LaMotte Ca Test help...

[meatbar4]

This test kit is driving me KRAZY!
Any that have the instructions follow along
I put 1.0 ml fish water in the tube then add distilled water to the 12.9 line
Add 6 gtts Sodium Hydroxide stuff.
Drop in the little pill, shake, the fish water turns red
Do the Direct Reading Titrator thing
When the fish water turns blue it reads=3 minor divisions below 140, so
this equals 152. I am then instructed to multiply by5.16!!!
=784.32
I've done the test several times. I diluted the fish water by one half and doubled the sodium hydrox to 12 gtts, but I don't get half of the above number. Still something in the 700's!

Something is wrong, is it my head?
Thx,
DW

 

[wade1]

I have the same kit and mine reads over 1000 with my reactor running. But, you'll note its measuring CaCO3, NOT Ca++ (even tho the instructions say times 5.16 for mg/L Ca++). You need to multiply times 0.4 to get actual Ca++ values.

See here:
http://www.reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14958

The above is in reference to a Hach kit, but they read the same.

Wade

 

[meatbar4]

OK, so now I get 60.8?
And the you sent me to a link that stated that I needed to add 40 gtts of EDTA
(Lord help me) What is EDTA
Is 60.8 Good?
It ain't no kind o' number that sounds good.
I thought it was supposed to be in the 400's?
and from what nether hole did you get 0.4?

.....and if I was supposed to multiply by 0.4 then why didn't the instructions say so.....and....

Do you think I could throw out the water and grow lizards in this thing?

Thx,
DW

 

[bpnc]

In your first post you said you get 784.32...multiply by .4 and you get 313.72..this is your calcium level.

Least this is how it works with my Hach test kit..

Bill

 

[golfish]

Man, I don't even know how you guys can read those kits. I've used hundreds of La Motte kits at work (Lab Tech) and those calcium kits are the worst I have ever used. They really dropped the ball on the color change. It goes from drak purple to dark blue? come on.