calcium electronic monitors junk or what???

[Hendersonracing]

well I have been through 2 monitors in 2 months from foster & smith the 2nd one was reading 640 I have been doing 40 gallon water changes twice a week and it hasnt changed....I finally bought a saliefert test kit i done 3 test today with a reading of 490 every time....wonder why the electronic calcium test dont work???? has anyone else ever used one???



here is my tank readings \
490 calcium
12.8 dkh alk
1290 magnes
0 nitrates
8.10 ph
0 ammon

 

[superfirefly]

Randy has a good article about electronic calcium monitoring.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-04/rhf/index.php

 

[Slickdonkey]

Everything I've read on these leads me to believe they are unreliable and take more effort to use than a test kit (i.e. constant recalibration).

 

[outy]

there was another guy last month with a bad ca moniter problem. i wont buy one

 

[Freed]

I have read they are a waste of money just because American Marine wanted to get the jump on the market without thoroughly testing them and running them for lengthy periods of time. I also know after being calibrated they are only almost accurate for 150 hours and then they need to be recalibrated. So obviously you can't leave them on continuously like you can a Pinpoint pH monitor.

 

[Acroholic]

Here is a link to a Thread I posted in a few weeks ago.....
The guy :bum: still went out and bought one....LMAO :lol:

SlickDonkey is right.....you pretty much have to recalibrate (if you can get the probe to actually work during the calibration procedure) each time you intend to use it...test kits are so much easier and alot quicker.
JUNK! The absolute biggest waste of money I spent on anything related to this hobby.

 

[steve the plumb]

I had one and it was not reliable.You cannot use it as a probe.It screws up and eventually doesn't work at all.You have to calibrate it every time you use it.The calibration fluid should be room temp or tank temp or else you will get false readings.Its a huge pain in the ***.Its not worth the money its faster to use a test kit and you won't have to wonder if its are correct.I returned mine after 3 months and got a refund.I know my lfs owner did a group buy(20) units when they came out he returned all of them no one was happy.Like Acroholic says junk.Try and get a refund I did I even called AM and complained to the president.He told me the unit when properly calibrated is supposed to be more accurate than a test kit. Yaa RIGHT!! read that post have to say the guy is persistent.He will find out what a piece of junk it is

 

[mg426]

I haqve not heard anyone yet that liked one.