pettyrd October 6, 2013 Share October 6, 2013 Yesterday I bought the algae control and the reef foundation test kits from Red Sea. This. morning I ran a nitrate, KH and Mg test on my tank. The KH and Mag tests ended with questionable results (and I'm not 100% certain on the nitrate either). On the KH card it shows two colors... Start color and end color. I was never able to produce either. My colors were blue to red not green to orange like shown on the card. So I tested assuming these were the correct colors and the card must be off a little... Results were somewhere in the 11dkh range... Using the API test, my tank tests 8-9 dkh. I have never tested Mag before in my tank, so I have no frame of reference... But it tests somewhere between 600-1200ppm.... Ahhhh.... That's a pretty big gap. Again the colors on the card were not achieved... So I wasn't sure when to stop dropping solution. I feel like the color change for these tests should be obvious. What am I doing wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supernova26 October 6, 2013 Share October 6, 2013 I have had bad experience with the API tests. I had test where the colors never changed. I personally use salifert test kits and have good results with them. The color change is very easy to see on the salifert tests. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraffitiSpotCorals October 6, 2013 Share October 6, 2013 If you have never added mag to the tank I may be really low and that can throw you alk off too. You am being some water to my house and I will test with my saliferts kits if you want. I also have found that magnesium is used up (or something happens bot sure what) more in new tanks. The one is just set up I had to keep dumping mag into daily to get it up to the right levels. So if you never added any since the beginning it could be really low. I always trust saliferts kits to give me good accurate results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pettyrd October 6, 2013 Author Share October 6, 2013 Would anyone in the manassas/woodbridge area have time tonight to come by my place and show me how to run these tests? I'll compensate you for your gas/time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Djplus1 October 6, 2013 Share October 6, 2013 My guess is, you're doing something a little off. For instance, one of the tests will tell you to push the first .4 in and start testing from there, however, it is possible that during that first .4 the color change has occurred, meaning you are ultra low in something. Red Sea puts out videos on you tube that shows you how to run their tests. Look those up and see if you missed something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lnevo October 6, 2013 Share October 6, 2013 Its the color change thats important. Not what the card shows. There is usually quite the contrast. For the alk its def blue and goes to a pink. As soon as you get the solid next color you are done. Not the in-between purple. For cal and alk they go from pink starting to the blue/purple. But there is a clear intermediate color briefly. Esp. the calcium. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epleeds October 6, 2013 Share October 6, 2013 (edited) Would anyone in the manassas/woodbridge area have time tonight to come by my place and show me how to run these tests? I'll compensate you for your gas/time. I could hook you up tomorrow if you are still in need. I am busy today. I am off around 12:30. So if your home let me know Edited October 6, 2013 by epleeds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaddc October 6, 2013 Share October 6, 2013 Yesterday I bought the algae control and the reef foundation test kits from Red Sea. This. morning I ran a nitrate, KH and Mg test on my tank. The KH and Mag tests ended with questionable results (and I'm not 100% certain on the nitrate either). On the KH card it shows two colors... Start color and end color. I was never able to produce either. My colors were blue to red not green to orange like shown on the card. So I tested assuming these were the correct colors and the card must be off a little... Results were somewhere in the 11dkh range... Using the API test, my tank tests 8-9 dkh. I have never tested Mag before in my tank, so I have no frame of reference... But it tests somewhere between 600-1200ppm.... Ahhhh.... That's a pretty big gap. Again the colors on the card were not achieved... So I wasn't sure when to stop dropping solution. I feel like the color change for these tests should be obvious. What am I doing wrong? Follow this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bb4NnYOFneA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pettyrd October 6, 2013 Author Share October 6, 2013 Hmm... I'll try it again when I get home today. But I may take you up on the visit tomorrow epleeds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pettyrd October 7, 2013 Author Share October 7, 2013 Ok. Finished a round of tests. DKH- 10.9 Ca- 480 ppm Mg- 1320 ppm PO4- 0.08 ppm NO3- 4ppm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pettyrd October 7, 2013 Author Share October 7, 2013 What should my KH be? I am currently dosing 70ml a day (24hour cycle) of part A... And still my PH is dropping over time. Should I increase my dosage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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