Calcium tester issue

[Yas]

Hi everyone,

I have a simple question. I'm constantly having an accuracy issue with my calcium tester. Two testers that I bought went inaccurate after several testing. Reading some thread posting, I realized it's perhaps due to contamination. I carelessly replaced the syringe with the one used with another tester, which I guess contaminated the testing solution of my Ca tester.

Did anyone experience the same issue? Or is there any other thing to be taken care of? Before buying a new tester, again, I want to make sure I won't have the same issue, again. Your input would be appreciated.

Yas

 

[GoVols]

Hi everyone,

I have a simple question. I'm constantly having an accuracy issue with my calcium tester. Two testers that I bought went inaccurate after several testing. Reading some thread posting, I realized it's perhaps due to contamination. I carelessly replaced the syringe with the one used with another tester, which I guess contaminated the testing solution of my Ca tester.

Did anyone experience the same issue? Or is there any other thing to be taken care of? Before buying a new tester, again, I want to make sure I won't have the same issue, again. Your input would be appreciated.

Yas

Yas,
I still use API for calcium. It's cheap and gets the job done.

Which calcium tester are you using?

 

[Yas]

Hi GoVols,

I think it's nothing to do with the brand because one happened with Red Sea and the other with Salifert. Both started indicating 500 only after several testing though both were initially accurate. I've never experienced this kind of issue with other parameters. It happened only with Ca testers. Maybe I try API the next time, but I guess the cause is not the brand. I don't know if Ca tester is such a sensitive tester, but I want to know if there's any measure to prevent this trouble.

Yas

 

[GoVols]

Hi GoVols,

I think it's nothing to do with the brand because one happened with Red Sea and the other with Salifert. Both started indicating 500 only after several testing though both were initially accurate. I've never experienced this kind of issue with other parameters. It happened only with Ca testers. Maybe I try API the next time, but I guess the cause is not the brand. I don't know if Ca tester is such a sensitive tester, but I want to know if there's any measure to prevent this trouble.

Yas

Yas,
I like Salifert
Be sure to check the expiration dates and keep the vials nice and clean.

Freddie

 

[Yas]

Yas,
I like Salifert
Be sure to check the expiration dates and keep the vials nice and clean.

Freddie

Thank you, Freddie! Yes, Salifert is good I think. I'll try to keep everything clean and dry next time. My guess is that when I test often for some reasons especially after changing lighting intensity, I test with wet instruments, and that could be the cause of the contamination (thought I use RO to wash them).

Yas

 

[GoVols]

Thank you, Freddie! Yes, Salifert is good I think. I'll try to keep everything clean and dry next time. My guess is that when I test often for some reasons especially after changing lighting intensity, I test with wet instruments, and that could be the cause of the contamination (thought I use RO to wash them).

Yas

One more thing.
Test your parameters at the same time every day.

They can read different, at different times of the day.

 

[Yas]

One more thing.
Test your parameters at the same time every day.

They can read different, at different times of the day.

Yes, Freddie, it could be the factor of unstable reading. But in my case, it's always 500 ppm. So I guess something was wrong with my test kit handling. Thank you for your input!