Elos Calcium test kit?

[GSMclowns]

Hello Everyone,

Time to buy a new test kit for Calcium but not sure which one to buy.
I have been using the Salifer Calcium test kit for many years but I really don't like the part where I have to drop 8 drops of liquid into the tube. The way the bottle is design and the drop is just never consistent. Anyway I just don't like it that much.

I kind of wanting to buy Elos calcium but haven't use it for many years.
Anyone here use this kit?
How is it in term of accuracy and is it consistent?
Is it easy to use as well?

Thanks.

 

[disc1]

I really don't like the part where I have to drop 8 drops of liquid into the tube. The way the bottle is design and the drop is just never consistent.

I haven't used the Elos kit so I can't speak to that. But please allow me to put your mind at ease with this little issue. The exact volume of that reagent isn't critical. As long as it is close you're in good shape. You don't want to be off by several drops, but a little bit here or there isn't going to change the results. All that reagent is doing is setting the pH to kill off any interference from Mg. There's a pretty wide window of acceptable there. If the amount were that critical they wouldn't have you measuring it by the drop like that.

The powder reagent is even less critical, double or even triple the amount of powder would just make the color darker but wouldn't really change the result. Way way way too much and you end up titrating the indicator, but there's no way you're going to get yourself into that situation.

The only reagent in that kit where exact volume is critical is the titrant that you deliver via the syringe.

 

[DDon]

I just switched from Red Sea pro calcium test kit to Elos. Only switched as the store I went too stopped carrying RS Pro and only had Elos. I have only used it twice so can't really comment on consistency. As far as accuracy I was always 420 - 430 ppm with RS Pro while new Elos kit showed 480. I was completely out of reagents on old kit so couldn't run a direct comparison, only a comparison to historical numbers. Not sure now which is accurate.
As far as ease if use; Elos isn't too bad. You run a low resolution test which gives a resolution of 50ppm. If you want greater resolution you run a second test using one drop less of reagent C, then use reagent D, which gives a 10 ppm resolution. At first I was disappointed with having to run 2 tests, but in reality 50ppm resolution is good enough for spot checks (knowing I'm between 450-500). If your numbers are fairly consistent, you can run the high resolution test without running the low res test first, just need to remember how many drops of reagent C you used from previous tests.

Hope that helps.

 

[snorvich]

If you know the approximate level, you do not have to run two tests. Bring it up with the drops that are fifty per drop and then finish with the drops that are ten per drop. We use Elos weekly (Ca, Mg, Alk) and have for years.

 

[GSMclowns]

Bump, anyone else using Elos calcium test kit?
Thanks everyone for the responses so far

 

[heneee1]

I may of had a duff Elos test kit or user error, but when I had my water ICP tested I got a calcium level of 450, the Elos test returned a result of 380 on the same water sample. Have since changed to Nyos calcium test, much easier to use.