Directions On Salifert Test Kits

[JARRETT SHARK]

Need Help With My Test Kits. I Just Bought Calcuim And Kh-alk From The Swap And Got Home And There Were Both Missing The Tips For The Syringe. I Used The One's From My Old Salifert Test Kit. What I Came Up With Was Levels All Over The Place. I Thought Maybe Or Still Might Be Doing Something Wrong.
On The Derection It Says To Fill To The 1ml Mark And There Will Be Air In The Tube But Not Exact Air ? Well I Did A Test On The Calcuim,kh-alk And Magnesium And Come Up With
1) Calcuim Is 7.8ml
2)kh-alk Is 7.8
3)magnesium Is 8.8 ????????

I Dont Now Were My Mistake Is But As Per These Tips On The Syring And My 2 Part Dosing Got All Messed Up. Don't Ask How But Need Help Asap.........
.
My Levels Are Now
Calcuim = 480
Magnesuim = 1410
Kh-alk = 12.5
Ph = 7.9

 

[Pedro Nuno Ferreira]

Need Help With My Test Kits. I Just Bought Calcium And Kh-alk From The Swap And Got Home And There Were Both Missing The Tips For The Syringe. I Used The One's From My Old Salifert Test Kit. What I Came Up With Was Levels All Over The Place. I Thought Maybe Or Still Might Be Doing Something Wrong.
On The Direction It Says To Fill To The 1ml Mark And There Will Be Air In The Tube But Not Exact Air ? Well I Did A Test On The Calcium,kh-alk And Magnesium And Come Up With
1) Calcium Is 7.8ml
2)kh-alk Is 7.8
3)magnesium Is 8.8 ????????

I Don't Know Were My Mistake Is But As Per These Tips On The Syringe And My 2 Part Dosing Got All Messed Up. Don't Ask How But Need Help Asap.........

Hi JARRETT SHARK

You are truly confused but nothing that can't be fixed Relax ;-)

For directions on how to use Salifert test kits, for CA have a look here and for KH here and for MG here

There will be air present just below the piston. This is the air which was present between the end of the plastic tip and the piston. This will not influence the test result.

My Levels Are Now
Calcium= 480
Magnesium= 1410
Kh-alk = 12.5
pH= 7.9

Calcium is to high as well as KH so you could have a marine snow. Magnesium is OK. So just do not add any more Ca until it lowers to some 420 ppm. KH should go down to 10 or 9 KH and Magnesium is good. pH should be 8.1 up to 8.3, but depending on the hour when you check it, you will have different readings, so pH should be lower by the beginning of the morning as CO2 resulting from respiration builds up during the night, then it changes as CO2 is consumed by the reef organisms as they perform Photosynthesis during the day time period.
Water changes and no addition of both CA and KH for some time should help.

Please read this article to better understand Ca and KH relation Understandng Calcium and Alkalinity

I hope this helped you

Cheers
Pedro Nuno ;-)

 

[KathyC]

Hey Jarrett..yes there will be air in the end of the syringe, that is normal and expected. . You're far from the first person to have trouble figuring out how to use their kits, so not to worry!
If you want to give me a shout.. feel free

 

[Pedro Nuno Ferreira]

Hi Jarret
About your low pH, please read this article [SIZE=+1]Low pH: Causes and Cures[/SIZE]

Also the syringes and plastic tips supplied with Ca, KH and Mg salifert test kits are exactly the same.

Cheers
Pedro Nuno;-)

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

So Why Does Mag Use More ? They Are Diffrent Sizes ?
Good Artical