So I Finally Tested My CA/ALK/MG...

[sdheath]

While at the FFM, I was talking to a long time reefer who told me that he had recently gone through a rough time with his tank. Like me, he had fallen out of the habit regular of testing. When he noticed one of his "indicator corals" not looking so good, he pulled out the test kits and discovered his alkalinity was 3.5 DKH! Hearing this and considering that it's been more than a year since I tested, I repeated several times that I would test when I got home.


So Sunday I pulled out my (Red Sea Feef Foundation) test kits. Calcium: 440. Check. Mg: 1500. Check. Alkalinity: I couldn't get a reading, meaning my alkalinity was supposedly LOWER than the 1.8 where the kit scale starts! I tried a second test and got the same result.


I think the alk test kit is bad. It has no expiration date that I could find, but it's at least 2 or 3 years old. My reef looks better than it has in years, and since my only source of CA/alk is a kalk reactor, I can't imagine the two parts being so out of whack.


A Hannah alk checker has been ordered; it'll be here tomorrow. I can't wait to see what it says. Coincidentally, I put ALL of my FFM raffle tickets in the bucket for the Hannah akl checker. So of course I assume that as soon as mine arrives I'm going to get a call from Jon telling me that I won.

--
Steve

 

[Triggreef]

Can you try the alk test on some fresh made salt water?

 

[svogun]

I have the Hannah alk checker and it is awesome

 

[Useful_Idiot]

Steve if you still have that giant clam in there that's pretty brave of you to go that long.

I have the Hannah alk checker and it is awesome

I was thinking about getting one. What kit did you use prior?

 

[svogun]

Steve if you still have that giant clam in there that's pretty brave of you to go that long.


Salifert which was ok. The Hannah is just easier to use and more realistic when you are trying to get your alk dialed in and testing often

 

[sdheath]

Can you try the alk test on some fresh made salt water?

Great idea. I'll report back shortly...

 

[sdheath]

Steve if you still have that giant clam in there that's pretty brave of you to go that long.

Yeah, I still have it. Call me brave or stupid, I guess I have my moments of both But It looks pretty healthy to me, what do you think?

 

[sdheath]

Can you try the alk test on some fresh made salt water?

So I just tested some fresh SW from my holding tank, and it was 8.5. That really made me panic! Repeated the test, same outcome. So I tested the tank water again... 9.1! I was very careful with the testing process yesterday, and frankly this kit makes it pretty tough to screw up. 10ml water, 1ml reagent, add drops until it goes from blue to orange. What the heck did I do wrong Sunday? I didn't start drinking until hours after doing the tests
Now I'm REALLY anxious to see what the Hannah says tomorrow.

 

[mtc1966]

yeah that's clam looked happy when I was there not so long ago and water crystal clear.

 

[Triggreef]

Lol you must have been drinking early.

It changes to blue first, almost instantly, then orange so you must have just been taking your reading as soon as it changed to blue which explains it all.

 

[pecan2phat]

Steve,
I also was speaking with "Mr. 3.5 DKH" at FFM, if I remember correctly I think he was using a Hanna Alk checker. Since the checker needs a conversion for the reading, I wonder if he converted correctly. While he did have a canary coral RTN'ing in the center, 3.5 DKH is very low with regular weekly water changes.
The lowest alkalinity level I have gotten down to with no testing and lost maintenance for roughly 6~8 months was about 6 DKH, I'll need to talk to him a little more about it though he did tell me his Mg was low also.

 

[icycoral]

Steve is it possible the test vial was contaminated? I had something like that happen to me and now I give my culverts a rinse w isopropyl alcohol when I'm done with them. I think my magnesium test kit is the one that leaves a nasty residue if only rinsed w water but ipa seems to do the trick.