I've used and like the Hach magnesium and calcium kit (#1457-01). The units need some conversion to reef type units. 
mg test kits?
- Thread starter bobt2
- Start date
Lifes A Beach
Premium Member
The Salifert forum here no longer exists as of today. I guess since there have been so many problems lately with Salifert and no response to everyone's complaints, it was shut down. And this forum seemed to be the only way anyone could at least "try" to get some customer service since there doesn't seem to be any other way.
There have been so many guesses as to what is happening with Salifert it would be nice if someone would just come out with a straight answer. Alot of reefers are still trying to use these kits with inaccurate results.
I like API and they have customer service here is the U.S. Unfortunately they do not make a Mg test.
There have been so many guesses as to what is happening with Salifert it would be nice if someone would just come out with a straight answer. Alot of reefers are still trying to use these kits with inaccurate results.
I like API and they have customer service here is the U.S. Unfortunately they do not make a Mg test.
kfick
New member
Randy,
I checked out Hach's website for that kit and it lists it as this: "Hardness (Total & Calcium) Test Kit, Model HA-4P MG-L, Drop Count Titration, 20-400 mg/L, 100 tests"
I'm guessing it will work fine above 400 mg/L (ppm) but just take a ton of drops and lower the number of tests. What do you think Randy? It probably wont be fun adding 65 drops and swirling.
Not a bad deal at $65 for both mag and calcium even if you do get way less than 100 tests.
I checked out Hach's website for that kit and it lists it as this: "Hardness (Total & Calcium) Test Kit, Model HA-4P MG-L, Drop Count Titration, 20-400 mg/L, 100 tests"
I'm guessing it will work fine above 400 mg/L (ppm) but just take a ton of drops and lower the number of tests. What do you think Randy? It probably wont be fun adding 65 drops and swirling.
Not a bad deal at $65 for both mag and calcium even if you do get way less than 100 tests.
Yes, that is the kit. It seems to work fine for seawater, but does take a lot of drops, especially for magnesium. In that case, I'd dilute it with RO/DI water.
oct2274
New member
like i said, the seachem has been good for me. i have no issues getting the same exact reading multiple times in a row, but it is more time consuming then some kits. I really wish salifert could get it together because their tests had good grainularity and were fairly easy to use. Typically API kits are pretty good too, but i have not tried the api mag kit yet - have used the calcium and alk and they were great. I plan on replacing all my salifert kits with elos in the future. I hope habib gets things ironed out someday so I can make my way back to salifert.
Last edited:
BibleSusan
New member
My Seachem Calcium test kit was bad when we checked the reference but my daughter-in-law got the mag kit & it was fine.
Here’s my two cents.
I experienced the same problem with Salifert. The kit read 1300ppm, and the independent lab using ICP analysis read 1650ppm Mg.
1100ppm Mg is not too bad, and 1400ppm Mg is not too bad either. Mg has the largest safe range of concentration in the tank of any measured parameter. I have not heard about any of the kits reading high i.e. a kit reading 1400 when it was actually 1100, although I know one It is the interferences from each individual unique tank chemical solution that vary and it screws up the measurements, and these can vary over time.
One such interference is vinegar, while it has some good benefits it can also screw up some tests. The tests that I know that it causes problems with so far are the Red Sea Phosphate, All Alkalinity, and Seachem Magnesium.
So why not just shoot for 1200ppm Mg with the test kits. That’s what I do knowing that if it happens to be 1450ppm well that is probably ok. But if the test kit is reading 800ppm Mg then I should add more Mg to bring it back up to 1200ppm.
Now if there is a better kit out there then I would definitely buy it.
I experienced the same problem with Salifert. The kit read 1300ppm, and the independent lab using ICP analysis read 1650ppm Mg.
1100ppm Mg is not too bad, and 1400ppm Mg is not too bad either. Mg has the largest safe range of concentration in the tank of any measured parameter. I have not heard about any of the kits reading high i.e. a kit reading 1400 when it was actually 1100, although I know one It is the interferences from each individual unique tank chemical solution that vary and it screws up the measurements, and these can vary over time.
One such interference is vinegar, while it has some good benefits it can also screw up some tests. The tests that I know that it causes problems with so far are the Red Sea Phosphate, All Alkalinity, and Seachem Magnesium.
So why not just shoot for 1200ppm Mg with the test kits. That’s what I do knowing that if it happens to be 1450ppm well that is probably ok. But if the test kit is reading 800ppm Mg then I should add more Mg to bring it back up to 1200ppm.
Now if there is a better kit out there then I would definitely buy it.
Mg has the largest safe range of concentration in the tank of any measured parameter.
Perhaps it depends on how you define range, but alkalinity has a pretty big range to. At least 60% of the seawater value, from 2.5-4 meq/L (7-11 dKH).
Magnesium from 1100 to 1400 is 39% of NSW value, and I wouldn't want to see it below 1200 ppm.
Perhaps it depends on how you define range, but alkalinity has a pretty big range to. At least 60% of the seawater value, from 2.5-4 meq/L (7-11 dKH).
Magnesium from 1100 to 1400 is 39% of NSW value, and I wouldn't want to see it below 1200 ppm.
icenine2005
New member
I tried the seachem Calcium kit and got a bad one too. Leaking bottle of titrant when I opened the kit, some string of something floating in the reference solution and needless to say it failed completely when used.
(unless both my Calcium and the tainted reference solution is something over 1000 mg/L, I stopped after a second ML of titrant and no color change, confident that it just was not working at all).
I'm not going to even bother with the seachem mag kit I bought as well, just return it and scratch them as a reliable kit source.
(unless both my Calcium and the tainted reference solution is something over 1000 mg/L, I stopped after a second ML of titrant and no color change, confident that it just was not working at all).
I'm not going to even bother with the seachem mag kit I bought as well, just return it and scratch them as a reliable kit source.
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