WheresTheReef April 18, 2014 Share April 18, 2014 I am having a really hard time with the Red Sea mg, ca and alk test kits. I have looked at their tutorial videos online and can follow the instructions fine. However, I'm not confident in my ability to truely find the end color. Is there anyone near gaithersburg that would be willing to help me on a weekend or evening? I can bring some water and my test kits over. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Djplus1 April 18, 2014 Share April 18, 2014 I am having a really hard time with the Red Sea mg, ca and alk test kits. I have looked at their tutorial videos online and can follow the instructions fine. However, I'm not confident in my ability to truely find the end color. Is there anyone near gaithersburg that would be willing to help me on a weekend or evening? I can bring some water and my test kits over. Thanks! What kind of problems are you having with the end "color"? The fact of the matter is, all aquarium test kits that involve color changes pretty much suck at differentiation. The key is do each drop slow, and shake around after.You will always notice a quick color change, but it will never be the EXACT color you want, so you generally add a few more drops, then you realize you'r e probably as close as you're gonna get, but then you think about it and you've probably added 5 drops without it changing color, so just minus a few drops. Honestly, these test readings can be a real bear to try to get "right", and you will find any way to doubt or believe your readings even with multiple tests. Practice a few times and get an idea, where the color change occurs and use that data and track it for a bit and if you have really out of whack readings, post up what you have and someone here can "help". Disclaimer: I actually really like the Red Sea tests, but I definitely tested like 5 times in a row to get the hang of it at the very beginning. I hardly ever test now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WheresTheReef April 18, 2014 Author Share April 18, 2014 I agree the color differentiation sucks with test kits. For example, the alk test turns from blue to orange. The color seems to turn a little orangeish/blueish to a little more orange in color. If I keep going then it gets a little brighter and brighter until it turns almost red. I can't tell at which point it is actually at the end color. The ca and mg tests turn blue, but seem to be a purple color. If I stop swirling it, it turns a little more pinkish. I keep going and it seems blue, but then gets really dark. I have been adding lots of sps corals over the last 5 months into my 40g breeder so I am trying to get a handle on my parameters before they end up really low. thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM April 18, 2014 Share April 18, 2014 I am in gaithersburg and use those tests. I can show you where I stop. Early on I had the same doubts so I did a couple tests and tried to stop at the same color each time. Then I brought a sample to marine scene in Herndon and paid them to test for me without telling them what I had just measured. They were within 20ppm for Ca and Mg and right on for alk, so then I stopped worrying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan175 April 18, 2014 Share April 18, 2014 Red Sea is the one I read the results wrong. You have to subtract. I was using the number I landed on. Mag was reading 800 I thought when it was really 1200. On the mag card it shows what color you want it is pretty close. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami April 18, 2014 Share April 18, 2014 The color change on a lot of kits happens kind of in a knee in the curve. The change is sudden, but there is a little ambiguity sometimes. The newer Red Sea Pro kits are actually pretty decent compared to their older kits. Anyway, I always look for the full change in color which is pretty distinct. That is, get through the color transition and take the reading there. Remember, you're looking for consistency in your testing technique (and test kit performance) with reasonable expectations of accuracy. You won't get absolute accuracy when using subjective indicators like color change, but if you test the same way every time, you can at least hope to minimize procedural error. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howaboutme April 18, 2014 Share April 18, 2014 ...so you generally add a few more drops, then you realize you'r e probably as close as you're gonna get, but then you think about it and you've probably added 5 drops without it changing color, so just minus a few drops.... Haha...Great way of explaining it. I'm pretty much the same way w/ my red sea kit. I say to myself, "did it just change or is it changing?" I do think that the red sea is one of the better one's once you've gotten the hang of it. Don't forget to leave that gap in the syringe too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WheresTheReef April 18, 2014 Author Share April 18, 2014 Thanks all for the help! AlanM I would like to take you up on the offer to meet. I will pm you to see when we can get together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WheresTheReef April 21, 2014 Author Share April 21, 2014 Thank you very much AlanM for helping me out today! Members like you make WAMAS great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkiboy April 21, 2014 Share April 21, 2014 alan's swell isn't he?! good job alan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squishie89 April 21, 2014 Share April 21, 2014 Man I should have gotten in on this and we could have had a testing party. Alan I may hit you up at some point for a class =X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM April 21, 2014 Share April 21, 2014 Haha, thanks for the nice words, but one thing we discovered was tat there is some variation in these test kits. His Alk reagent was a totally different color than mine, red more than orange. Also the instructions card fro the Mg test was different, and if his is correct I've been testing my Mg wrong most of the time. Our Ca numbers were in agreement, though, so that was good. Our Mg was 100ppm off each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WheresTheReef April 22, 2014 Author Share April 22, 2014 Yea kinda weird. I checked another kit I have and the alk reagent is also red. Also red in the alk video below. Did you double check the expiration date? Mine expire on 10/15 and 3/16. Interestingly the mg instructions in the video belw match yours. (For the others) Mine say to swirl for 60s after step B. Alan's say to swirl and then let sit for 60s. Not sure if it made the difference in our results. Some helpful videos (links copied from Google) ---------------------------------------------- Cal testing - https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CC0QtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DVT9tEHp828w&ei=e9RVU9PqBezmsASB34JA&usg=AFQjCNHSAuMpzH_JqEfwqjB0fnoTYVq6Aw&bvm=bv.65177938,d.cWc Alk testing - https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CEIQtwIwAw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dbb4NnYOFneA&ei=e9RVU9PqBezmsASB34JA&usg=AFQjCNHXTkIWpnO4Q9sh7Shm5ZhRxR0L8Q&bvm=bv.65177938,d.cWc Mg testing - https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDQQtwIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DMofaqM-I6uM&ei=e9RVU9PqBezmsASB34JA&usg=AFQjCNG84vGb9KQrVbKLfl8LNpgk0xxhrA&bvm=bv.65177938,d.cWc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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