Salifert strontium test kit

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Different kit tables can be confusing to folks and some people do read them backwards.

The easiest way with any titration kit is to understand that the more liquid that must be added to get to the endpoint, the higher will be the resulting concentration from their table. So just make sure that you are reading it such that if you used only a few drops, the concentration value is very low, and if you had to dispense nearly a whole syringe of liquid (or more than one whole syringe), the value would be high.

Does that clarify it?

I don't have the Salifert table you are using, but if the syringe pushed all the way down to 0 gives a calcium value of 596 ppm from the table, then the table is showing the final syringe position (not the volume dispensed). So you take the number directly from the syringe for their table, not determining a value by subtraction.

 

[Ponraj A]

Dear Mr.Randy,
Yes exactly the concept is taking the reading in syringe, my confusion is if the syringe is standing between two number as my example of between 0.30 to 0.40, in this case 0.30 will be at the top of the syringe black ring and 0.40 will be at the bottom of the syringe black ring, now can you tell me the reading what I have to take, either 0.45 or 0.35
If its hard to imagine I will post a photo tomorrow of the syringe reading.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

In the thread I linked there is a photo which shows the part of the syringe to read. Essentially you read the part of the syringe that exactly touches the zero reading when the plunger is pushed fully in.

 

[Ponraj A]

Dear Mr.Randy, thanks for your time and reply,
as one more favour, i will post the picture of the syringe reading tomorrow can you please tell me the reading, it would be a great relief for me.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Sure.

 

[Ponraj A]

Dear Mr.Randy,
I think I figured it out, as per the below table the highest is at "0" so the reading has to be counted always from top to the tip of the syringe rubber ring, so in my case if the syringe stands between 0.3 - 0.4 then the reading is 0.35 and my calcium is 485mg/l. Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

That is correct.

 

[Ponraj A]

Thank you so much Mr.Randy

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.

 

[DraggingTail]

I describe in detail exactly how to measure with a syring here:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/reef-chemistry-question-of-the-day-161-using-a-syringe.226267/

The thread has pictures and more discussion, but here's the answer to the question posed there:

Here's how to think about how a syringe works:

When the plunger is pushed all the way in, the leading edge of the plunger aligns with the zero mL marking. That is true of nearly every syringe I've seen. When you begin to use it, the tip and barrel are empty, with the tip containing air and the barrel occupied by the plunger.

As you draw back the plunger with the tip in a liquid, the plunger creates a vacuum between it and the liquid, drawing in the liquid. The movement of the plunger draws in exactly the amount of liquid equal in volume to the travel of the plunger backwards (or upwards). So you can track how much fluid is taken up exactly by the travel of the plunger against the volume markings, regardless of what you see with the fluid (assuming it is functioning properly).

Some of the drawn in liquid will be in the tip, and some (or perhaps none, if it is all in the tip) will be in the barrel of the syringe. If the volume of the tip is larger than the volume indicated by the movement of the plunger, none will show in the barrel. Many modern pipettes work this way to avoid contaminating the barrel of the device. The device stays clean and the tip is discarded after each use.

Now, when you go to dispense the liquid, the plunger is pushed in, and all of the liquid is dispensed and the air is pushed back into the tip.

If you mistakenly tipped the syringe upward during dispensing, and blew out the air before the liquid, then when you push the plunger all the way in, there will still be liquid in the tip, and you probably won't know how much so you end up with a mismeasurement.

In the medical world, it can be super important to not inject air into a patient's bloodstream. In that case, the syringe must first be overfilled. It is then tipped up and all of the air blown out and some liquid may be blown out until the end of the plunger is exactly aligned with the volume marking you want to dispense. The syringe in total now contains the amount you want to inject, plus the volume of the the needle. Then you inject and when done, the needle is still full of liquid in the exact amount as before injection, and like before, the amount dispensed is exactly determined by the movement of the plunger. So this situation is no different except that you start and end with a full tip/needle. In a non-injection setting, you start and end with an air-filled tip.

So it doesn't matter how much liquid you see in the barrel. Only the movement of the plunger is important, whatever the use.

