New Salifert calcium test kits

[Outlaw Corals]

Which is why I suggested getting a third test to see which it is more close to

I did get another one and it’s doing the same exact thing but there is no way it’s under 300 i test once a week and dose accordingly and all of my other test kits are working and they are all Salifert as well, been using them for over 30 years

 

[GlassMunky]

I did get another one and it’s doing the same exact thing but there is no way it’s under 300 i test once a week and dose accordingly and all of my other test kits are working and they are all Salifert as well, been using them for over 30 years

if you have 2 brand new test kits that both say its under 300 its most likely under 300.


you can not believe them if you want but theres no way that both brand new ones got the same wrong number unless thats actually what your tanks at.
Most likely the old test was bad and you were super low and you dosing has just kept it at that number without letting it fall even lower.

 

[BigMonkeyBrain]

if you have 2 brand new test kits that both say its under 300 its most likely under 300.


you can not believe them if you want but theres no way that both brand new ones got the same wrong number unless thats actually what your tanks at.
Most likely the old test was bad and you were super low and you dosing has just kept it at that number without letting it fall even lower.

Maybe - I would test some other sample, like his saltwater mix.

 

[Garf]

I did get another one and it’s doing the same exact thing but there is no way it’s under 300 i test once a week and dose accordingly and all of my other test kits are working and they are all Salifert as well, been using them for over 30 years

Mix some fresh saltwater up to appropriate salinity, then test that.

 

[GlassMunky]

Mix some fresh saltwater up to appropriate salinity, then test that.

How do you know what the salt is actually supposed to be though. This is kind of a useless data point.

 

[GlassMunky]

Mix some fresh saltwater up to appropriate salinity, then test that.

With the tank water we already have 2 data points. The newly mixed salt is unknown to these 2 test kits.

 

[Garf]

How do you know what the salt is actually supposed to be though. This is kind of a useless data point.

With the tank water we already have 2 data points. The newly mixed salt is unknown to these 2 test kits.

Well, that totally depends on the results of the test. Let's see.

 

[BigMonkeyBrain]

With the tank water we already have 2 data points. The newly mixed salt is unknown to these 2 test kits.

All data points on the same sample. We now need to test the test kits and also rule out user error. Most salt mix parameters can be easily found online.

 

[GlassMunky]

EyerollWell, that totally depends on the results of the test. Let's see.

And let’s say the test comes back at some totally random number…

Is it the salt mix or the test kit?

This is silly.

He has 2 brand new tests saying one the same number, yet he still doesn’t trust it because “I know my tank can’t be that low”


….ok….

 

[GlassMunky]

All data points on the same sample. We now need to test the test kits and also rule out user error. Most salt mix parameters can be easily found online.

Except they aren’t always what’s actually listed on the box.

I have 2x 200gallon boxes of IO right now that are super low on parameters and don’t mix to what they claim….

I guess all my test kits are wrong too because the salt box said so

 

[BigMonkeyBrain]

Except they aren’t always what’s actually listed on the box.

I have 2x 200gallon boxes of IO right now that are super low on parameters and don’t mix to what they claim….

I guess all my test kits are wrong too because the salt box said so

The OP has 30-years experience

 

[GlassMunky]

The OP has 30-years experience

so that means he knows chemistry more than a testkit? what are you getting at here?

Im done with this. later.

 

[Garf]

Except they aren’t always what’s actually listed on the box.

I have 2x 200gallon boxes of IO right now that are super low on parameters and don’t mix to what they claim….

I guess all my test kits are wrong too because the salt box said so

You may have a salinity issue.

 

[BigMonkeyBrain]

so that means he knows chemistry more than a testkit? what are you getting at here?

Im done with this. later.

You may have a salinity issue.

I don't discount anything. I was just watching a video where his salt mix mixed up to have a potassium level of 116.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

How do you know what the salt is actually supposed to be though. This is kind of a useless data point.

It would be extraordinarily unusual for a salt mix at 35 ppt to have less than 300 ppm calcium.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

And let’s say the test comes back at some totally random number…

Is it the salt mix or the test kit?

This is silly.

He has 2 brand new tests saying one the same number, yet he still doesn’t trust it because “I know my tank can’t be that low”


….ok….

It is actually a procedure I strongly recommend.

Here's what one would learn from a test of the salt mix below 300:

1. The salt mix is deficient at the salinity used, explaining the problem
or
2. The test kit is off by a large amount

which means he can rule out the tank is just low in calcium and needs correction (since both possible answers have other important implications)

If the salt mix reads low, the next step is to confirm that salinity is roughly in the 35 ppt range. That can be done many ways, including a DIY standard using table salt

If that is NOT the explanation, then either it is 1 and there's a very unusual bad batch issue (can try a different mix)

or it is 2, and trying a different mix will clarify.

 

[GlassMunky]

It would be extraordinarily unusual for a salt mix at 35 ppt to have less than 300 ppm calcium.

I currently have 2x 200gallon box’s of IO regular that are exactly that. Confirmed salinity is correct with multiple refractometers and calibration fluids. And tested with both sailfert and Red Sea pro and both said the exact same thing.

I just kind of went through this thinking the test kit was off because the salt reading was so low. But multiple verifications tell
Me it’s correct and not the test.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I currently have 2x 200gallon box’s of IO regular that are exactly that. Confirmed salinity is correct with multiple refractometers and calibration fluids. And tested with both sailfert and Red Sea pro and both said the exact same thing.

I just kind of went through this thinking the test kit was off because the salt reading was so low. But multiple verifications tell
Me it’s correct and not the test.

Which would be a verified, or not, by the testing I suggest.

 

[Rob&VC]

Following because I have the same problem with the salifert test. I end up getting almost the same results as the op and have since given up using it. I normally use a Hannah kit to test my calcium and avg. anywhere from 400-425. I figured I'd give the new salifert one a try and cannot get the same results as the hannah, and cant even get the test to return legible results compared to the hannah. I use salifert for everything else but phoshate so I am familiar with their processes and prefer the ease of them but just cant get this one to work for me.

 

[BigMonkeyBrain]

Following because I have the same problem with the salifert test. I end up getting almost the same results as the op and have since given up using it. I normally use a Hannah kit to test my calcium and avg. anywhere from 400-425. I figured I'd give the new salifert one a try and cannot get the same results as the hannah, and cant even get the test to return legible results compared to the hannah. I use salifert for everything else but phoshate so I am familiar with their processes and prefer the ease of them but just cant get this one to work for me.

I use the Salifert test kits. I just ran a test on my fowlr tank and got a reading of 450-ppm. ~0.07

I remember I threw out a test I ran at first. I think I did not read the instructions properly and did not add enough reactant to turn the sample pink and thought I had reached the endpoint ? I have 25-years experience