I hate test kits. High low or False results RTN/STN Maybe Aquamedic or Triton online?

[daves-reef]

Having lost some SPS again . Some day I hope I get this SPS stuff right. Blaming it on ALK or some other issue. Maybe because I was manually dosing and let it get to low. Especially since I was also adding a calcium reactor at same time. My first time for that. And that's when the RTN STN started.

So I have been using the Red Sea Reef Foundation test. ALK, Ca and MG. I kind of liked it and was getting use to it. Mostly testing ALK. I only tested MG a few times over the last 6 months always good. So I think my water changes (RSP) has me covered for MG.

Then when when I had issue with SPS starting to RTN. I tested with same Red Sea Mg Kit. It's reading way high like 1800 plus. Like how is that possible. I am not dosing MG. Just water changes. For the last three weeks with a Calcium reactor, my ALK and Ca have been solid 8.4 and 410/420 . But Mg too high 1800+. I just figured false high. I added a few more frags and the new ones and the original SPS mostly montipora are looking OK. All the Acros that showed any signs of STN have slowly died over the last three weeks.

Then I finally took a sample to an LFS and guess what. That shows too low Mg 1150. WHAT, ::
That was with an ELOS Mg Kit. I bought one. So now I have one kit that says too high Mg one that says too low. How reliable is that. The first kit Red Sea use to read 1300/1400.

I started dosing MG but of course I only had small amount ran out. Order some online be here tomorrow. Trying to raise Mg slow as to not kill what still alive.

Do you think low Mg been my issue all along with Acros STN and and Pocilipora/birdsnest RTN?
i was really hoping a calcium reactor was going to help me keep SPS healthy this time.

I also ordered a Triton water test. Seems like a good one time check for bad stuff.
But I was looking at Aquamedic online water testing also. Thinking this might be the way to go.
But so expensive. But if these test kits are all junk.

Anyone use Aquamedic or regular online water testing? do they just use same test or something better?

 

[frank180reef]

I think your Alk was low.......always alk

 

[reefstarter]

The red sea kits are very hard to get accurate , heres why ( I noticed tonight using one for calcium ) on the tip of the syringe is a colored "spout" for lack of batter word . they leak the titrant on to that fancy titrator they give you with the kits and it never makes it in to the test vial . The elos kit was probably spot on and don't feel bad the mag will not cause RTN or STN that I know of since mine got as low as 950 . the sudden alk swings could def do it though . try dosing less and spread it out more . and if you are adding a reactor STOP dosing set that thing super super low even if the tank uses more than it puts out you can dose it up a little at a time I am having same issues with mine , even at its lowest setting and drip rate I was over dosing the system . guess I need more corals lol. but seriously if you don't have a lot of coral in the tank it won't use it up .

 

[nemodan]

I think your Alk was low.......always alk

Most of the successful SPS tanks run at NSW levels of Ca, Alk, Mag,.....etc, for what I have been reading.

Of course there are always exceptions......

 

[frank180reef]

Well has to be something........still imo 95 percent of the time it is low ask

 

[reefstarter]

Well has to be something........still imo 95 percent of the time it is low ask

agreed

 

[nemodan]

Well has to be something........still imo 95 percent of the time it is low ask

Yes.....agree too.

But in the posting he said his Alk was 8.4 . So that can be high or not depending the relation to the other components. But that is not Low Alk as suggested.

 

[frank180reef]

Thanks missed that, still could be measurement error and could have been tested after dosing

Believe me, for my system I have given this a lot of thought

 

[nemodan]

Dave-reef ..... we live in touching towns. One day we could meet for a coffee and a reef chat !!!

Daniel
Ps: Frank ....you are not invited or you will try to convince me that all issues are due to low alk...LOL LOL. ...you have more experience than me and that is out of discussion

 

[reefstarter]

I'd be down for that too lol

 

[dcforester1]

I always use Elos. I have tried Red Sea and wished they were accurate, but I always had issues. You pay more for Elos, but I feel worth itIm with Frank, Low Alk

 

[nemodan]

Due to many issues I had with my SPS tank this year I finish buying Red Sea, Hanna and Salifert and using all at the same time. Crazy, I know, but wanted to be sure of the numbers. I have to say they measured almost the same value for Alk and Ca (only those I measured with the 3 brands). So, from my own experience and craziness I will say they are of the same quality.

 

[Bobbofin]

I use Elos also. I find them fairly accurate. If I repeat a test a couple of times I get pretty much the same results. I used Red Sea a few years back. Sucking the liquid out of the bottle with the syringe, screwing the glass vial onto the fancy titrator is too much of a rigmarole. Plus they are not accurate if you run the test several times. Elos is simple, 5ml in the vial.....drip drop, drip drop.

rig·ma·role
ˈriɡ(ə)məˌrōl/
noun
a lengthy and complicated procedure.

 

[daves-reef]

I have used both ELOS and Salifert in the past. Red Sea a long time ago I think too. Not sure why Red Sea this time except maybe that's what was in stock at LFS or it was a three in one kit.
I think if you read a 100 test kits threads you get 100 opinions on the three brands. But seems like all three have there fans and detractors.
I have seen Salifert get flamed in the past along with other brands. Not sure about ELOS but I am a betting man, and would bet someone hates Elos too.

