Test Kits for Magnesium

[AKL1950]

My system is moving along and I will be introducing corals next month. I will be getting my Apex Trident up and running in the next two weeks.

I’m looking for a good backup tester for Magnesium. I have Hanna for Alk and plan on getting Hanna for calcium, but I understand their magnesium tester is unreliable still needs some work. What would be a good test kit to back up Trident for magnesium?

Jetson

 

[rtparty]

Skip the Hanna Calcium. Get Salifert for both

 

[Jekyl]

I use salifert for everything. Never had an issue.

 

[PatW]

I have tried Red Sea Pro for magnesium and it gives wonky results for me. I am now using Salifert but I am not really convinced that the test is all that good. Since magnesium uptake by inverts is only about 5% (I hope I am close on that) of Ca and ALK, it is often not an issue. I dose ALK and Ca daily and have dosers for ALK (I hand dose Ca). I have found that regular water changes maintain Mg levels pretty well. Yeah, I would like better tests but really ALK is the one that is most critical with Ca much less so and Mg much less than that. So one really needs an excellent ALK test, a good Ca test and a it looks like it is in the ballpark test for Mg.

 

[AKL1950]

Looks like salifert is getting the votes. I’ll go with it for now. I just plugged in my Apex Trident today. I’m hoping I can trust it’s testing, but I want to have that backup so I can feel comfortable with it. I do like my other Hanna Checkers. Hopefully they will get the bugs worked out with Ca and Mag.

 

[Cali Reef Life]

salifert magnesium test kit simple and easy to use which means you will test. I WC and dose manually once a week to maintain.

 

[reaper93]

I vote salifert

 

[gbru316]

Salifert for Alk, Ca, and Mg.

Sell the Hanna, or put it in storage.

 

[Uncle99]

Each manufacturer has its strengths.
Hanna Alk, HR Nitrate are quick and simple, Hanna UL Phosphorus in PPB as there’s so little of that in our waters.
But their MG and CA kits are a bit tedious and reported fluxes.
Salifert or Aquaforest for MG, CA, cause close is fine in these cases.
That’s what worked for me.

 

[AKL1950]

Just went to Amazon and got salifert Ca, mag and Alk. Already have the Hanna Alk, but now I can compare Trident, Hanna and salifert. Guess I’ll kind of go with the law of averages until I see which seem the most accurate. I’m just getting back in this, so testing is still fun right now. So far the only tester I want to throw away is the Apex Salinity prob. That thing has issues.

 

[gbru316]

now I can compare Trident, Hanna and salifert.

Heads up: you're going to get 3 different readings, potentially drastically different.

In my experience, salifert is the most accurate when testing a reference solution. I believe this is because there are fewer potential sources of error for the standard titration kits compared to electronic test methods.

 

[AKL1950]

Heads up: you're going to get 3 different readings, potentially drastically different.

In my experience, salifert is the most accurate when testing a reference solution. I believe this is because there are fewer potential sources of error for the standard titration kits compared to electronic test methods.

Absolutely. I’m expecting that. Just like I’m sure when my trident does the first Alk test tonight, it will be different from my Hanna tester. What I want to see is consistency in each test brand. If each kit will give me consistent readings, then I can get a feel for where the numbers should be. (Hopefully). If one test kit is consistently erratic, that one will find the trash. From all the comments here on testing, I’m learning to never trust any of them completely, but watch all the trends and I should be able to find that “range” my numbers are in. Right now, my tank is just fish only with a few shrimp and snails. I know what the ball park numbers are for the salt I’m using (IO Reef Crystals) so I have a pretty good idea where the numbers should be. Things I’m testing so far are extremely stable (except for the Apex Salinity probe) and all are matching up pretty close to each other.

PH 7.9, Temp 78.3, salinity 34.6, Alk 9.6, NO3 7.5, PO4 0.07 and OPR 385. They have all been at those numbers +/- 1% for a month now Using several test kits And Apex.

Hopefully, as everyone is saying, I’ll be able to use the Salifert tests to find my good range on the ca, mag and Alk. I’ll start adding corals next month.

