Test Kit

[Lionhead]

Hello, just wanted to ask everyone what test kit is out in the market thats both reliable and affordable.

I've been using the API test kit for my calcium and Alkalinity. In my 75 gallon tank theres probably 10 t0 15 like/different frags of SPS, a few anemones, and some zoas. I dosed the tank with the seachem calcium (recommended dosage) on Wed last week. The reading came up around 450 mg/L on the calcum and 9 on the alkalinity. then after 4 days, I got another reading and its 400 mg/L and 8 on the alkalinity.

Is my test kit goofing off on me or are my readings normal considering the livestock I have. My skimmer is down so the reading were taking after the fact.

Should I be shopping for a new test kit? Any recommendation on what test kit is good and affordable?

 

[jezzeaepi]

Well theres a few things going on here I think.

Are you dosing only calcium? Is this a 2 part solution? Are you dosing alk/calc in any other way?
Also, whats your magnesium?

If you answer those I think I can help you get to the root of your problem, but testing error is certainly a possibility.

As for the test kits, I only use elos test kits. They are fairly expensive, but all you really need is nitrate, phosphate, alk, and calc. You should only have to use the phosphate/nitrate/calcium tests infrequently so one purchase of these per year should do it. Alk test you will be using all the time, and you want a good one since it should be the basis of all your dosing.(Once your alk/calc are balanced)

 

[Myteemouse]

I didn;t know that! I learn something new everyday!

 

[Lionhead]

I actually havent measured my magnesium. Since The API kits dont have that.

I was pretty bad. I was actually dosing without measuring before. Then a lost one coral I really liked. So basically I started measuring again only 2 weeks ago... I havent dosed any alk yet in about a month. Only the recommended calcium. (according to the Seachem instruction on the bottle)

 

[Lionhead]

I didn;t know that! I learn something new everyday!

Adam, care to share what you just learned? I may need to know it too

 

[jezzeaepi]

Hehe well you'll defintly want to test your mag at some point. If its really low, it can effect your waters ability to hold calcium. You want your magnesium to be 3 times your calcium.

First off, youll want to stop using that calcium supplement. Generally those are used to correct imbalances, and to pump up the stats of fresh salt water. You dont want to use them to maintain levels in yoru tank.

This is why:
When your corals use calcium they also use alkalinity. They use these at basically a set rate. I beleive its somthing like 1dkh = 12 calcium ppm. If you use a balanced A and B additive, you basically add an equal ammount of liquid from each bottle(at seperate times of the day). This will maintain your dkh/calcium levels once you have properly balanced your dkh/calcium(I like to aim for 420ppm/9dkh). This way you dont have to worry about your chemistry getting out of whack, which is what will happen if your constantly testing alk and clalcum and trying to balance them using single bottle products.


So once your levels are balanced, you really dont have to test calcium as often because if you are using a balanced alk/calc addition, then you will already know what calcium level corresponds to your dkh level.
For example:
If youve balanced at 420ppm/9dkh, then youll know when you test your alk, and see that its at 8, that your calcium will probably be 405-410.(Because rememeber 1dkh = 12ppm calcium). The calcium reading wont matter anyways though, because if you use your balanced A/B supplement, that if you again raise your water by 1 dkh, it will go back up 12ppm calcium as well, and youll be back at 420ppm/9dkh.




Does any of that make sense? Much harder for me to type this then to talk it out =P

 

[Lionhead]

Yes it does.

Do you know why my levels didnt change much after several days though?

 

[mercedes]

hi jjay,

do you shake your test solutions vigorously? your readings might be off if the test solutions are not properly balanced. we had a problem with our api nitrate + phosphate test kits since i failed to shake 'em well and our readings kept coming up as 0, despite mild algae outbreaks. my bf read up on general test kit flakiness due to if you fail to really shake it up, so we started shaking each solution for at least 1 minute each before testing and our readings started coming back really high.

 

[Lionhead]

I do shake it vigorously. So much that I am exhausted when I finish getting the readings

 

[jezzeaepi]

Theres a few possibilities. Your magnesium could be low and its dragging down your calcium. It could also be a bad/contaminated test kit resulting in a testing error and you were actually much higher then 450. This can cause a lot of the calcium to percipitate out of the saltwater and become a solid, leaving the saltwate with less calcium ppm.

 

[ULTAQUARIUMSVCS]

hello, just wanted to ask everyone what test kit is out in the market thats both reliable and affordable.

