testing equipment

Alwmh4 · Nov 18, 2014

I need opinions on testing equipment. I took chemistry, organic and inorganic, getting A's in all four courses. However lab was always a struggle. Maybe I don't see colors well....Maybe I can't count drops in a titration...lol I don't know. I want to know if there is a reliable and accurate electronic testing system for all the usual suspects (nitrates, salinity, phosphates, alkalinity, maybe even iodine or other trace elements that are important to reef keeping). I have nano and I'm trying to address some issues I'm having but I can't without being armed with the correct info

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 18, 2014

There are no hobbyist electronic methods for iodine or any trace elements.

Salinity by conductivity is an excellent method. There are many brands, both hobby and lab, for conductivity meters.

Hannah makes electronic checkers for various things on your list, and the phosphorus checker seems a good bet for measuring phosphate.

For alkalinity, I prefer doing my own titration with a pH meter and a standard acid, and I'll publish this DIY method in a few weeks.

Alwmh4 · Nov 18, 2014

So the alkalinity test using the drops isn't accurate huh?

Since starting limewater and discontinuing seachem buffer, it seems I'm fighting dripping alkalinity. Mg seems fine. Ca is on high side. Of course, all test bring done by the test tube and drops (API) method

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 18, 2014

The limewater is probably not keeping up with demand, which is not uncommon.

How are you making the limewater, and how much are you adding each day?

I'm not saying alk tests are inaccurate, but they depend on various factors which you cannot always control, such as drop size, your ability to see color changes, and that the manufacturer made everything correctly.

The main advantages of a DIY alk test, aside from being confident in the accuracy, are that it will be less expensive and won't rely on visualizing color changes, which some people have problems with.

Alwmh4 · Nov 18, 2014

I mix the lime water to a ph of 10 and add approx 120 mL per day. I'm sure this is conservative but limewater is scary to me and I've found no real recipe or formula in my research for how much one should add to a tank of roughly 15 ga.
My tank ph ranges for 7.85 at lowest to 8.22

Some tests I can read fine with the color change. My alkalinity test is clear to me. Nitrate and phosphates are difficult. I can get a rough estimate and can tell they are low or maybe zero. But my iodine test and magnesium titration prove more difficult leaving me saying "well I guess that's the endpoint"

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 18, 2014

Why a pH of 10?

If accurate, that is less than 1% of what the limewater can hold at saturation.

I'd up tat concentration until it meets the demand for alkalinity.

zesty · Nov 18, 2014

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
The main advantages of a DIY alk test, aside from being confident in the accuracy, are that it will be less expensive and won't rely on visualizing color changes, which some people have problems with.

Looking forward to this.

Alwmh4 · Nov 18, 2014

Ok I will do that. I guess I was worried about spiking ph

Thank you!

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 18, 2014

If you dose limewater slowly enough or dose only a small amour, you won't spike pH and can dose a lot more than you are now.

Alwmh4 · Nov 18, 2014

I have a doser that doses 1.1 mil per min that can be run for 4-5 hrs. I think that's pretty slow

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 19, 2014

Yes, that is plenty slow enough. If that is the BRS doser (which I have a couple of), it may be too slow for limewater in that it may need to be on too much of the time for the device to last well. I think it is not intended for close to 24/7 operation. But in a small tank it may be fine.

They say:

"BRS 2 Part Dosers are intermittent duty pumps and not meant for continuous operation. We recommend on/off cycles under a few hours to maximize life span."

Alwmh4 · Nov 19, 2014

Yes it is brs. Max 4-5 hr per day. I run it early in am, before lights kick on. Only been running 2 hrs but I'll be adjusting it now with the change to stronger limewater. I'll Monitor today with normal time and higher ph limewater and then increase time everyday till I reach desired results.