Losing faith in Salifert.

[NaH2O]

Nikki

How far off is your Salifert ? A Salifert should read ~10 % higher than other kits, as all other kits read seawater Alk to low by ~10 %. However, some recent tests ( 2 wks) on 5 Alk kits side by side on the same water sample showed all about the same with the *new Salifert more like 20 % to high, which is not good. All of these kits were new, par a old style Saifert, which read what it should have 10 % higher. These tests have not been posted anywhere, as it was a private phone conversation with me by the tester. In short.... LaMotte, Elos, API = ~9 +/- 0.1 dkH (depenting on kit) , old Salifert ~10 dkH and new Salifert ~11 dKH

Don

Looks like their prices fell quite abit, very cool

Who's prices ? You are not confusing Lab Aqautics with ENC Labs are you ?

Boomer - the Salifert kit was reading my 24 hour mixed IO at 11.5 dKH, and when I thought my tank was 7.8dKH according to Salifert (I shoot for 8-8.5 dKH depending on my Ca), the LaMotte kit read 5.5 dKH :shock:. I know my kit was getting close to being expired, however I no longer have the kit so I can't be for sure how soon in 2009 it was due to expire.

 

[Boomer]

Well, then for now I would go with the Salifert as fresh IO tests to about 11-12 dKH on about a billion test I have seen over the years

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

it means more than those that are not certified

Don't mean to drag this too far off topic, but no... that's not necessarily true. It depends on the company. Just because a company holds an ISO certificate doesn't mean it's going to be better than one without.

ISO certification just means you have a set of procedures that you can be audited against by a third party, and you pay someone a fee every year to keep your certificate. It doesn't even mean that you have to follow those procedures. Granted, you'll get written up for not following them, but as long as you write up some corrective action plan and slap your own wrists, and *appear* to comply with the majority of your procedures, the third party will normally look the other way for many many years.

I worked for a company that went through the ISO certification process. I wrote procedures. I was a certified internal auditor. Our processes and procedures were no different before ISO certification than they were after. And we continuously failed to do certain things and were never called to the mat on it.

 

[Boomer]

Ok thanks again Kurt for the claifiication on ISO

 

[NaH2O]

Damn....I already tossed the test kit, Boomer. I'm still not convinced that the kit was reading properly. After getting my tank back up to and maintaining proper alk levels according to the LaMotte kit, the corals in my tank appear less stressed. I'll see if I can find a couple of other folks locally to double check water with, and see how far off we all are. UGH!