Any tips for using the Red Sea Potassium test kit?

[deputydog95]

I've tried it twice now.

Once on my tank water and once on freshly mixed salt.

I don't really get a color change as shown in their video or in the instructions.

It goes from an electric purple to an electric blue that is so close to the purple I'm having a hard time even calling it blue.

I'm usually pretty good at this stuff and have a lot of experience testing. This is my first time with this kit and I'm really struggling. It's particularly frustrating after spending over 20 mins on each test and still not getting a clear reading.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[bertoni]

Is this a titration test? If so, I'd be sure to wait for the full recommended period between drops after the color change starts. I haven't used that particular kit, so I'm not sure I can help much, but the speed of the color change can vary quite a bit between testing methods.

 

[deputydog95]

Is this a titration test? If so, I'd be sure to wait for the full recommended period between drops after the color change starts. I haven't used that particular kit, so I'm not sure I can help much, but the speed of the color change can vary quite a bit between testing methods.

It basically says drip, swirl, look for color change. Repeat till you get the color change. It's pretty simple really. Just doesn't work

 

[five.five-six]

I’ll tell you, the Red Sea kits are a bit convoluted to operate, regardless how diligently you read the instructions. They are however, top notch kits. I ended up watching the video and it all came clear.

 

[deputydog95]

I'll tell you, the Red Sea kits are a bit convoluted to operate, regardless how diligently you read the instructions. They are however, top notch kits. I ended up watching the video and it all came clear.

I watched the video too, but I never saw a color change even close to what they displayed in the video.

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[five.five-six]

The color change is fairly subtle.

It could be that you are slightly colorblind. That’s not all that uncommon. It’s a pretty small change.

 

[bertoni]

If the video doesn't help, I'd try waiting a bit longer between drops of titrant. The chemical reaction might be a bit slow, but I have no data for that test kit.

 

[outssider]

I've been using this kit for years....at first I had the same problems you are describing. Here is what I do. first you need to use a white fluorescent light as a source. It does start to turn blueish but that's not the end, keep going a few more drops slowly and you will notice it turns a milky blue...that's the end....

 

[deputydog95]

I've been using this kit for years....at first I had the same problems you are describing. Here is what I do. first you need to use a white fluorescent light as a source. It does start to turn blueish but that's not the end, keep going a few more drops slowly and you will notice it turns a milky blue...that's the end....

Odd that you mention the light source. The tank is my office, but they lights are overhead and aren't necessarily direct.

I have been emailing back and forth with red sea, and they asked for pics of the colors.

Oddly enough, the color change in the pics were much clearer than what I was seeing with the naked eye. Although, even after dumping all the reagent in the vial, I still never got the milky blue endpoint color like you see in the video.

Are you using some sort of handheld fluorescent lamp?

Here are some pics I took today. Start point, my perceived end point, all the reagent, and then finally a screen shot of the red sea video end point.

 

[outssider]

Odd that you mention the light source. The tank is my office, but they lights are overhead and aren't necessarily direct.

I have been emailing back and forth with red sea, and they asked for pics of the colors.

Oddly enough, the color change in the pics were much clearer than what I was seeing with the naked eye. Although, even after dumping all the reagent in the vial, I still never got the milky blue endpoint color like you see in the video.

Are you using some sort of handheld fluorescent lamp?

Here are some pics I took today. Start point, my perceived end point, all the reagent, and then finally a screen shot of the red sea video end point.

I go in my garage that is totally dark for the titration. I have a white fluorescent light above my work bench, that's where I do the titration. It turns milky blue right after it turns clear/violet/blue ..it really is quite obvious. here is a heads up though.... reagent B will crystalize in the bottle if it's to cold..little crystals floating in it. anything uder about 60 degrees and you have crystals in the bottle...warm it up a touch....

 

[deputydog95]

I go in my garage that is totally dark for the titration. I have a white fluorescent light above my work bench, that's where I do the titration. It turns milky blue right after it turns clear/violet/blue ..it really is quite obvious. here is a heads up though.... reagent B will crystalize in the bottle if it's to cold..little crystals floating in it. anything uder about 60 degrees and you have crystals in the bottle...warm it up a touch....

I'm in Florida so no issues with it being too cold [emoji3]

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[bertoni]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8ahko0g3vki0hwq/Purple.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/d5187cy9p6oz6ao/Blue.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1vhiqisqejgse9z/All of the Reagent.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/voeplmn99mgtvej/Red Sea Video End Point.png?dl=0

I removed the image tags from your pictures to make the links available.

 

[deputydog95]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8ahko0g3vki0hwq/Purple.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/d5187cy9p6oz6ao/Blue.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1vhiqisqejgse9z/All of the Reagent.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/voeplmn99mgtvej/Red Sea Video End Point.png?dl=0

I removed the image tags from your pictures to make the links available.

Thanks for doing that. Google photos won't let you link and my free Flickr account was at capacity.

I'm still struggling with the K kit. I thought maybe it was my lighting since I was testing near the tank and I run 4 blue T5's and my LED's are skewed towards blue.

So I tried it in another room, under fluorescent lighting. Same result. I can't see a dramatic shift in the color.

My kit seems fresh, I think it expires next year. Maybe I got bad reagents? I know I'm doing it correctly as I've followed the directions implicitly and I've done the test at least 5-6 times now, same thing every time.

 

[bertoni]

I would send the kit back. I am not sure whether it has failed, but I suspect so. It might be counterfeit, for that matter.

 

[deputydog95]

I would send the kit back. I am not sure whether it has failed, but I suspect so. It might be counterfeit, for that matter.

I bought it from a red sea retailer so I have to assume it's real. But you never know!

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[Vinny Kreyling]

I would take a sample of water to him & watch him do the test.
This way you can see & ask questions too.