getting frustrated! on testing Alk

Jej34 · Feb 26, 2016

I buy my Brs 2 part kit and am excited to start dosing. Before dosing I test to make adjustments before daily dosing
I happen to have 2 dkh kits from different manufactures and like a dummy, I try both. One reads 7.1 Dkh the other reads 9.0
Ran 3 tests of each, same results.
Which do i believe?

WVReefJunkie · Feb 26, 2016

Use Salifert test kit. Don't forget to give the tank time, to settle in once dosing.

WVReefJunkie · Feb 26, 2016

Use could also compare you Calcium levels to your DKH readings to see which one is in balance.

Jej34 · Feb 26, 2016

WVReefJunkie said:
Use could also compare you Calcium levels to your DKH readings to see which one is in balance.

Great point but I never really attempted to get the tank in pefect balance before now.

I guess I could check a sample of fresh mixed water.

Jej34 · Feb 26, 2016

WVReefJunkie said:
Use Salifert test kit. Don't forget to give the tank time, to settle in once dosing.

Ones is salifert, the other royal alk or something like that

Randy Holmes-Farley · Feb 26, 2016

Let us know the exact other brand, but Salifert alkalinity is usually quite accurate if you are using it correctly.

What is the Salifert reading?

Jej34 · Feb 26, 2016

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Let us know the exact other brand, but Salifert alkalinity is usually quite accurate if you are using it correctly.

What is the Salifert reading?

Here they are.

Cory · Feb 27, 2016

Ive never heard of royal loL. But id trust Salifert.

If you wabt you can make an alk check standard. 1.135 grams of baking soda in 1 gallon distilled water = 10dkh

fredro · Feb 27, 2016

Both are within the expiration date, I'm assuming?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Feb 27, 2016

I also have not heard much about the Royal Natural kit. It is impossible to say which (if either) is giving a true reading, but I'd be more inclined to trust Salifert.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Feb 27, 2016

Royal Natural says this:

"In Royal Nature Alkalinity test the correlation between end point of titration and value of alkalinity was calculated with a lot of adjustments. "

http://royalnature-reef.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=101&Itemid=121

What adjustments? Why would one be needed? It makes me think they didn't just trust the chemistry. Seems a bit odd to me.

Jej34 · Feb 28, 2016

Cory said:
Ive never heard of royal loL. But id trust Salifert.

If you wabt you can make an alk check standard. 1.135 grams of baking soda in 1 gallon distilled water = 10dkh

Thanks, just bought the red sea mg alk and cardone combo kit.

AdamNC · Feb 28, 2016

I've been using the Red Sea kits for the past year. Watch the YouTube videos, they are very beneficial.

All my kits are Red Sea including my refractometer. Ph though is on my Apex.

Jej34 · Feb 28, 2016

Yes, the red sea seems like a quality product

jason2459 · Feb 28, 2016

Red Sea and Salifert have tracked well together for Calcium and Alkalinity for me but so has API.

Magnesium seems more hit and miss between brands. I would trust Salifert quite a bit more. Nyos had a comparable Mg kit as well that tested inline with Salifert and Triton. Personally, I distrust the Red Sea Mg kit more then any other test kit I've ever used.

Adam Obenauf · Feb 29, 2016

For me the red sea kits are a lot easier to read as someone who is partially color blind. They've also always given me the same results as the salifert test kits every time so I trust the accuracy. The only bad red sea test kit is their Mg kit which is notoriously inaccurate.