He bro. What is the best Sr test kit? Is this it?

 

[Keen4]

OK now can we talk about the 3rd version of this salifert test kit thats been revised? Im having trouble knowing which kind of blue Im looking for in any of the steps requiring blue. baby blue? dark blue? Sky Blue?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Sorry, I'm not familiar with the specific color that Salifert uses.

 

[JimWelsh]

OK now can we talk about the 3rd version of this salifert test kit thats been revised? Im having trouble knowing which kind of blue Im looking for in any of the steps requiring blue. baby blue? dark blue? Sky Blue?

Blue without any hint of a reddish/purplish color. The absence of redness is what is important.

 

[pfoxgrover]

So I am using a new Salifert 3rg generation Strontium test kit that is within the expiration date (02-2021) and starting to wonder if it is not giving valid results.

I first read 0-3 ppm and added 30 ml of two little fishes strontium to a 240 gallon, I dosed and tested and dosed and tested until that was gone and purchased some reagent grade Strontium Chloride Hex6-hydrate and continued. I think I got a little carried away.
Seemed like the dosage was making a small difference in the results but not at all close to expectations.
I have done 11 tests and the kit seems to be working just like the instructions. I have checked the instructions dozens of times to see if I am making a mistake but they are not particularly difficult to follow so I don't think that is it. here is what I did so far

	TLF Strontium (30g/L concentration)	SrCl26H2O	Salifert result
12/5/2020​			0-3
12/5/2020​	30ml		0-3
12/6/2020​	60ml		0-3
12/12/2020​	50ml		0-3
12/12/2020​	23ml		3​
12/23/2020​		11.5g	0-3
12/24/2020​		11.5g	0-3
12/26/2020​		11.5g	0-3
12/26/2020​		60g	3​
12/26/2020​			3​
12/27/2020​			3​

After the last dose didn't result in a higher reading, I rechecked my math and calculate I should be up to about 3x natural seawater levels(not where I was aiming) but barley getting 3 ppm in the results.

Any ideas where I should go from here?
@Habib(Salifert) ?

​

 

[pfoxgrover]

Bump

 

[pfoxgrover]

Suggestions anyone?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I cannot understand what you are doing.

You added 60 grams of the dry strontium to the aquarium?

 

[pfoxgrover]

I cannot understand what you are doing.

You added 60 grams of the dry strontium to the aquarium?

I am trying to get my 240g tank to natural seawater levels for Strontium and then, hopefully find a maintenance dosage over time. Very confused so far.

yes, the last dose I made was 60 grams of SrCl26H2O dissolved in RO water first. That was the last thing I did.

Prior to that I dosed and tested over and over again and the levels don't appear to be going above 3 ppm.

So I figure either there is a problem with the test (me or the actual kit) a problem with to additives, or a problem with the dosage. I am sure there must be other possibilities.

Trying to confirm test kit is working/ grasping at straws:
I mixed 50 gallons of fresh live aquaria salt salt mix (from a 200 gallon package) in heated RO/DI water for >24 hours to 35 ppt. The box says ~9 ppm Sr. This tested to the same 0-3 ppm Sr.

I then dissolved 0.6 g SrCl26H20 in 10 ml of distilled water and added it to 1 liter of the fresh salt mix and thoroughly mixed for around 30 minutes. Thinking this should add around 20 ppm more Sr to the fresh mix. I tried testing that and the solution was at the endpoint color before the final titration so I am assuming that is >= 40 ppm Strontium.

So I am still confused.

Shouldn't adding 95 grams of SrCl26H2O over a 3 day period like I did a week ago show up on the Salifert Sr test at higher than NSW levels?

Am I way off on my math?
1 gram should have around 0.329 grams of Sr?
So adding 95 grams should have put me 34 ppm higher than what was in the tank already?
If so why does more than ten times lower then that?
Wouldn't that be a 1000 percent error?

Any help is appreciated.
-Paul

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yes. Stop all dosing. You are adding crazy high amounts.

 

[pfoxgrover]

Thanks for confirming that.

Maybe I will try the seachem test kit.