Last thing which is still a big mess is the alk Ca and Mg levels.I still have to wait for 2 weeks to have my Salifert test kits however I found out something very important and ugly in the JBL test kit that I'm using for CA and MG. In their english version of the manual which I was follwoing it states to add 6 drops of reagant one of the Ca test and in other languages they state 5 as well as not telling you to wait for one minute before adding reagant 2. tried it yesterday and it looks like my Ca is around 420 and alk at 1180 instead of 500 and 980 as per the wrong way I was trying. Not sure which is the correct one however I guess the 5 drops method would be the best as there is no way my Ca would be so high and MG so low. now to make it even worst I sent my water for testing in a medical lab and got the following results:
Ca 534.90mg/l
Mg1417.70mg/l
Bicarbonates226mg/l
alkalinity CaCo3 185mg/l
Will post those in the water chemistry forum to see how these can be transformed into Alkalinity in DKH or ppm.
My tests so far have been:
Tank with mostly LPS and softies dosing CA Balance 25 ml weekly
alk Ca Mg
Till May 2008 10 JBL 440 JBL 1260 JBL
20 June 08 14 JBL 440 JBL 1260 JBL
1 Jul 08 11 JBL 440 JBL 960 JBL
switched to reef crystals
4 Aug 08 12 JBL 500 JBL 1000 JBL
11 Aug 08 460 JBL 940 JBL
20 Aug 08 12 JBL 460 JBL 940 JBL
18 Oct 08 10 JBL 420 JBL 880 JBL
2.4 meq/LRed Sea
24 Oct 08 9 JBL
2.4 meq/LRed Sea
27 Oct 08 Bicarbonates226mg/l 534.90mg/l 1417.70mg/l
alkalinity CaCo3 185mg/l
Fresh mixed satwaer tests as follows:
Reef Crystals 19 JBL 460 JBL 1140 JBL
Crystal sea
MArine mix 20 JBL 420 JBL 880 JBL
1/2 RC 1/2 3.3 meq/L Red Sea
Fresh water tested superior to 3.6 if that has any significance?
Water from a SPS filled tank in Germany kept at 8-9 DKH as per the owner tested 9 DKH by JBL.
So while the JBL test kits looks to be accurate compared to the results of the LFS it does give very high values for fresh mixed water (RC 19 for Reef crystal and 20 for Crystal sea marine mix) the Red sea test kits does test on the high side for KH for new water 3.3 as its normal value is 1.7-2.8 although I know that normal KH values are 2.5-4?
3.3 translates to 9.2 DKH which should be normal?
Could one kit be right with used water but miss by far with new water? I test after mixing and aerating for 24 hours.
anyone can translate the results I got from the lab Bicarbonates226mg/l alkalinity CaCo3 185mg/l To KH or mEq?
the worst part would be if those do not match with results from both kits I have JBL And Red Sea as well as with SAlifert once I get it.
Sorry long post but I have been struggling with water testing since months now and am afraid to dose Alk Ca or Mg on a side note I have added around 1 KG of Mg Tropic MArin Bio Mag last month when my Mg values were around 900 and raised it to 1100 on my kit however the lab tested 1417. all my SPS (3 medium size and around 15 tiny to small frags are doing fine with 4 clams doing good. my softies and LPS are looking much better and some have recovered colours that they had lost for no reason before and are growig in size. had some Cyano on the sand bed till last Sat when I travelled. Got back on Thirsday to find it all gone. could that be the Mg addition? in that case am I really at 1417 mg /l and should I take it back now?