The last few times I have mixed up IO salt, my calcium readings have been high. According to my Elos test kit, my freshly mixed SW had 420ppm calcium rather then the normal 350-360. I figured my test kit must just be bad so I went out and bought a second Elos calcium test kit(expensive little bastard...). My new Elos kit is reading 440ppm calcium on freshly mixed SW, and my old elos kit is still reading 420ppm. What going on?!? Are both of my test kits off by 60-80ppm? Or did IO change its salt formula(or did I get a bad batch)? This is driving me crazy! If my test kits are off by that much I feel sorry for the corals in my display.
Bad IO salt, or bad Elos test kits?
- Thread starter jezzeaepi
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krisfal
Well-known member
I thought I had heard IO had changed their salt. My last bucket has a new look to the bucket so I was hopeful, but my Elos kit still showed Ca @ 350
I don't think they change the make up of the salt, just updated the look of the bucket, for marketing purposes. Getting 2 different Ca readings, with 2 different Elos test kits, tells you that at least one of them is off. I know of someone else who recently had an issue with Elos nitrate test kit being off by a lot.
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Allenfamily
fish eaters
If it is mixing at 420 to 430 is that bad?
gotfish
Well-known member
No kidding, what's the problem here? You seem a bit upset because you don't have to add calcium?
I don't at all think that's the problem. It's that we'd hope that the most commonly used salt mix will be consistent.
Bricky
Well-known member
Try a Salifert test kit and see what it comes out at.
Allenfamily
fish eaters
Consistently 420 to 430 would be sweet but Michael is right. We'll check the next time we mix water and let you know what we find.... if we remember.
gotfish
Well-known member
I get what you're saying, but I'd say that's one heck of a pipe dream. Considering they make up probably millions of buckets of salt a year worldwide, getting the consistency we all do is pretty good. Who knows, maybe this particular bucket has settled and just needs mixed up. This is the reason why you should test and make adjustments.
jhampton_wsu
Well-known member
Are youre Kh and Mag numbers high as well. I was getting consistently low Kh Mag and Ca numbers for a while until I realized that my refractometer was off. (so was my calibration fluid). It's probably not the case but may be worth checking out.
Jason
Jason
The problem isn't that my IO is possibly mixing at 420 calcium(that would be awesome), its that my test kits are potentially way off.
I did some more testing and magnesium came up at 1000, and dkh at 14. I spent the next 20 minutes looking for my salinity calibration fluid before I stumbled across a salifert calcium test kit that was still unexpired.
*drum roll*
355ppm calcium according to salifert. Now what? This makes me think my Elos calcium test kits are bad. Maybe Ill send Jesse an email and see what he thinks.
I did some more testing and magnesium came up at 1000, and dkh at 14. I spent the next 20 minutes looking for my salinity calibration fluid before I stumbled across a salifert calcium test kit that was still unexpired.
*drum roll*
355ppm calcium according to salifert. Now what? This makes me think my Elos calcium test kits are bad. Maybe Ill send Jesse an email and see what he thinks.
Skeptic9962
Well-known member
i just had a problem with elos nitrate test kit wasnt expired but must have gone bad...cause with freshly mixed IO salt it was testing out at 10-20ppm nitrate and 3 dif. API kits were testing at 0 but i do belive that IO has changed something lots of people say that IO is suposed to read around 9dkh talked with barrier and thats what they told me too...but every bucket ive gotten recently has been testing out around 12-13 or so dkh dont know if its coincidence or not that there all the new image salt....
Bricky
Well-known member
Please do send Jesse an email. I also consistently get high test results of calcium (and only calcium) with any salt I've used (Tunze and Seachem). All other tests have been fine. I've taken tests with Salifert and Seachem and these two kits were relatively close in results.
I agree that the Elos kits are off. By how much is to be determined.
I agree that the Elos kits are off. By how much is to be determined.
DonW
R.I.P.
Elos needs to take a closer look at their quality control instead of the fancy boxing. Ive sent back 14 test kits this year already and its only June. At an average of $10 a pop to ship back to a vendor its getting rediculas.
Don
Don
Lol...
So I got another calcium test kit today. This time a cheapo API. According to this new test kit, the fresh IO is 400..
elos 1:420ppm
elos 2:440ppm
Salifert:350ppm
API:400ppm
Normal reading for IO:350ppm
Am I any closer to finding the actual measurement of my calcium? This is starting to get ridiculous.
So I got another calcium test kit today. This time a cheapo API. According to this new test kit, the fresh IO is 400..
elos 1:420ppm
elos 2:440ppm
Salifert:350ppm
API:400ppm
Normal reading for IO:350ppm
Am I any closer to finding the actual measurement of my calcium? This is starting to get ridiculous.
treehugger
Well-known member
has anyone else noticed the abnormally high Alk readings with IO recently?
From my tests I've gotten the following from several different buckets of IO (all with the new label) and all tests done with salifert test kits:
Calcium: 360 pretty much consistent bucket to bucket
Mag: 1120-1150 depending on the bucket
Alk: ranging from 14-18 depending on the bucket
Any thoughts or others who have noticed a change?
From my tests I've gotten the following from several different buckets of IO (all with the new label) and all tests done with salifert test kits:
Calcium: 360 pretty much consistent bucket to bucket
Mag: 1120-1150 depending on the bucket
Alk: ranging from 14-18 depending on the bucket
Any thoughts or others who have noticed a change?
Skeptic9962
Well-known member
ya like i had said earlier the alk does seem to be testing higher then normal at 12-14dkh atleast that is with a brand new elos alk kit so no clue if elos kits are good right this sec. thats with IO all new label salt...so to me its either a elos problem or possibly a IO salt change problem....
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