I've been using the api test kit for my calcium and alkalinity. In my 75 gallon tank theres probably 10 t0 15 like/different frags of sps, a few anemones, and some zoas. I dosed the tank with the seachem calcium (recommended dosage) on wed last week. The reading came up around 450 mg/l on the calcum and 9 on the alkalinity. Then after 4 days, i got another reading and its 400 mg/l and 8 on the alkalinity.

Is my test kit goofing off on me or are my readings normal considering the livestock i have. My skimmer is down so the reading were taking after the fact.

Should i be shopping for a new test kit? Any recommendation on what test kit is good and affordable?

hi

i have to agree with mercedes and jeeeaepi.

You def need to stir or shake pretty well. And a reply to your last question
(mod im not trying to adverstive) we own a service company all we use is salifert test kits they seem to be accurate we have been using them for yrs even before we open our company.

 

[Lionhead]

I'll try to get some readings again. This time slow down and take time to shake it well. Though I think I have done that. But it wont hurt to try again. As for shopping for test kit, maybe I'll visit some LFS and check out their prices.

 

[robert0762]

I used api kits for a while. Now I use salifert they r a much more accurate and consistant test kit. Also I would def keep an eye on mag. because if you dont no matter how muc cal you put in the tank it will never stay in solution. Just went through this learning phase myself

 

[ErikAnderson]

magnesium is such a cheap suppliment to add to your tank, you should really start.

i picked up a seachem lunchbox mag test kit from salt water city for half off two weeks ago and have been dosing and measuring my mag since then. It was the missing piece to "where the hell is all my calcium going???"

Things are looking even better than before.
The great thing about magnesium is how dead on it raises per dose. I am dosing 40ml a day until i get it where i want it with 14ml of my calcium suppliment. As the magnesium raises the calcium follows and everything gets happy. Prior to paying attention to my mag i could not get my calcium over 300 for anything. Now its at 400 and my mag is 1178(ish). Shocking how things behave properly when you are dosing and testing as you should.

 

[TWallace]

Your magnesium is likely low if you never test it and don't dose magnesium. I know that Instant Ocean and Reef Crystals (and probably several other salts) are low in magnesium to begin with. I use Reef Crystals in my system. I believe Instant Ocean mixes up to around 1000-1100ppm magnesium, where ideally it should be 1300-1500.

I just tested my tank last weekend for the first time in many months and found mag was at 1050ppm, which explains why my calcium was not going above 360ppm (360 is roughly one third of 1050). I've been using calcium chloride and baking soda to boost calcium/alk but wasn't using any mag supplement.

I just got a shipment from TwoPartSolution.com last week with my calcium/alk supplements and also magnesium sulfate/magnesium chloride mix.

Personally I use Elos test kits for calcium/alk and a Salifert kit for magnesium. The Elos alk kit isn't very expensive compared to their other kits and it's also very easy to use (much easier than the Salifert alk kit). You just add 5ml of water to the vial and add drops of one reagent until the color changes to yellow. Count up the drops you added, and that's your dKH. I think it's only about $20 at Barrier Reef, cheaper with PSAS card. Most other Elos kits are around $30 I think. I've found Salifert and Elos test kits to be pretty comparable in test results, you can't go wrong with either brand.

 

[Lionhead]

My calcium is in the 400s. Tested on 12/28 then again on 1/4 without adding anything in between those days. Thats why I was curious as to why it didnt really go down. Same goes for my alkalinity. Im wondering if its my test kit or are my livestock not consuming enough calcium etc...

 

[ULTAQUARIUMSVCS]

We have always used b-ionic 2 part with no problems and eco mag. We have used elos but salifert and elos seem to have the same results.

 

[Lionhead]

We have always used b-ionic 2 part with no problems and eco mag. We have used elos but salifert and elos seem to have the same results.

Which one is the easiest to use?

 

[user 2204]

Awesome Reading stuff.

After reading this, I really need to p/u a mag. test kit and start testing for that too. I am fond of the Salifert test kits and have used them for about 4 years with no problems thus far.
Of course I am going to get the mag test kit now.
Thanks,
Alex

 

[burning2nd]

i use salifert never let me down yet.. affordable and effective is kindda like safe but cheap..

you never wanna put thos 2 together.

for the Ca consumption.. that is reflective completely apon what your keeping...
sps and Lps tanks consume more Ca and Mg then softies.. also the age of your tank has effect, older tanks seem to have it eazyer with maintaining these levels.

i remember when my tank was young i couldnt keep my Ca and Mg where then had to be 4 more then a few days... now i hardly have to touch it...