Test Kit Advice

ken55 · 02/26/2012, 10:12 AM

The background light changes the results of my test kit readings. For example, the living room has regular incandesant lighting and the kitchen has overhead flouresent lights. Depending on where I'm standing the colors look different (to me anyway). If I take it to the deck, natural sunlight, it looks different yet again. It's the Red Sea Marine Lab Master kit.

Any advice on the best way to read the results? Is there a reasonably priced kit that does not use color charts?

Thanks, Ken

Sun357 · 02/26/2012, 10:24 AM

Some charts have white on them so you hold it against the chart next to the colors and that should help some. That will keep the background colors from influencing it some. Hopefully that or a sheet of paper behind it will help some.

~Fred

Palting · 02/26/2012, 10:39 AM

Color charts suck, to be blunt. They have wide ranges, and the color charts and the test water never seem to have the same hue regardless of lighting. The good news is, for the basic stuff like ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, you want it to be undetectable or zero, so any color at all to the test water is not good. For the calcium, alk, mag, you want and need more precision than what the color charts give you. Salifert and the Red Sea (Pro version) do it by titration. Although more expensive, they are worth it specifically for these tests.

Another piece of good news is that once you have your tank mature and stable, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate stay at zero, and you never really need to test them ever again. I test for those maybe once every 3 months just to be sure, but they always come back undetectable.

greengeco82 · 02/26/2012, 11:44 PM

test it in the bathroom facing away from the light. dont look too hard. if you cant choose between 2 then its somewhere in the middle and too close to really matter. its usually at the low end that its hard to differentiate. The low end is a good place to be. DOnt stress.

02/26/2012, 10:12 AM	#1
ken55 A wing and a prayer Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: SoChes Posts: 635	Test Kit Advice The background light changes the results of my test kit readings. For example, the living room has regular incandesant lighting and the kitchen has overhead flouresent lights. Depending on where I'm standing the colors look different (to me anyway). If I take it to the deck, natural sunlight, it looks different yet again. It's the Red Sea Marine Lab Master kit. Any advice on the best way to read the results? Is there a reasonably priced kit that does not use color charts? Thanks, Ken

02/26/2012, 10:39 AM	#3
Palting Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ohio Posts: 6,912	Color charts suck, to be blunt. They have wide ranges, and the color charts and the test water never seem to have the same hue regardless of lighting. The good news is, for the basic stuff like ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, you want it to be undetectable or zero, so any color at all to the test water is not good. For the calcium, alk, mag, you want and need more precision than what the color charts give you. Salifert and the Red Sea (Pro version) do it by titration. Although more expensive, they are worth it specifically for these tests. Another piece of good news is that once you have your tank mature and stable, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate stay at zero, and you never really need to test them ever again. I test for those maybe once every 3 months just to be sure, but they always come back undetectable. __________________ Anything I post is just an opinion. One of many in this hobby. Believe and follow at your own risk of rapid and complete annihilation of all life in your tank :) Current Tank Info: Incept 3/2010, 150 RR, 50g sump, 20g fuge, 150w 15K MH x3, T5 actinics x8, moonlight LED x6, 1400gph return, Koralia 1400 x4, 300 g skimmer, 4 tangs, 2 mandarins, 2 perc, 6 line, 3 cardinals, 2 firefish, SPS, LPS, zoas, palys, shrooms, clam

02/26/2012, 10:24 AM	#2
Sun357 Geek Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Rantoul, IL Posts: 137	Some charts have white on them so you hold it against the chart next to the colors and that should help some. That will keep the background colors from influencing it some. Hopefully that or a sheet of paper behind it will help some. ~Fred

02/26/2012, 11:44 PM	#4
greengeco82 Reefer Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Pittsburg, CA Posts: 584	test it in the bathroom facing away from the light. dont look too hard. if you cant choose between 2 then its somewhere in the middle and too close to really matter. its usually at the low end that its hard to differentiate. The low end is a good place to be. DOnt stress.