Attention: Habib / Salifert Mg Test?

shaggss

shaggss

Active member
Hi Habib and anyone who can help.

I have just changed my Salifert Mg test kits. The old one was:

1. 2ml test water
2. 4 drops Mg-1 swirl
3. 1 spoon Mg-2 swirl
4. 1ml reagent........

With the new one the instruction aren't in English but what I can read:

d2550c72.jpg


1. 2ml test water
2. 5 drops Mg-1 swirl
3. one spoon Mg-2 swirl
4. 1ml reagent...........

The trouble is the old test kit I had 1230 mg/L and now only 2 days later I am getting over 1500 mg/L with the new test?

Am I reading the instructions right?

FYI batch No. = 0810-A

Thanks to all in advance!

cheers :beer:
 
Thanks HR, just thought I would post here too, incase anyone else having the same trouble?

cheers :beer:
 
I'm interested if Salifert has changed the kit, since I use them. ;)

Habib does not frequent the Chem forum every day, that's why I provided the info. :)
 
This is typical for Salifert Alk, Ca and Mg kits. As you use up the old kit the readings tend to read low. Then the new kit produces a value significantly higher than the old one. The new kit is providing the correct value. I have seen this since I started using Salifert kits. I also saw it in API which was the reason I switched in the first place. I've been using Salifert for a couple of years now and every time I start a new kit my measurements jump up.

I now cross check regularly with another kit. I'm using Elos for my Ca cross-check. The Elos is more difficult to use so I use the Salifert more regularly. For Alk I'm using the new Hanna Checker. In both of these cases a brand new Salifert produced the exact same result as the cross check kit.
 
preef said:
This is typical for Salifert Alk, Ca and Mg kits. As you use up the old kit the readings tend to read low. Then the new kit produces a value significantly higher than the old one. The new kit is providing the correct value. I have seen this since I started using Salifert kits. I also saw it in API which was the reason I switched in the first place. I've been using Salifert for a couple of years now and every time I start a new kit my measurements jump up.

I now cross check regularly with another kit. I'm using Elos for my Ca cross-check. The Elos is more difficult to use so I use the Salifert more regularly. For Alk I'm using the new Hanna Checker. In both of these cases a brand new Salifert produced the exact same result as the cross check kit.
Click to expand...


This may be true in some cases but not this one IMO
I have a mg kit exp date 1/2013 which is more the 3/4 full and pretty fresh.Just opened a month ago.Reads 1350 like I would expect.New kit exp date 11/2013 is reading over 1500(close to 1600) which I find very suspect.My level of mg is never that high(over 4 years of religious testing) so I believe the old kit.(verified by lab several times to be accurate)I sent an email to Habib and will report if I get a response.
 
Interesting. I literally just got a new Salifert Mag delivery on Friday. The instructions are in English and the Exp. Date is: 12-2013.

You are correct, the new Mag kit, at least in my case, is 5 DROPS of Mg1 and swirl for 30-seconds. And the rest is the same. I'll try to do a test with the old and new this afternoon to cross-check.

Like others, I use Salifert for the speed and ease of use, but do double check often with my Elos for Cal and Mag. Just ordered the new Hanna Checker for Alk, so hopefully my days of inaccuracies when testing Alk are over.

BTW: I believe the Batch # is: EN-Mg-0910.

HTH and I'll reply later tonight on the two kits.
 
Same exact observations. Assuming it was to make the test kit more accurate. Looking forward to the response...
 
thanks for the replies everyone! it may seem strange but thinking the instructions may be wrong, I tested again with only 4 drops of Mg-1. I got the same result????
 
Ok....here are the latest tests.

Older Mag kit with 4-drops (and it is almost at the end of the kit): 1245
Brand new kit with 5-drops per instructions: 1410

So there you have it. I really don't know what to make of it until we hear from Habib to get the low down. And maybe Preef is right when he states that he experiences lower readings towards the end of the kits reagents???

Any thoughts........
 
I have the same when I got a new cal and mag test kits
I thought I was keeping my ca stable at 410 - 420 but on starting with the new kit it is reading 500+

How are we supposed to keep our systems stable if the test kits are not????

How long IS the kit reading correct?
 
I think one of the issues is said to be that the solutions suffer from differential evaporation over time, so keeping all the bottles closed as much as possible might be all that we can do. Well, avoiding exposure to temperature extremes is useful, too, but easy to arrange in most houses.
 
Well I cross checked my new test kit with a mates and they are the same. so looks like the old kit was under reading......still have not heard back from Habib though.....
 
I believe the secret to success, for the obsessed, is to have multiple test kits for each element you monitor and look for changes from the norm. The color/growth is the result you are looking for, so if that looks good, keep the parameters stable and ignore the numerical results.

I do not do this, but I am starting. I'v ordered the Alk checker from Hanna and am looking for elos tests for mag and ca to add the second data points to my salfert tests.

Still, it's really just a work around for test kit inaccuracy... But a relatively simple one.
 
Hookup said:
I believe the secret to success, for the obsessed, is to have multiple test kits for each element you monitor and look for changes from the norm. The color/growth is the result you are looking for, so if that looks good, keep the parameters stable and ignore the numerical results.

I do not do this, but I am starting. I'v ordered the Alk checker from Hanna and am looking for elos tests for mag and ca to add the second data points to my salfert tests.

Still, it's really just a work around for test kit inaccuracy... But a relatively simple one.
Click to expand...


AGREED. I has all three Elos and use them monthly just to check my Salifert kits. And I just ordered the Hannna Alk Checker, so my expectations are pretty high for that too. I really like Elos for Cal and Mag, but their Alk is ok imho.
 
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