ReefStuff
Community Member
Hello Reefers,
I get about 200ppm difference between the Red Sea and Salifert Magnesium test kits. Issue for me is the Red sea reads 1300 and the Salifert is 1080.
I had made a pretty large error in prior weeks using a digital salinity pen for my water. 1.025 digital, turned out to be 1.030 on a calibrated refractometer. Over a week I have lowered that to 1.025 based on the refractometer. This took almost 10 gallons of RO/DI water to accomplish in a 55 gallon tank. So, roughly 10% freshwater dilution.
When the tank was at 1.030, The mag a calcium read 1550 and 450 respectively using Red Sea.
After diluting the tank and getting Salinity to 1.025, Red sea says Mag and Calcium were 1600? and 380. I tested Mag again and got 1600. LFS gave me a Salifert Mag test and it reads 1080. Doing a 3rd Red sea test after Salifert, it read 1300. Salt used is RPM Pro Mix Blue Box.
I am inclined to take the reading from Salifert as my LFS says that is what he uses based on his past experience with it being closest to the ICP test he runs for the store. The Salifert test also seems to be very much inline with the dilution that occurred lowering the salinity.
I think the issue is pretty apparent. Is it 1300 (Safe number) or is it 1080 (low number). Dosing at 1300 would not be good, but not dosing at 1080 would also not be good.
Notes from testing:
Red Sea is from Pink to Blue. Well, Do you guys drop until its BLUE and take the reading? I ask because it takes about 3 drops to make it really blue. It has "levels" of blue imo. I have been taking numbers at the VERY Blue stage.
Salifert gives very clear directions on the color change stating "grey or blue, whichever is 1st). Salifert is a 1 drop difference between grey and blue.
I get about 200ppm difference between the Red Sea and Salifert Magnesium test kits. Issue for me is the Red sea reads 1300 and the Salifert is 1080.
I had made a pretty large error in prior weeks using a digital salinity pen for my water. 1.025 digital, turned out to be 1.030 on a calibrated refractometer. Over a week I have lowered that to 1.025 based on the refractometer. This took almost 10 gallons of RO/DI water to accomplish in a 55 gallon tank. So, roughly 10% freshwater dilution.
When the tank was at 1.030, The mag a calcium read 1550 and 450 respectively using Red Sea.
After diluting the tank and getting Salinity to 1.025, Red sea says Mag and Calcium were 1600? and 380. I tested Mag again and got 1600. LFS gave me a Salifert Mag test and it reads 1080. Doing a 3rd Red sea test after Salifert, it read 1300. Salt used is RPM Pro Mix Blue Box.
I am inclined to take the reading from Salifert as my LFS says that is what he uses based on his past experience with it being closest to the ICP test he runs for the store. The Salifert test also seems to be very much inline with the dilution that occurred lowering the salinity.
I think the issue is pretty apparent. Is it 1300 (Safe number) or is it 1080 (low number). Dosing at 1300 would not be good, but not dosing at 1080 would also not be good.
Notes from testing:
Red Sea is from Pink to Blue. Well, Do you guys drop until its BLUE and take the reading? I ask because it takes about 3 drops to make it really blue. It has "levels" of blue imo. I have been taking numbers at the VERY Blue stage.
Salifert gives very clear directions on the color change stating "grey or blue, whichever is 1st). Salifert is a 1 drop difference between grey and blue.
