That would make the calcium go up but I dont see anywhere he mentions dosing calcium. Not sure where you pulled that idea out of.

[DigitalWeight]

You are right, I have not been dosing anything - 2-part or Kalk - nothing.

I really think it is the salt I am using. My other parameters are not crazy so I don't think that is driving it. I understand that if pH is off then you can get some weird calcium readings but that does not appear to be the case.

Check out the poll I just put up - totally forgot to include the Fluval salt (brain-fart) even though you inspired the post!