Potassium Test Kit

[mixer911]

Mitch, We just bought 2 kits for the club to test Potassium. Jay is in line for it next, so maybe you can get if from him or test together. :bigsmile:

 

[Dowtish]

I just tested my Mag with a Salifert last night and it was 1600, just like what my Red Sea says...

 

[mixer911]

I just tested my Mag with a Salifert last night and it was 1600, just like what my Red Sea says...

Wow 1600? Are you dosing Mag?

 

[Dowtish]

Not ever. Just water changes do this. I have had a gallon of it mixed up from my first initial 2 part kit, and have never used it. This has been the kind of readings I have been getting all along. I freaked out initially, and was posting threads, and had a few folks say that their tanks had high mag as well and as long as it was stable, don't stress it. I figure it is from the Instant Ocean salt, because I still get most of my h2o from AC, and Jay uses it as well. I get water from him on occasion.

I am going to do another comparison test when I get home and do them back to back on each kit, just to make sure.

 

[mixer911]

Thats gotta be wrong. There is no way I/O is 1600. I use I/O and dose about a gallon of mag every 2 weeks and can barely keep my mag at 1000-1200. I would think that the right number s somewhere around 1100 to 1200 as I have found that the red sea kit is about 400-500 ppm off.

 

[Dowtish]

Wow, so my theory might be completely off. Like I said, I will do 2 back to back tests with each kits tonight, and post my results.

 

[angrycubano]

I concur with Chris. I get the my water from AC or Jay and get the same readings.

 

[mixer911]

This is an old test, but look at the anlaysis of these salt mixes. http://www.aqua-medic.com/aquariumwatertesting/AWT_Salt_Analysis_0208.pdf None are over 1500 in Mg. So you guys are testing something wrong, unless its the Red Sea test, as this makes what I was thinking correct. If you are saying 1600 and they claim 1221, then 1221 + 400 = 1621 give or take. No also consider that the salt water from the critter is also a lower salinity and in these tests its 30 ppt, about what the critter mixes it at. They may even be a little lower.

One other thing I noticed about all the mixes is the low potassium.... hmmmm, maybe why we are all needing to dose.

 

[Dowtish]

Ok, so....I just tested back to back on the Salifert and Red Sea Mag kits.

Salifert: 1650
Red Sea: 2000

I told you my mag was always high...now the question is, what depletes mag in your tank? Because obviously I don't have it in my tank.

 

[mixer911]

Its my sps that deplete mine. But the real question is how is yours getting to 1650? There is no salt mix out there that has 1600+ mag in it. So your can't get higher unless you were dosing, which Your not. So something is off in the testing. Weird. I may need to test some for ya.

 

[Dowtish]

Ok, if I'm doing it wrong, that would be great. I would like to think that I'm doing it right though. If the card on Red Sea test only goes to 0.80 = 1600. And I have to add more reagent to the syringe to get a color change and usually using just over 0.1 again to do it, that would mean it's easily saying 2000.....right? Because between 0.70 and 0.80 is 200ppm

 

[mixer911]

Yep. Your correct. You probably are doing it right, but something doesn't add up. How is it that high?

 

[Dowtish]

I don't know. I am going to get some water from AC today, and test it.....the mystery continues

 

[poolkeeper1]

Yep. Your correct. You probably are doing it right, but something doesn't add up. How is it that high?

I Recall Salifert having a bad batch of Mag Test a while back that I had one of and they read very high too! Just a thought you may have a faulty test/s
Bill