Jetson

 

[gbru316]

Absolutely. I’m expecting that. Just like I’m sure when my trident does the first Alk test tonight, it will be different from my Hanna tester. What I want to see is consistency in each test brand. If each kit will give me consistent readings, then I can get a feel for where the numbers should be. (Hopefully). If one test kit is consistently erratic, that one will find the trash. From all the comments here on testing, I’m learning to never trust any of them completely, but watch all the trends and I should be able to find that “range” my numbers are in. Right now, my tank is just fish only with a few shrimp and snails. I know what the ball park numbers are for the salt I’m using (IO Reef Crystals) so I have a pretty good idea where the numbers should be. Things I’m testing so far are extremely stable (except for the Apex Salinity probe) and all are matching up pretty close to each other.

PH 7.9, Temp 78.3, salinity 34.6, Alk 9.6, NO3 7.5, PO4 0.07 and OPR 385. They have all been at those numbers +/- 1% for a month now Using several test kits And Apex.

Hopefully, as everyone is saying, I’ll be able to use the Salifert tests to find my good range on the ca, mag and Alk. I’ll start adding corals next month.

Jetson

After trying multiple times to use the Trident calibration fluid to calibrate, I ended up giving up on it. My current process is to test Ca, Mg, and Alk with the Salifert kits. I then perform a Trident calibration using tank water and the numbers obtained from the Salifert tests.

I know it's not a true calibration, but I trust the Salifert tests more than any of the other methods as far as accuracy goes. And the Trident is precise enough that when I verify the "calibration," immediately after performing it, I receive the expected values.

 

[AKL1950]

After trying multiple times to use the Trident calibration fluid to calibrate, I ended up giving up on it. My current process is to test Ca, Mg, and Alk with the Salifert kits. I then perform a Trident calibration using tank water and the numbers obtained from the Salifert tests.

I know it's not a true calibration, but I trust the Salifert tests more than any of the other methods as far as accuracy goes. And the Trident is precise enough that when I verify the "calibration," immediately after performing it, I receive the expected values.

Perfect. I’ve read this before from others, and it sounds like a good plan. Nothing like good southern engineering to make high priced equipment work better. My Salifert kits are on the way. They seem to be the majority’s first choice.

Thanks

 

[mbmartin06]

I use the Salifert kits across the board as well And Hanna ULR for P. the Hanna I own is always 0.5dkh higher than the Salifert. As an aside I’ve tested known concentration solutions to make sure I’m doing it right and Hanna again was .5 dkh high. Just food for though

 

[taricha]

like others have said, I prefer titration kits for major components: Ca, Mg, Alk.
Hanna testers for things that are very near zero - PO4, NO3 etc.

 

[Simon_M]

I have the Salifert Test kits for KH, Ca and Mg (and a lot more). I have also bought the Red Sea Tests that are a combination of one or more tests. I do like the Red Sea Tests and the packaging. As an example, I can test for Nitrate and (for me) distinguish between low levels easily - something I couldn't do with Salifert. Since I'm using the Red Sea Recipes and use RS Products in my DT with RS Supplements, it makes sense (to me) to continue with Red Sea Tests to determine the level of Supplements that need adding.

Problems with the Red Sea Magnesium Test made me question the quality of the reagents in my particular batch - I'm sure it can work, but not for me. In my DT the reading is always at 1600 ppm and the instructions say that the point of titration where the colour changes has probably been missed. I did the test several times and as well as noting the colour change point, I also logged the colour at defined points. The RS Video shows the change to Blue but the instructions say look for the colour switching e.g. earlier. An indicator of the validity of the Test Reagents is probably how long the Blue colour takes to become Purple - the test has to be done relatively quickly.

My Solution to checking the levels in the DT is to first look at the results when using freshly mixed RO/DI and Red Sea Salt. Each batch has a reference number to the measured values. I simply mix up 25 litres to a salinity of 35 ppm (about 1000g of Salt) and compare the results. In this way, I'm not dependent upon knowing how my DT is performing. I'm not chasing numbers, just trying to use the results to predict what Supplements need to be added.

Magnesium is an interesting Supplement because I have it available in RS powder and RS liquid forms but have never dosed it. Making Water Changes doesn't affect the Magnesium level because I don't have SPS and very few LPS Corals - so the uptake is miniscule. With Salifert I get a reading of 1350 ppm which is close enough to the reference number.

I get results from Red Sea Tests for dKH, Ca and Mg that are 10%, 111% and 18% higher than the reference numbers for freshly mixd Salt. I'm not expecting them to be identical - just broadly similar. Since all the readings are high, it also makes me question if my (calibrated) Refractometer is accurate escpecially as I put slightly less Salt into RO/DI, assess the level and then bring it up to 35 ppt with the calculated "difference" - I get the 35 ppt reading consistently. I don't tumble the bag but do roll the bucket to mix the (already) mixed product. For my DT I do need an initial complete 22kg bucket so the issue of tumbling isn't relevant.

In the DT I used to always get a Red Sea reading that is 1600 ppm e.g. at the limit. Clearly this is wrong for the freshly mixed Salt. I'm sure that Red Sea would update their Test e.g. use more/less volume of sample water to get the result accurate. If the reading always indicated that Magnesium didn't need Supplementing then they wouldn't sell much (of the) Magnesium Supplement.

 

[gbroadbridge]

My system is moving along and I will be introducing corals next month. I will be getting my Apex Trident up and running in the next two weeks.

I’m looking for a good backup tester for Magnesium. I have Hanna for Alk and plan on getting Hanna for calcium, but I understand their magnesium tester is unreliable still needs some work. What would be a good test kit to back up Trident for magnesium?

Jetson

Mag tests are pretty much a waste of money because you only need to test every 3-6 months so they expire before you have used 5 percent of them.

Just get an LFS to do it and pay the $5.

 

[Hanna Instruments]

Hello from Hanna Instruments,

I am on the aquarium team, here to address the Magnesium Checker issue.

I am posting this same message on various threads regarding the Magnesium Checker so that as many people as possible get the information.

First, here is an FAQ with answers:

1) What happened?
As many of you know, Hanna Instruments prides itself in accuracy. We do extensive R&D before releasing products – what happened with the Magnesium Checker was a unique combination of unexpected factors. Our manufacturing facility is in Romania, and shipments from Eastern Europe were delayed in the Spring due to events in that area. With this, the initial batch of Magnesium products were in cargo storage for longer than anticipated. While the cargo containers sat for extended periods in the Spring, the temperature in the containers increased. This resulted in longer than usual exposure to higher than usual temperatures, which in turn caused one of the reagents to expire early. The products passed R&D inspection on site, and we’ve never had them degrade in transit before, which is why we were surprised about the issue at first. And why we are grateful that users like yourselves reported it!

2) What did Hanna do to fix the products?
The issue was one reagent expiring early during extended high-temperature exposure in the cargo containers. To fix this, we were able to greatly improve the temperature stability of this reagent by reformulating it from a liquid to a powder. This means that Reagent B is now a powder for this product. Our other Checkers have a timer built in for the dissolution of the powder reagent, so we added that to the new Magnesium Checkers too. That is the only difference in devices, but because of that, we are sending everyone who purchased the initial version a new Checker with the timer built in!

3) Why has it taken so long?
Resolving this issue took several steps. First we had to reformulate Reagent B into a powder. Then we had to add the timer into the production process for the Checkers. Once those updates were made, we had to repackage all the previously produced items with the updated ones. And of course, we had to figure out the logistics of replacing these items both for customers such as yourselves, and bulk purchasers like LFSs and major websites. We also found new transport options to avoid extended international shipping delays in the future.

4) How is Hanna going to make this right for the people who already purchased?
We will send everyone who fills out this form: HI783 Marine Checker Reagent Issue Form free replacements for whatever Magnesium items (Checker and/or Extra Reagent Packages) were purchased. Please fill out all fields!

5) How do I know if I am in queue for the replacements after submitting the above form?
I receive all the form submissions. My apologies that there is not a confirmation, but once you hit submit I do receive it. We are on track to have all current form submissions fulfilled by the end of October, and new submissions as soon as possible thereafter.

Please see our official customer letter below for more details:

These Magnesium items will be available again from your LFS and online sources soon.
Thank you for your patience as we have resolved this issue!


All the Best,
Hanna Instruments