Just looking for some input on this test kit. I have read the instructions, watched videos, and looked on here for some answers. It seems to be pretty common with people having a tough time with this specific test. So, a rundown of what I am doing. My tank is getting to the point where I am considering dosing the big 3 and trying to cut back on some of the need to do massive water changes to regulate alk, cal, and mag. (just a few lps, softies, and one monti cap) But I cant really even get coralline to grow on the glass or much of anything, which brings me back to checking these parameters. I am using IO sea salt, fyi. The tank has been running for 8 months, with live rock from my previous system. I have had the red sea pro test kits for a while and sort of stopped using the alk titration because I never trusted that I was doing it correctly. The card says to fill the syringe with 1ml of reagent and test vial with 10ml of test water. ok, got that. Now it gets cloudy, it says the titration starts when the color is blue, no big deal, that happens in a few drops. Moving on with the titration, I am expecting a blue to maroon color based on the chart. However, what I get is a change from blue to a light green then within a couple drops it gets a noticeable orange tint to it. I assume the test is complete, subtract what is left from the original 1ml and voila. This reading keeps coming back around 6ish dKH. Which seems correct to me for never really paying attention to it much before and letting it deplete between water changes. Out of curiosity, I add more reagent to see if it ever gets to the dark maroon but it never does.
My questions are, does the color changing to more of an orange rather than the maroon sound correct? And secondly, do you have to subtract the first couple of drops it takes to make the test water blue?
Based on these results I am going to start getting my big three back where they should be and begin dosing based on randy's recipe #1 to maintain the system. That is of course once I figure out how to do this titration.... UGHHH
My questions are, does the color changing to more of an orange rather than the maroon sound correct? And secondly, do you have to subtract the first couple of drops it takes to make the test water blue?
Based on these results I am going to start getting my big three back where they should be and begin dosing based on randy's recipe #1 to maintain the system. That is of course once I figure out how to do this titration.... UGHHH
