Weird readings from new Salifert ca/mg/alk

[HeyLookItsCaps]

I bought some new salifert kits to keep an eye on levels for sps, this is my first trip into acros and I’ve always wanted to.

tank has been running for over a year
I run RO/DI spectrapure with 0 tds in sealed 55g barrels.

I had a quarter bucket of fritz/instant ocean that I mixed together and was using for awhile but after these results I became concerned and switched to tropic Marin.

after testing my results were :

14.5 alk
470 calc
1470 mag

I have a fairly stocked tank with all different type of corals from mushrooms/zoas/euphyllia/ceph/chalice/digi/acantho/symph/acro/month/bta etc and I see no burn, no bleach, no recession…. What’s going on here?

did I just get bad kits? I’m debating doing a mail in….

 

[ChaosAquaculture]

how many times did you get the reading? and for how long? I've had great luck with salifert so i'm curious about this too - kali

 

[HeyLookItsCaps]

how many times did you get the reading? and for how long? I've had great luck with salifert so i'm curious about this too - kali

I’ve done 2 tests so far 1 week apart and they’re fairly close…

Want to get a Trident eventually but not quite ready yet

 

[Reef.]

I’ve done 2 tests so far 1 week apart and they’re fairly close…

Want to get a Trident eventually but not quite ready yet

Are you 100% sure in your salinity, many times it’s the salinity checker that is off, this will lead to incorrect test results.

Worth double checking you are following the instructions of the test correctly, not mixing up the high and low resolution methods that some of the salifert tests have.

E.g using 2 drops when you should be using 4 or looking through the side of the vial when you should be looking down.

 

[HeyLookItsCaps]

Are you 100% sure in your salinity, many times it’s the salinity checker that is off, this will lead to incorrect test results.

Worth double checking you are following the instructions of the test correctly, not mixing up the high and low resolution methods that some of the salifert tests have.

E.g using 2 drops when you should be using 4 or looking through the side of the vial when you should be looking down.

I will have to double check the methods. The high and low sounds suspect because I believe I read that one just makes the kit last longer… I’ll definitely go through again 101 style… thank you!

 

[Reef.]

I will have to double check the methods. The high and low sounds suspect because I believe I read that one just makes the kit last longer… I’ll definitely go through again 101 style… thank you!

The salifert nitrate has the option to look through the side of the vial if the reading is under 10 to get a higher resolution reading. But yeah not one of the tests you were referring too.

 

[taricha]

As @Reef. said, If everything is high - then I'd be really suspicious of the salinity.

 

[Rmckoy]

I’ve had good luck with The salifert kits .
What were you testing with prior to the new salifert kits ?
Are you purposely wanting high alk ?

 

[ChaosAquaculture]

whats your salinity? - kali

 

[HeyLookItsCaps]

whats your salinity? - kali

35ppt, I calibrate (zero) my Milwaukee with r/o before every reading. I have some calibration solution I can test to double check

 

[HeyLookItsCaps]

I’ve had good luck with The salifert kits .
What were you testing with prior to the new salifert kits ?
Are you purposely wanting high alk ?

Not necessarily, I’m moving into sps and want to keep it where I see others

 

[X-37B]

IMO, you should always have 2 ways to test whatever your testing.
For alk I use hanna, salifert to verify when needed and elos as another.
I just went back to IO regular and it comes in at 11.5.
I run my SPS system at 7.5.
I use sodium bisulfate to lower alk to my desired range.

 

[HeyLookItsCaps]

IMO, you should always have 2 ways to test whatever your testing.
For alk I use hanna, salifert to verify when needed and elos as another.
I just went back to IO regular and it comes in at 11.5.
I run my SPS system at 7.5.
I use sodium bisulfate to lower alk to my desired range.

How about mag and cal?

 

[X-37B]

How about mag and cal?

I use salifert for both and am happy with them.
I do not use any other test for them.
I only check them every couple months.
I run a carx on my 120 and they do not vary.
On my 45 frag system I use esv 2 part and both ca and mag dont vary.
I do use DSR EZ trace on both systems and that keeps mag and K within the range I run.