Red sea Alk Test kit

[MERKEY]

Long story short, I am wondering those that use this test or have used this test, where do you start?

In the paper directions it says to use .4T to get to the blue starting point.

Then on the direction card it says use 1+ drop to get to starting point.

I have started with both and get very different results.

If I use the .4T to start I end up with a result of roughly .37T used which puts me at roughly at 5.3 alk

If I start the test when the card says +1 drop the water doesnt change to the start point with 1 drop so I put enough in to where it just turns light blue which ends up being .2T used to get started and I roughly use .57T total which puts my alk at 8.

So I said heck let's get a third opinion...I went and got a giesemann test kit. Heres where it gets silly....

The giesemann reads alk at 11.4

So now I said ok let's get a hannah to quadruple check, so that's on the way. Is this going over board? Should I just trust the giesemann?

The 5 alk has me concerned but the other 2 are in range and my tank looks happy so I'm not worried I just want to know what test to trust.

Po4 .03
Mag 1500
Cal 350

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Is this the Pro kit or regular?

 

[MERKEY]

Is this the Pro kit or regular?

It's the pro

I have the multi complete kit also but find that one to be even more unreliable as it uses an actual dropper and not a titrant syringe.

So I am using the syringe version and when it says 1 drop it literally is a tiny drop not an eye dropper per say. This is the starting point I'm confused on. 1 drop of the titrant syringe is really nothing. So I actually use .2 titrant to get it blue.

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

So, I just start from zero and begin adding drops. The color develops on its own, then I look for the change to green. When green appears, I add one more drop to make sure no blue remains.

 

[MERKEY]

When do you start counting the drops or start counting titrant used?

Once the color developes or from the first drop?

Like if it takes you 6 drops to get the test water to turn blue do you add those 6 drops and counting or do you start counting once the test water turns blue?

Sorry for this silly question...but where I start counting the titrant used is the issue. Before blue color or right after it turns? Hahah and this is why this test is frustrating

It is really simple...add titrant to test water until it turns blue. Then start measuring titrant used until end result. I get it lol

It's just hard because my version of blue is different than my wife's and obviously others eyes. So we are in a flux of .1 to
.5 titrant which is a lot of fluctuations in alk.

 

[ReefPodd]

I have the same kit. I just count the total amount (drops for my kit) to get to green. I don’t subtract out the drips required for the solution to turn blue. For the RedSea magnesium and calcium kits I use the small 1 ml tuberculin syringe. These tests use the total volume added to achieve the desired color change.

 

[MERKEY]

Thank you guys!

 

[MERKEY]

I have the same kit. I just count the total amount (drops for my kit) to get to green. I don’t subtract out the drips required for the solution to turn blue. For the RedSea magnesium and calcium kits I use the small 1 ml tuberculin syringe. These tests use the total volume added to achieve the desired color change.

Just redid the test with the titrant syringe and it came out with all at 10.1.

This makes much more sense!

Thank you guys again!