Test Kits

[Otter]

:?: Ok I'm testing my water for Alk and Calcium, Once with a Salifert test which gives me a reading of 9.3 DKH and 260 ppm Calcium. Then I tested again using my LaMotte kits Alk is at 7.2 and my Calcium is at 393 ppm Which one would you trust. My PH is at 8.3 .Nitrite "0" Nitrate <1.0 ppm water temp is at 78 Degrees. I figured it was time maybe to take the trip to my LFS and get the man to give it a check. But what happens when he comes up with something different. By the way both test kits I'm using have new Regents. My tank is 7 weeks young and my coralline has just started to grow.

 

[Len]

It's hard to say which to trust, but my knee-jerk reaction would be LaMotte's as their test kits are usually of a higher caliber. The values you got with the LaMotte kit also are more intune with NSW values, but that doesn't say much It's the far more attractive result of the two though

 

[Otter]

Thanks Len I agree I'm leaning towards the Lamotte But I'll probably take a sample to my LFS He uses Salifert just to see what he comes up with. The part that's getting me is that I have tested my water the last 3 nights and pretty much get the same readings on both. Oh by the way I'm also dosing Kalk about 1 drop every 3 seconds. This kind of stuff is the stuff that's drives me nits till I find the answer :?