Bad test kit, CA is through the roof

[CalvinC4S]

Hello,
I have had a problem for the last year keeping my CA level above
400ppm. It would hover around 330ppm and the ONLY way I could force it up to 400ppm was by using Calcium Chloride.

Well, I was shocked today to find my Salifert CA kit was faulty. I bought
a second generation Salifert CA kit and to find that my CA level is around 560ppm!! I had to use the full 1ml regent followed by .15 ml to come to around 560ppm of CA!

The kit has always read off and I grew used to it as I know all systems
are unique. So, I was wrong about the alians obducting my CA at night

Couple questions,

What could of been wrong with the first test kit and what is the shelf life? It has seen about 10 months use.

My current values are,
ALK 9.6DKH
CA 560ppm
MG 1230

I have the Large 1ltr bottol of Salifert Magnesium and can not get
the level to go over 1230. I added 200ml the day befor with out a
detectable rise in MG. (150g)

I assume my tank has been running high CA now for the last few months and wonder the safe way to bring the levels into check?

I didn't think 560ppm CA was posable, so could the new test kit be wrong? Then again I have been using CACL.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I can't comment on why the old kit may have given different readings. I'd follow i tup with Habib in the Salifert forum here at RC.

FWIW, 560 ppm Ca++ is not all that high. Are you using Oceanic salt? That is about where it starts. In any case, adding too much calcium chloride can easily get calcium to 560 ppm.

Assuming the value is correct, you can bring it down by just supplementing alkalinity for a while while the calcium declines. Baking soda (baked or not) is an OK way to accomplish that.

This article may help:

Solving Calcium and Alkalinity Problems
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm