Test kits for the color blind?

hig789 · Jul 4, 2015

I have always had the wife stand there when I am doing my tests with Red Sea Pro kit and I was wondering if there are any recommended options available out there for a calcium test besides the Hanna Meter? I am red and green and blue and purple color blind, not totally just can't tell the lighter and darker shades of them apart. So it make testing a pain in the butt when you have to look for the spot where it just changes to another shade of color.

I'm normally fine with my Salifert nitrate test but going digital on everything I can would be great. I picked up a API dkh kit the other day I see how easy it was to use but I haven't had a chance to use it yet. My Red Sea Alk test has never worked right anyways.

redfishbluefish · Jul 4, 2015

I too am red/green color blind, and I'm able to read Red Sea's kits. I have problems with the "match the color strip" commonly found on API kits. I also think you have a great solution in having the wife read the color change. My suggestion is to have the wife do the entire test, not just watching the color change.

hig789 · Jul 4, 2015

I can normally get the Ca kit but I have her stand there as a back up to make sure. The Alk kit is either old or has been contaminated or something. I found a few videos on YouTube of people running the tests with the same results as me. Goes to a beer color and no matter how much solution you put in there it will never match the color on the card.

reefwiser · Jul 4, 2015

Hanna test kits are great kits for the color blind.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/aquarium-monitors-controllers/hanna-checker.html

Diesel · Jul 4, 2015

A good option will be the Triton test, you send two samples of your tank in and get in a week all the results (except ALK) back in a email.
An other option will be http://www.mindstreamh2o.com/ it's not released on the market yet but hopefully it will this year.

redfishbluefish · Jul 4, 2015

hig789 said:
I can normally get the Ca kit but I have her stand there as a back up to make sure. The Alk kit is either old or has been contaminated or something. I found a few videos on YouTube of people running the tests with the same results as me. Goes to a beer color and no matter how much solution you put in there it will never match the color on the card.

Note, the Red Sea kits are colorimetric titrations.....you don't want to try and match the color on the card....you simply want a color change. Once the color change occurs, where one more drop doesn't change the color, you're done. Again, please don't try to match the card....that's not how this kit works.

Now convince the wife you are not only colorblind but are developing arthritis in your fingers and can't use those small syringes. Get her to do the entire test.....she probably did better in high school Chemistry than you anyway.

hig789 · Jul 5, 2015

reefwiser said:
Hanna test kits are great kits for the color blind.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/aquarium-monitors-controllers/hanna-checker.html

I like the idea of the Hanna meters. I have just read really mixed reviews on the Ca meter.

Diesel said:
A good option will be the Triton test, you send two samples of your tank in and get in a week all the results (except ALK) back in a email.
An other option will be http://www.mindstreamh2o.com/ it's not released on the market yet but hopefully it will this year.

Don't particularly want to pay $50 every time I test my water. And I'd still have to run a Alk test. That mind stream looks very cool other than the fact that that big thing has to always be in the aquarium.

redfishbluefish said:
Note, the Red Sea kits are colorimetric titrations.....you don't want to try and match the color on the card....you simply want a color change. Once the color change occurs, where one more drop doesn't change the color, you're done. Again, please don't try to match the card....that's not how this kit works.

Now convince the wife you are not only colorblind but are developing arthritis in your fingers and can't use those small syringes. Get her to do the entire test.....she probably did better in high school Chemistry than you anyway.

I've seen some where the color matches the card perfectly and others aren't even close. I'll give it another shot and just watch for the color change in general then.

I don't think she would buy that. Haha. If it came to that she'd probably tell me to buy the Hanna meters so I can do it myself.

reefwiser · Jul 5, 2015

As with any test kit you must perform the step exactly the same for every test. Which can be challenging for some people. Here is another item take makes doing test's a snap. A Taylor magic stirrer.
http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-9265-Magneticstirrer-Speedstir-Start-Uppack/dp/B004BGPC5W

AquamanE · Jul 5, 2015

reefwiser said:
As with any test kit you must perform the step exactly the same for every test. Which can be challenging for some people. Here is another item take makes doing test's a snap. A Taylor magic stirrer.
http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-9265-Magneticstirrer-Speedstir-Start-Uppack/dp/B004BGPC5W

that is one neat gadget for sure!!!!

drernesto · Jul 5, 2015

Hi... Try to read about the Laquatwin
http://reefbuilders.com/2013/04/15/laquatwin-probes-horiba-scientific-mighty-interesting/
I never tried it but maybe it will help!

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 5, 2015

drernesto said:
Hi... Try to read about the Laquatwin
http://reefbuilders.com/2013/04/15/laquatwin-probes-horiba-scientific-mighty-interesting/
I never tried it but maybe it will help!

Many of those are unsuitable for seawater, only fresh.

hig789 · Jul 5, 2015

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I'll just stick with the way I have been doing it. Just wondered if there where any other options out there.

Chameleon · Jul 5, 2015

I too rely on wifey to tell me when the color change occurs.
I always get the 'look' when she sees me heading to the kitchen with the test kits.
Just something we color blind people have to deal with I guess.
I can kinda of tell the alk test but not really well and the calc test is impossible for me.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 5, 2015

FWIW, for any alk test (except the Hanna meter), you can use a pH probe instead of the color change. Add the titrant (the drops) until the pH hits the low 4's.

hig789 · Jul 5, 2015

When I can get the stuff together I am going to try the DIY Alk test in your article Randy. I have a ph meter now so I'm not relying on the color at all like you said.

hig789 · Jul 5, 2015

Need to get some calibration fluid for the ph meter though. Any way I can DIY that too if I can't talk our lab techs out of some?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 5, 2015

Borax can be used to check the meter, but not to calibrate most meters:

http://web.archive.org/web/20021015005420/www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/aqfm/2000/feb/bio/default.asp

hig789 · Jul 5, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Borax can be used to check the meter, but not to calibrate most meters:

http://web.archive.org/web/20021015005420/www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/aqfm/2000/feb/bio/default.asp

Well I just found out we have 4 and 7 ph calibration fluids here, as well as .1N HCL. So from now on I'll use it as my Alk test.

Chameleon · Jul 5, 2015

Randy,
To use a pH probe you need a lot more than 10mL to analyze

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 6, 2015

Depends on what size probe and container you use, but it could, yes. If you use 20 mL, then halve the alk reading based on drops, etc.

A tube not a lot bigger than the pH probe is fine to minimize volume.