Anyone having problems with the new Red Sea Mg Pro kits?

fishieness · 03/01/2011, 10:42 AM

Hey everyone,
I'd been having trouble with my Ca and ALK for a while and couldn't seem to raise ALK. MG was testing fine with a salifert test kit, between 1280-1350 usually. The salifert kit was a month expired so I checked it and got the new Mg kit that the store I work at started selling when they came out.
Anyways, the new kit said my MG was 1680! I stopped dosing and it wouldn't come down. I attributed the difference to my previous test kit being old. So in an effort to lower it, I mixed up some normal IO salt for a water change (I was using Red Sea Coral Pro salt, which the salifert kit said was somewhere around the 1300 range) and measured that before the change and also got 1680! I tried using a different cuvette in case there was any residue. And after using the different, clean, washed cuvette, I still got 1600. Anyone who has ever tested Mg on IO salt knows that it is NOT 1600.
I tested yet again with the last, freshly washed, cuvette. This time, I used 1 mL tank water and 1 mL RO water and I still got 980 for a result, which is obviously not what it should be...
I don't currently have another test kit to compare it to, but wanted to see if anyone has had similar experiences.

Anyone else getting crazy high results?

fishieness · 03/01/2011, 10:45 AM

Lot numbers:
A: 070
B: 490
C: 220

Khazmodain · 03/01/2011, 08:19 PM

I absolutely hate the red sea mg kits. It seems like if you actually keep titrating until it turns the color on the card that you are getting an insanely high reading. The color hits the violet color pretty quick and it takes forever for it to get just a bit darker and turn blue. I still have plenty left but after my 1800 reading I decided to switch to salifert, I've heard their kit is a bit better.

fcmatt · 03/02/2011, 12:17 AM

be careful with this test. as soon as it turns the key color stop. if you let it sit or continue
to swirl it.. it will turn back to the original color and i imagine some folks keep adding more
reagent to it via the syringe.

red sea has a video on their website showing how to use this test. how to use it exactly
according to directions. i recommend watching it.

03/01/2011, 10:42 AM	#1
fishieness Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: ct Posts: 3,606	Anyone having problems with the new Red Sea Mg Pro kits? Hey everyone, I'd been having trouble with my Ca and ALK for a while and couldn't seem to raise ALK. MG was testing fine with a salifert test kit, between 1280-1350 usually. The salifert kit was a month expired so I checked it and got the new Mg kit that the store I work at started selling when they came out. Anyways, the new kit said my MG was 1680! I stopped dosing and it wouldn't come down. I attributed the difference to my previous test kit being old. So in an effort to lower it, I mixed up some normal IO salt for a water change (I was using Red Sea Coral Pro salt, which the salifert kit said was somewhere around the 1300 range) and measured that before the change and also got 1680! I tried using a different cuvette in case there was any residue. And after using the different, clean, washed cuvette, I still got 1600. Anyone who has ever tested Mg on IO salt knows that it is NOT 1600. I tested yet again with the last, freshly washed, cuvette. This time, I used 1 mL tank water and 1 mL RO water and I still got 980 for a result, which is obviously not what it should be... I don't currently have another test kit to compare it to, but wanted to see if anyone has had similar experiences. Anyone else getting crazy high results? __________________ That is not orange, or purple, or green, or gold..... It's brown... Current Tank Info: 8 gallon rimless cube, 33 watt diy crees, deltec MC500, RKL, ato, 5.5g sump, 4g fuge.

03/01/2011, 10:45 AM	#2
fishieness Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: ct Posts: 3,606	Lot numbers: A: 070 B: 490 C: 220 __________________ That is not orange, or purple, or green, or gold..... It's brown... Current Tank Info: 8 gallon rimless cube, 33 watt diy crees, deltec MC500, RKL, ato, 5.5g sump, 4g fuge.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Lost Red sea Mg test kit instructions	x2uranium	Reef Discussion	1	11/01/2008 05:32 PM
Red Sea Mg test kit - lost directions	IPT	The Reef Chemistry Forum	5	08/21/2007 01:11 AM
Red Sea MG Test Kit	Pufferpunk	The Reef Chemistry Forum	4	01/25/2007 11:47 AM
Red Sea Mg Test Kit	Pufferpunk	Chicagoland Marine Aquarium Society (CMAS)	2	01/24/2007 09:44 PM

03/01/2011, 08:19 PM	#3
Khazmodain Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Des Moines, IA Posts: 231	I absolutely hate the red sea mg kits. It seems like if you actually keep titrating until it turns the color on the card that you are getting an insanely high reading. The color hits the violet color pretty quick and it takes forever for it to get just a bit darker and turn blue. I still have plenty left but after my 1800 reading I decided to switch to salifert, I've heard their kit is a bit better.

03/02/2011, 12:17 AM	#4
fcmatt Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: NH Posts: 850	be careful with this test. as soon as it turns the key color stop. if you let it sit or continue to swirl it.. it will turn back to the original color and i imagine some folks keep adding more reagent to it via the syringe. red sea has a video on their website showing how to use this test. how to use it exactly according to directions. i recommend watching it.