Bad redsea mag test kit?

[Reef man 89]

trying to do a mag test with the red sea test kit. And every time I finish up the test it shows pretty much my tank has 0 mag I have done the test 4 times and it keeps showing the same. All my other parameters are fine. I don't want to dose like a mad man to get it up par to find out the test kit is junk and nuke my tank.
1.025sg
10-dkh
420-ca
Has anyone else have this problem? and to note the test kit don't expire till next year so it's not old.

 

[Scurvy]

The first step seems to be key. It took me a few times before I realized to do 1 drop at a time 15 seconds apart and not 5 drops at once like step 2 calls for. Made a big difference in getting accurate results.

 

[redfishbluefish]

@Scurvy said it....do you see that 5X....in the yellow circle:

 

[jason2459]

I and others have had poor results with the Red Sea Mg kit but never with getting a 0 result. Like mentioned above I believe a or some steps are missing.

Otherwise, I personally would get a Salifert Mg test kit.

 

[Sabellafella]

trying to do a mag test with the red sea test kit. And every time I finish up the test it shows pretty much my tank has 0 mag I have done the test 4 times and it keeps showing the same. All my other parameters are fine. I don't want to dose like a mad man to get it up par to find out the test kit is junk and nuke my tank.
1.025sg
10-dkh
420-ca
Has anyone else have this problem? and to note the test kit don't expire till next year so it's not old.

For it to read 0, it would have to take not even a speck of a drop to change the titration reagents color. So, youd have to not be doing the test at all to get a 0 reading.

 

[bktruong]

This test kit is useless anyway..

 

[redfishbluefish]

For it to read 0, it would have to take not even a speck of a drop to change the titration reagents color. So, youd have to not be doing the test at all to get a 0 reading.

Good point.....that reminded me that with Red Sea, you need to subtract the reading on the syringe by 1.0. So, if your syringe read zero, the number you use is, 1.0 - 0.0 = 1.0

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yes, I expect he is reading the syringe backwards.

 

[Reef man 89]

I did the test the same way in the Red Sea video right down to the T I had to fill the syringe twice to get it to turn blue also all my LPS and zoa's are all open so if my mag was really that low then what would it affect? Cause I havent seen anything wrong in my tank.

 

[Reef man 89]

Good point.....that reminded me that with Red Sea, you need to subtract the reading on the syringe by 1.0. So, if your syringe read zero, the number you use is, 1.0 - 0.0 = 1.0

I think your right that's what I was doing but in that case that would mean my mag is in the 4000 range

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I think your right that's what I was doing but in that case that would mean my mag is in the 4000 range

With one syringe worth? No.

How much fluid to get to the endpoint?

That said, this kit causes folks a lot of issues and often folks get higher than actual readings.

 

[redfishbluefish]

One full ml on the Red Sea Mag Pro kit gives you a mag level of 2000 ppm.

 

[Reef man 89]

No I have to fill the syringe 2 full times to get it to turn blue

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

No I have to fill the syringe 2 full times to get it to turn blue

That's not accurate then. You'd have to add many pounds of dry supplement to a 100 gallon tank to get there.

 

[redfishbluefish]

That can't be right.

I'd go through those instructions explicitly......note with Red Sea Mag you only use 2 mls of tank water. With the other two tests, Calc and Alk, you use 5 and 10 mls, respectively.

 

[Reef man 89]

Yea once I get home from work I am going to redo the test. So in the glass jar you use to test in after so many test you get the build up of perception from the two chemicals mix would that be possible that would interfere with the test results? If so how to you clean it off?

 

[redfishbluefish]

I've never had precipitation in the test vial. At the end of testing I rinse under the faucet, rinse with RO/DI and then right before testing, I rinse the vial one more time with tank water.

If you have built up precipitation on the vial, soak in vinegar and then rinse.

 

[Jonty]

I have I over dosed my tank I went and purchased a new kit and a Salifert to compare they both came out the same , I think there is expiration date on the Red Sea once opened.