Strontium Testing question

[scyphozoa]

Can you tell me if testing for strontium (without sending a sample out to a lab) can obtain data that is reliable enough to determine if one should add/not add this component to their reef? I have never added it to my reef in the past and am curious to see where my levels might be. The 2003 article mentioned two tests, one by Seachem and the other by Salifert, are there others available? What test would you recommend and do you add it to your own tank?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Those are the only ones that I know about. I do not know how reliable the current versions are.

Anyone use them?

 

[FSOL]

I use the Salifert test kit and it's a major pain in the *** to get the results. Too many steps. The error in the measurements are
+/- 5mg/L, and yet the kit says a strontium level of 10-16 mg/L is ideal. Well a +/- 5mg/L error on an ideal level of 10-16 isn't all that great.

I am not sure if high levels of strontium can be bad to a tank, but I throw in a teaspoon of it in my sump every week and don't keep track of levels anymore. Too much work