When it comes to ALK I think all the tests are about the same for accuracy. Maybe I should be look into the BRS way of testing with acid. The bigger issues seem to be with Ca and Mg kits. I think there are all inherently inaccurate. Lets not even go near Phosphate. I have never been able to read one of those things. I am not denying that an ALK drop may have started the issue. Its possible. But not confirmed as the only issue since I am still loosing SPS. I had been manually dosing. That's why this time around I am adding a Ca Reactor to try and get stability for Alk and Ca. But both Ca / Mg have been spot on (With unreliable test kits) for three weeks since I got the Ca reactor going.

I just wonder if all the SPS that was in the tank at the time of the what ever problem occurred are just going to all slowly die off. Seems that way or do i still have an underlying problem? This my biggest concern. I see another birds nest frag that RTN last night. It was showing bad signs "STN" last few days and today gone. This frag was added after the first round of RTN but not sure when. Maybe about three weeks ago right after I got Ca reactor what I think is going good. But I have some Montipora frags that look fine all the way through problem. Specifically the encrusting purple haze and sunset monti. I swear there is daily growth if not there is weekly. A couple of other frags added last two weeks look good too.

heres why ( I noticed tonight using one for calcium ) on the tip of the syringe is a colored "spout" for lack of better word . they leak the titrant on to that fancy titrator they give you with the kits and it never makes it in to the test vial .

I think you may be right here about my RS Mg kit. But its such a big difference 1800/1900 vs 1150. I might be able to try something to confirm that.

Then there are other possible causes for my issues. Not even related to Alk, Ca, and Mg. Good to hear that 1150 Mg not so low that anyone thinks that's an issue. I am still going to start dosing it up tonight.

Could be I have light problems too. I always (Well this time) thought that maybe I have too much light. Maybe part of problem is bleaching?
For Light, I have 2 250W Pheonix with 4 T5. The fixture sits on tank so a lot of light mid way up where most of SPS is. (I know raise the light higher. But that's not WAF compatible)
The SPS colors are all bad. Light or the same common problem? All my bulbs are around 9-10 months old now. I ordered some new T5 and which arrived last night.
Of course all 6 bulbs are broken Not sure amazon prime going to work for everything. This is the second broken shipment from amazon. The other was non reef related but still something I timely needed. I have also decided to try the XM 20K double ended bulbs. Thinking that because of placement the lower par and color might be better for SPS. Waiting for MH bulbs to arrive along with replacement T5.

Its also possible I may have too much flow. But you always hear that its to hard to have too much flow. Might be another partial issue.

I decided to move my 2 RW-15 Powerheads again. Back into the center and top half of display. I also have them running a different pattern now W1 but turned down low so as not to splash. I had moved them back to the corners and had them turned up a lot so that there was a huge undertow. I did that because a couple of months ago I had a cyano out break. Which i partially blamed flow for but maybe it was all just excess nutrients. According to LFS my PO4 is undetectable. Still not sure of best flow pattern for my tank. Else mode seems like too much flow. I like the alternating pattern best but the RW wireless controller is unreal-able with that mode. Goes out of sync all the time. I still not sure which pattern i like. Maybe I should just go down to one pump on Else mode. The LPS on the bottom and my BTA seem way happy with the new lower flow. But is it good enough for SPS , Who knows have to wait and see.

 

[daves-reef]

Dave-reef ..... we live in touching towns. One day we could meet for a coffee and a reef chat !!!

Are you going to the BRS auction? We should introduce our selves.

 

[Docstach]

I use Elos also. I find them fairly accurate. If I repeat a test a couple of times I get pretty much the same results. I used Red Sea a few years back. Sucking the liquid out of the bottle with the syringe, screwing the glass vial onto the fancy titrator is too much of a rigmarole. Plus they are not accurate if you run the test several times.

I am going to be that Dork, what you described is precision not accuracy. Without a comparison to a gold standard you do not know if your value is correct, just that it is repeatable.

 

[STiTCH87]

I've recently switched all my test kits from Salifert over to NYOS. Exact same quality, just more readily available for me and slightly cheaper on a few.
That being said, RTN/STN is almost always caused by Alk issues. That's not to say levels were consistently too low or two high, you also have to factor in the possibility that you had an Alk swing too quickly from dosing also.
When my Alk is at 8dkh or less, LPS and SPS look like garbage. 9dkh they look much better. I'm actually in the process of acclimating that tank slowly up to withstanding a higher dkh as I am aiming for 11-12dkh as my base point to maintain along with 450 on calcium. Mg I don't worry about. I do have a test kit for it but never use it. generally it's around 1300 for me though.

 

[nemodan]

Are you going to the BRS auction? We should introduce our selves.

I will try to do my best to be there.

 

[daves-reef]

Just finished testing with Red Sea Alk 8.4 Ca 420/430. Mg with ELOS 1100. So from two days ago when I ran out of Mg. According to ELOS it has dropped slightly. I had only dossed a little for two days and the reading was 1150 both times. So maybe that's an indication of Mg use. But how reliable is that?

Hopefully my seachem Mg arrives today and I will start dosing mg slowly. My XM 20K bulbs arrived so I plan on swapping them tomorrow.
Have to wait on replacement T5.

I also waiting on my Triton test kit from Unique Corals to arrive.
But has anyone tried AquaMedic water testing? Do you think they just do the same test kits as hobbyiest.
If so would they be anymore reliable?

 

[frank180reef]

Did u test alk standard, with the salifert kit