Weird results with Red Sea Pro test kit

[Baseball#27]

Whats up guys,
So I just bought the Red Sea Pro test kit (calcium, alk, and mag) and so far it has read all my parameters to be off the charts. For example, my calcium, I would need to use just a little of a second syringe to get it to change the right color, not sure how high it was because the chart on the back only goes up to 500 using only one syringe. This is also the same with my alkalinity. However, the first few tests it said that my magnesium was on par at 1300-1400 (about 1350) but in the recent tests it was reading higher like around 1500 to 1600. In the past I have dosed with ph up which after reading was a bad idea but I stopped all dosing (part 1 & part 2 & ph enhancer) since the first test which was about a week and a half ago and nothing has changed except my magnesium has rose a little which seems strange. Also, Since the first test I have done about 3, 20-25% water changes with regular instant ocean salt because it has lower parameters than other salts, however, even with that it's still reading off the charts. Thus, I am very confused. I've heard that having these high parameters isn't that bad compared to having lower parameters but I would like them in the ideal ranges. I have a 10 Gallon tank so I feel like waiting a week and a half without any dosing would be enough time to see some difference in decreasing levels of those 3 parameters, but I have not. So then I tested my reg. IO salt and it said the same thing (all parameters were off the charts) so then I thought well maybe its either the salt or it might be the test kit so I might try to buy a different salt and see if it gives me accurate results or not. Furthermore, if anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear them because i'm not sure what the next step should be.

 

[miPapareef]

If everything is elevated it’s probably the salinity is high. How do you test salinity and how do you top off the evaporation?

Also unless you have something (hard corals, clams, ...) you should not be dosing. Only dose what you test for and only dose if the test says you need to raise.

 

[Baseball#27]

I keep my salinity at 1.025 and I since its such a small tank I just top it off by hand each day. It has worked well for me the salinity is always consistent at 1.025

 

[Baseball#27]

Oh ad I have LPS corals. Right now a Hammer and a Torch. And I probably won't be dosing anything in the future, Ill just rely off my salt.

 

[JoshH]

With only a couple corals there's really no need to dose atall and your corals won't consume anything on top of what you're replacing with WC's. When doing Red Sea tests you really need to focus on the first large change in color and not try and get it to the color on the card. If this is what your doing Try another test and get a reading 1-2 drops after the first large change in color.

 

[Baseball#27]

Those first large changes usually happen like 1-2 drops on the second syringe, I already tried it 3 times today with the same weird results but I will try again though and see what it reads on the fresh batch of IO that I just mixed earlier today

 

[Chuk]

The calcium test is 5 ppm per 0.01 ml
alkalinity is .14 dkh per .01 ml
Magnesium is 20 ppm per 0.01 ml

If youre off the charts high just keep track of the volumes and do the math at the end.

 

[redpine42]

With only a couple corals there's really no need to dose atall and your corals won't consume anything on top of what you're replacing with WC's. When doing Red Sea tests you really need to focus on the first large change in color and not try and get it to the color on the card. If this is what your doing Try another test and get a reading 1-2 drops after the first large change in color.

Good to know. I test only Magnesum with Red Sea and today it was high. If I went off the first color change it would of been in the normal range. I use Hanna for Ca and Alk, was looking for a different test for Mg, since I don't trust the Red Sea version. Any suggestions?

 

[Baseball#27]

I just tested the fresh bath of regular instant ocean salt and it barely changed to a darker shade of purple with the calcium test, using the whole ML and it never changed from a blue using the whole ML with the alk test so I'm not sure if this is a problem with the salt, like if it could just be a bad box or if it's a problem with the test kit it's self

 

[Baseball#27]

Maybe it could be the left over residue that's in the vile? I'll try cleaning them with soap and then see what readings I get

 

[SPR1968]

I wouldn’t clean them with ‘soap’ I would soak them in some form of vinager or citric acid to clean them. Then just rinse them with RODI water and after each use.

I’m not sure the chemistry of how soap might affect test results, but it may do!

If your getting odd results with the Red Sea, just take your time and re do them and be especially careful with the Mg as it’s very sensitive

And welcome to R2R as well!

 

[Baseball#27]

I wouldn’t clean them with ‘soap’ I would soak them in some form of vinager or citric acid to clean them. Then just rinse them with RODI water and after each use.

I’m not sure the chemistry of how soap might affect test results, but it may do!

If your getting odd results with the Red Sea, just take your time and re do them and be especially careful with the Mg as it’s very sensitive

And welcome to R2R as well!

Thanks! I also was curious if soaking them in soap would alter the results. I usually just rinse them with RODI water but whenever I do that there always seems to be left over residue in the vile. My theory is that if my parameters were high in my first couple of tests and left any "high residue" in the vile that may be altering the results im getting now that don't really make sense even taking all the advice I received so far. So I'm going to try again but this time with a perfectly clean vile and hopefully i'll get some different positive results.

 

[Bayareareefer18]

What do you use to test salinity and has it been calibrated ?

 

[BedrockIOMC]

you should never have to go to a 2nd syringe full of the test fluid. I use red sea with my tank and never had this issue. what do you use to test your salinity? Do you calibrate it before you test your salinity? What kind of water do you use to top off your tank everyday? Do you use red sea salt? Red Sea salt will make everything a little higher but not that much. I use their salt also. Maybe you should look up videos on the Red Sea test kits and make sure your using them right. Or your salinity tester is out of calibration and your salinity is to high.

 

[Baseball#27]

Yes I make sure my refractometer is calibrated each time I use it so I know that it will give me an accurate result. I top off my water daily with RODI water and each day I make sure my salinity is stable at 1.025. I was thinking about switching to the red sea salt because I heard great things about it but since all my parameters are high according to the red sea test kit I am sticking with my regular instant ocean sea salt which I heard did not have very high values, more on the lower end. Also, I have looked up a couple different videos on how to use the red sea test kit and I still get the same results i've been getting when I do what they do.

 

[Bayareareefer18]

Yes I make sure my refractometer is calibrated each time I use it so I know that it will give me an accurate result. I top off my water daily with RODI water and each day I make sure my salinity is stable at 1.025. I was thinking about switching to the red sea salt because I heard great things about it but since all my parameters are high according to the red sea test kit I am sticking with my regular instant ocean sea salt which I heard did not have very high values, more on the lower end. Also, I have looked up a couple different videos on how to use the red sea test kit and I still get the same results i've been getting when I do what they do.

Are you calibrating with 35 ppt solution or 0?

 

[mta_morrow]

What do you use to test salinity and has it been calibrated ?

^^^^^^^this one is more important than you may think! It has caught many of us off guard!

 

[Bayareareefer18]

^^^^^^^this one is more important than you may think! It has caught many of us off guard!

Did for me for sure. When I got my solution I found I was wayyyy off calibrating to 0

 

[Baseball#27]

I'm Using RODI water to calibrate my refractometer to 0 every time before I use it to test my salinity.

 

[Bayareareefer18]

I'm Using RODI water to calibrate my refractometer to 0 every time before I use it to test my salinity.

That may very well be your problem. I found there was a large difference when calibrating to 0 compared to 35ppt. I realise the manufacturer recommends calibrating to 0. With instruments they are usually calibrated in the range you are testing in. A small difference at 0 would be multiplied greatly further up the scale.

I got some accurasea on Amazon. Relatively cheap and should last you pretty much forever