Need quick response plz. Why is my alk reading 16 and 9 with 2 diff kits

[Sailfinguy21]

Question for you guys.

Ive been having issues with a few acroporas but its mainly because my alk went from 11 to 8 very wuickly and i stupidly raised it back to 11 in just a few days time.

Im using APIs kit though i have two KH bottles both are reading the same. Corals were doing amazing at 10-11 until thr drop then spike back up.

Anyway i went to a local fish store to have my water checked with a salifert kit. They did the test and my alk is off the charts it took the whole 1ml plus more... so the kit goes to near 16kh.. mine is probly 18 or 19 according to their kit.

I tested it myself watching a video on how to do it. I measured 1 ml and the liquid level was at 8.5 i put 4 drops in and 4ml of my watee in the test tube.

Doing it this way i still used nearly all 1ml of thr syring there was .1 left which is still really high according to that it means my alk is like 15.

I tested their water and their tank read 14.. so either the kit they habe is wrong or my waters alk is sky high..

I know some of you dont like API but how is api so far off ? Or could it be this salifert kit ? I jist dont see how my alk between two kits csn be off by 7 dkh lol. Ajd with it reading their water near mine im starting to wonder if its thr kit instead.

I mean wouldnt my like 30 sps corals all be dying if my kh was at 17 lol ?

They tested my magnesium too and its at 1000 so this would explain why my calcium isnt going down anymore.. but the kh man.. i dunno

 

[GThompson]

I would think that if their water tested that high that maybe their kit is off a little. The API kit I use is not too far off of my other three test kits. I verify all my readings between Hanna, Salifert, API, and Idip. If yours is that far off I would be looking for a second opinion. Good luck

 

[Sailfinguy21]

Yea it just doesnt seem possible ti be reading over 16dkh... if their read 14 or 15... then with my api kit theirs should be at like 7 or 8 if mine is at 9.

To me that seems more plausible then 15+ dkh in two seperate systems.

They think im nuts for denying their kit kol im in the store now.. but i refuse to believe ny alk is 16-18+ lol

 

[Deep dive coral]

Which 2 kits and how old are they?

 

[Sailfinguy21]

Salifert kit they said they just opened it.. but the bottle looked half empty.. she also was using one syringe for all her test kits even aptasia x.. she rinsed the syringe with my tank water... i dunno but i rinsed it with her kit lol yea i wasted like 3ml of the solution but still.

I tested it twice both times it read over 16kh... and my api kits dont expire till 2023 both of my kh bottles.. both read 9..

So their is jist no way in my mind salifert is reading right...over 16dkh.. we used 1.3ml of solution lol i had to refill the syringe... so in realoty it was reading like 18-19kh for my water.. how is salifert reading over 10kh from the api kit.

 

[ScottB]

Salifert kit they said they just opened it.. but the bottle looked half empty.. she also was using one syringe for all her test kits even aptasia x.. she rinsed the syringe with my tank water... i dunno but i rinsed it with her kit lol yea i wasted like 3ml of the solution but still.

I tested it twice both times it read over 16kh... and my api kits dont expire till 2023 both of my kh bottles.. both read 9..

So their is jist no way in my mind salifert is reading right...over 16dkh.. we used 1.3ml of solution lol i had to refill the syringe... so in realoty it was reading like 18-19kh for my water.. how is salifert reading over 10kh from the api kit.

The bolded bit. That is kinda sad. Aiptasia X is kalk paste. No wonder.

I use salifert all the time for ALK; it is a steady test kit.

 

[vetteguy53081]

My best recommendation to resolve this and get answer is to take a water sample to a trusted LFS and see what readings they come up with for comparison and you will know which kit is more True in results.

 

[GThompson]

If they’re using the same syringe for all their test, you need to find another lfs.

 

[Sailfinguy21]

Well the funny thing is the magnesium test they used the same syringe rinsed... and it read 1080 and i bought a new kit and at home it read 1080.

So i dunno. Ill just buy my own alk kit maybe a diff brand then salifert or go to a diff store tomorrow.. for now im going off my api kits that both read 9 lol

 

[Sailfinguy21]

Btw how much per day should i raise my magnesium by ? It was at 1080. By doing 5ml per 20g based on the bottle i got from the store and a 135g tank i put in 40ml. And my magnesium went up 100 exactly.

Ill wait 24hrs and do another 40ml so it should be at 1280 then. And another 40ml should be at 1380.

How high should i keep my magnesium at when i habe a sps dominant tank