Impossible readings?!?!?

[Reefer1978]

I am getting some hard to believe readings from a brand new Red Sea test kit. I am betting it's a bad test kit, and ICP is already in the mail, but given it's a holiday season, I am not expecting to hear back for 2 weeks. I should also add I am not dosing anything, so overdosing is not possible. Here are my readings:

Salinity: 34
Alk: 7.3
Calcium: 800
Magnesium: I gave up after 3 syringes full of liquid C.

 

[Pod_01]

I would make small batch of saltwater and try to test again.

Personally I gave up on Red Sea Alk, calcium and magnesium test, I never made them work. The NO3 and PO4 worked much better.

Good luck,

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It’s not impossible, but certainly worth carefully double checking. As suggested, some new salt water may help understand.

 

[Reefer1978]

I would make small batch of saltwater and try to test again.

Personally I gave up on Red Sea Alk, calcium and magnesium test, I never made them work. The NO3 and PO4 worked much better.

Good luck,

It’s not impossible, but certainly worth carefully double checking. As suggested, some new salt water may help understand.

Thank you guys. Fresh batch at salinity@36 tested even higher for Calcium, so I didn't bother with Magnesium.

Bad salt, or bad test kit?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thank you guys. Fresh batch at salinity@36 tested even higher for Calcium, so I didn't bother with Magnesium.

Bad salt, or bad test kit?

Can’t tell which from a single test like that, but kit issue or salinity way off is more likely.

What salt mix?

Anyway to get a different test (lfs, local friend) or a different salt mix (buy one, test a friends water, etc).

 

[JayM]

I'd expect test errors before bad salt.

 

[Reefer1978]

Can’t tell which from a single test like that, but kit issue or salinity way off is more likely.

What salt mix?

Anyway to get a different test (la, local friend) or a different salt mix (buy one, test a friends water, etc).

ICP is already in the mail, hope to have a reading next week (gets delivered on Monday). I don't have any other kits onhand, but on Saturday I can stop by a store and ask them to test. They even have the aquaspin, may finally try that.

Salt I am using is Aquaforest probiotic reef salt (old, but it stored very well). Salinity was verified with 3 instruments.

I'd expect test errors before bad salt.

Thanks

 

[JayM]

My LFS uses the Aquaspin as well, and they test my water for free because I spend way too much money there. My experience with the results is that they're "good enough", but probably not as accurate as some of the other "hobby grade" tests.

 

[GARRIGA]

I'd take a water sample to nearest competent LFS.

 

[Reefer1978]

My testing continues. I found an expired old kit I haven't used in probably 3 years, so it expired 2 years ago. It produced a very similar reading.

Then I tested a different salt mix, Red Sea salt this time, got again a very high reading. I suspect the new test kit is bad.

 

[purpfish]

Are you using 10 mls of tank water instead of 5?
I made that mistake once since you have to use 10 with the alk test

 

[Reefer1978]

Are you using 10 mls of tank water instead of 5?
I made that mistake once since you have to use 10 with the alk test

Thank you for that thought, but just like you I have learnt that lesson many years ago. :-)

 

[Charles Zinn]

I would make small batch of saltwater and try to test again.

Personally I gave up on Red Sea Alk, calcium and magnesium test, I never made them work. The NO3 and PO4 worked much better.

Good luck,

how big is tank?

 

[Reefer1978]

how big is tank?

Red Sea Reefer 850

 

[Charles Zinn]

I'd expect test errors before bad salt.

Maybe not enough water circulation had similar problems with a 310 gal system when I first started it. wou;d take a day before additions of nutrients would measure. went to testing daily at LFS and lowered nutrient additions. Eventually went to a calcium reactor and every thing balanced out. Sometimes automation is key to stability. also added lots more circulation

 

[Charles Zinn]

I am getting some hard to believe readings from a brand new Red Sea test kit. I am betting it's a bad test kit, and ICP is already in the mail, but given it's a holiday season, I am not expecting to hear back for 2 weeks. I should also add I am not dosing anything, so overdosing is not possible. Here are my readings:

Salinity: 34
Alk: 7.3
Calcium: 800
Magnesium: I gave up after 3 syringes full of liquid C.

Did you mix salt up in box from possible nutrie3nt settling in shipping?

 

[Reefer1978]

Maybe not enough water circulation had similar problems with a 310 gal system when I first started it. wou;d take a day before additions of nutrients would measure. went to testing daily at LFS and lowered nutrient additions. Eventually went to a calcium reactor and every thing balanced out. Sometimes automation is key to stability. also added lots more circulation

2 Vectra M2, and 2 MP40s, that shouldn't be an issue.

Did you mix salt up in box from possible nutrie3nt settling in shipping?

No, but at the same time I would not expect just calcium / magnesium to settle.

 

[Charles Zinn]

189 gal tank might be cheaper in lomg runto use calcium reactor? paid fpr my upgrade in 3 t-5 months vs using bottled adatives. and stability increases dramatictly

 

[Reefer1978]

189 gal tank might be cheaper in lomg runto use calcium reactor? paid fpr my upgrade in 3 t-5 months vs using bottled adatives. and stability increases dramatictly

That seems to be a whole other topic, unrelated to this thread. But I will be using Kalk.