new test kits, high Alk?

[scott11]

I purchased a new saifert Calcium test and Alk test and I am confused by the readings. The calcium is right around 400, but alk is at 14.4. Why would it be so high? How do you lower it? PH is at 8.4, I do monthly wc with IO, and use a kalk reactor. My SPS are growing well, but I have very little coraline. THe tank is about 4 months old, and this is the first time I have tested these levels.

[seapug]

14 is high but not out of sight. Alkalinity will go down naturally with time, but I would suggest doing a re-test and being very careful how you add the drops and mix between each one. Titration tests can be easily thrown off with sloppy technique (speaking from experience).

[scott11]

i tested 2 times, I plan on taking a sample to my LFS to double check. May be a bad kit?

[mark728]

Hi ,please make sure that you are putting a 4ml sample in the test vile my friend had the same problem and he was putting 5ml of water he did not read the instructions fully, i made the same mistake once and watch the color change as soon as a change appears its 1 or 2 drops from there hope this helps and a accurate easy test kit is elos alk kit .

[scott11]

yes, I was using 4ml.

[mark728]

You might have a bad kit it happened to me and i went and tried to lower my alk by turning down my cal/reactor and my tank did not like it at all took 2 months to get my colors back , and come to find out i had a bad salifert alk kit ,try the elos kit good luck and i hope all is well with your reef

[Peter Eichler]

I'd be highly suspect of your Salifert kit. I had one that clearly read high as did many others. I got a replacement kit from Salifert with a reference solution of 6.5 and it tested out to above 8 dKH with the new and "improved" kit.

Also, skip the Elos test kit, it's the same damn thing is many other test kits on the market such as API, Tetra, and Hagen, but it costs a lot more money. Those cheap alkalinity test kits are cheap and accurate, the only thing is you'll struggle to get better resolution than .5, but I don't see a big problem with that.

[MammothReefer]

I had the same problem with a Salifert kit I purchased recently, re-tested with Elos, Sera, and API and my they all agreed my alk was around 9ish-10ish, while Salifert said almost 12-13

[elosusa]

Originally posted by Peter Eichler
I'd be highly suspect of your Salifert kit. I had one that clearly read high as did many others. I got a replacement kit from Salifert with a reference solution of 6.5 and it tested out to above 8 dKH with the new and "improved" kit.

Also, skip the Elos test kit, it's the same damn thing is many other test kits on the market such as API, Tetra, and Hagen, but it costs a lot more money. Those cheap alkalinity test kits are cheap and accurate, the only thing is you'll struggle to get better resolution than .5, but I don't see a big problem with that.

NIST validation (only company in the world to do this)
Re-validated in the US by an independent saltwater lab
glass vials
lab syringes
metered lab droppers
non-toxic reagents
strict control of supply chain
written and illustrated instructions
guaranteed results

All of the above cost money and this is why people pay for these kits, so they do not have to question the results from batch to batch, not simply one test kit compared to another.

[spleify]

Salifert ALK test kits stink. I have two and neither work worth a crap. I had my LFS and a good buddy test my ALK for me and both read 7. Salifert was all over the board, 2 kits, 4 tests, my results were from 12-19. They are now in the garbage and a new API is on the way. I may also try the Elos kits as well.
JMO

HTH

Spleify