rogergolf66
im an addict lol
Ok what calcium test kit is most accurate?
Cal test kits
- Thread starter rogergolf66
- Start date
Ted_C
Active member
For two weeks now, I have been testing side by side with Saifert and Red Sea (sunday will be my third week):
2/18 (15 gallon water change on ~ 170 gallons 120 gal + 50 gal sump):
Red Sea 1st, saifert second
Ca 395 Mg 1170 kH 6.8
Ca 400 Mg 1480 kH 6.2
2/25 (dosed 30 ml of Brightwell A + B on 2/20)
Ca 430 Mg 1170 kH 7.0
Ca 400 Mg 1400 kH 5.9
I'm pretty comfortable with Ca from both kits. kH and Mg variability concern me.
I find red sea is harder to titrate than the needles provided (I cant get their needles to drip - i get little squirts out of them - makes it harder to trust the end point). Saifert needles drip just fine when titrating. However, I love the red sea titration kit with the glass sample containers and needle holder.
There's some horror stories circulating around about the Hanna testers that made me wary of trying them.
I dosed another 20 ml of Brightwell A+B on 2/28 - so I'll be sure to post my new results to this thread tomorrow.
2/18 (15 gallon water change on ~ 170 gallons 120 gal + 50 gal sump):
Red Sea 1st, saifert second
Ca 395 Mg 1170 kH 6.8
Ca 400 Mg 1480 kH 6.2
2/25 (dosed 30 ml of Brightwell A + B on 2/20)
Ca 430 Mg 1170 kH 7.0
Ca 400 Mg 1400 kH 5.9
I'm pretty comfortable with Ca from both kits. kH and Mg variability concern me.
I find red sea is harder to titrate than the needles provided (I cant get their needles to drip - i get little squirts out of them - makes it harder to trust the end point). Saifert needles drip just fine when titrating. However, I love the red sea titration kit with the glass sample containers and needle holder.
There's some horror stories circulating around about the Hanna testers that made me wary of trying them.
I dosed another 20 ml of Brightwell A+B on 2/28 - so I'll be sure to post my new results to this thread tomorrow.
Ted_C
Active member
As promised - my test today:
Red Sea: kH 5.9 (2.1 meq), Ca 380, Mg 1240
Saifert : kH 7.0 (2.5 meq), Ca 460, Mg 1140
After dosing 30 ml of Brightwell Code A + B (and waiting an hour before measuring):
Red Sea: kH 6.7 (2.4 meq), Ca 400, Mg 1200
Saifert : kH 8.2 (3.0 meq), Ca 420, Mg 1290
So interestingly after dose, Mg drops with red sea (allthough does show the expected increase in Saifert). Ca drops with Saifert but raises expectedly with Red Sea. Both of the kH values raised by the expected amount with both kits - however - its hard to tell which one is correct. I think we can throw out my first Saifert test for Ca - 460 just doesn't seem right and my first test of Mg on Red Sea (Apparently, I didn't add one drop, swirl for 15 seconds 5 times). Unless I can coordinate this and get a sample to an LFS to see what they get - I'm still not sure which is right.
this is what the pH looks like through the test and after dose:
Red Sea: kH 5.9 (2.1 meq), Ca 380, Mg 1240
Saifert : kH 7.0 (2.5 meq), Ca 460, Mg 1140
After dosing 30 ml of Brightwell Code A + B (and waiting an hour before measuring):
Red Sea: kH 6.7 (2.4 meq), Ca 400, Mg 1200
Saifert : kH 8.2 (3.0 meq), Ca 420, Mg 1290
So interestingly after dose, Mg drops with red sea (allthough does show the expected increase in Saifert). Ca drops with Saifert but raises expectedly with Red Sea. Both of the kH values raised by the expected amount with both kits - however - its hard to tell which one is correct. I think we can throw out my first Saifert test for Ca - 460 just doesn't seem right and my first test of Mg on Red Sea (Apparently, I didn't add one drop, swirl for 15 seconds 5 times). Unless I can coordinate this and get a sample to an LFS to see what they get - I'm still not sure which is right.
this is what the pH looks like through the test and after dose:
rogergolf66
im an addict lol
So what did u deside? What one is most accurate?
rogergolf66
im an addict lol
Yes I think that would give more info on accuracy
Ted_C
Active member
ok - ran the saifert dkH standard solution through both kits.
Standard: 6.7 dkH
Saifert read 7.6 (@ low range test - 2 ml instead of 4 ml)
Red Sea read 6.4 dkH
Tested my aquarium water again tonight too:
Red sea read 7.0
Saifert read 6.7
When compared to my tests from yesterday - Red Sea increased dkH by 0.3 and saifert decrased dkH by .6. I would be really suprised if I'm already consuming 0.6 dkH per day in my system.
Stupid test kits. I used to be a chemistry teacher for f*** sake. I cant micro-titrate to save my life. The red sea syringe is too tight and I end up squirting instead of dripping the titrant into the sample. Nor did I ever have to micro-titrate when taking all my chemistry classes or teaching the chemistry classes. It was all with 50 ml burets and liters of solutions.
Red Sea takes 10 ml of sample - so my standard is gone - I cant try to run more tests on the standard to see where my error is.
Standard: 6.7 dkH
Saifert read 7.6 (@ low range test - 2 ml instead of 4 ml)
Red Sea read 6.4 dkH
Tested my aquarium water again tonight too:
Red sea read 7.0
Saifert read 6.7
When compared to my tests from yesterday - Red Sea increased dkH by 0.3 and saifert decrased dkH by .6. I would be really suprised if I'm already consuming 0.6 dkH per day in my system.
Stupid test kits. I used to be a chemistry teacher for f*** sake. I cant micro-titrate to save my life. The red sea syringe is too tight and I end up squirting instead of dripping the titrant into the sample. Nor did I ever have to micro-titrate when taking all my chemistry classes or teaching the chemistry classes. It was all with 50 ml burets and liters of solutions.
Red Sea takes 10 ml of sample - so my standard is gone - I cant try to run more tests on the standard to see where my error is.
