What to do?

[Funtrader]

So long story short 3 days ago I tested my water and showed alkalinity was high and showed some aminia. So fast forward to today I changed 35% of the water and my alkalinity drop to 8 something I think but my magnesium drop big time and my phosphate went up very high too. Is this common? I also bought a turbo start 900 to replenish the bacteria I had. But should I now use nopox and start magnesium again and some calcium?

 

[CoralB]

Your alk is now 10.3, from 8.82 hmmm! First I would check the date of your discs . Make sure the lenses in the unit are clean , also check for any updates for your unit and if so update also make sure you didn’t either overfill the disc and or had water splashed on the disc before you used it . If everything checks out I would test a sample against another test kit that’s not api . If your still having high readings Address each parameter that's high .

 

[Funtrader]

Your alk is now 10.3, from 8.82 hmmm! First I would check the date of your discs . Make sure the lenses in the unit are clean , also check for any updates for your unit and if so update also make sure you didn’t either overfill the disc and or had water splashed on the disc before you used it . If everything checks out I would test a sample against another test kit that’s not api . If your still having high readings Address each parameter that's high .

I don't own the machine the test was done at a local fish store. I do have the Hanna alkalinity, phosphate,calcium and magnesium test. Tomorrow I will go to another store and test it out. I will also test it tonight and see with the hanna test.

 

[Funtrader]

Your alk is now 10.3, from 8.82 hmmm! First I would check the date of your discs . Make sure the lenses in the unit are clean , also check for any updates for your unit and if so update also make sure you didn’t either overfill the disc and or had water splashed on the disc before you used it . If everything checks out I would test a sample against another test kit that’s not api . If your still having high readings Address each parameter that's high .

Honestly I need to switch my LFS to another. Like you said the disc is either bad or something but this is my hanna results.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I think but my magnesium drop big time

Ignore the magnesium testing. This is a perfect example of the need for RMM.

Just say NO to magnesium testing: RMM is born

OK, this thread has been many years in the making, and I'm posting it here since folks in the chem forum are probably already tired of all the threads relating to problematic magnesium testing. I'm going to propose a method, let's call it the Randy Magnesium Method, or RMM for short. All good...

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