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I was doing the same but as I've added more SPS corals, the more I've had to keep up with Alk and especially calcium and magnesium. I've been doing regular water changes as the main method of controlling those parameters but it seems that my tank has been steadily lowering in Alk to the point where it was between 7 and 8 dkh the other day when I tested. I like to keep it around 9-10. I've gone back to regular two-part dosing as a result and I need a more accurate way to keep track of specific parameters until I get them stabilized consistently again. I've been worried that pH has been dropping too much at night so I want something quick and easy to check it with in the mornings before I go to work. If I find that it's swinging too much, I'm going to reincorporate some chaeto at night and see if that helps. It's a little tank so everything I can do to help stabilize it helps out a whole lot with the health of the corals.I got tired of chasing numbers to be honest. Some might disagree but i prefer stability more than anything. The corals are growing and colorful. My ph doesn't drop below 7.9 at night. I switched back to aquavitro from ME coral and the ph is higher and more consistent. I used to freak if the ph wasn't 8.2 or higher, I've noticed no change in constantly dosing to chase ph so I stopped. Alk and calcium dosing has been plenty. I'm not telling you not to check ph or that it's irrelevant, just saying what I do.
I've got one Red Sea kit, the Nitrate Pro. I have to say, this test is the least favorite of all my test kits. I have to use the "high" end test method that requires you to dilute 1 ml of tank water with 15 mls of rodi water, and I can never get the two test cuvettes to be exactly the same level when you put them side to side, and it never fails that the final color, after waiting the required 9 minutes, is a different color than anything on the color wheel. I know my nitrates are on the low end of the high scale (hope that makes sense!) but the color I get is more of a light pink and the color wheel really doesn't have that shade, more of a light violet. I find it frustrating, and I end up guessing which color its most like. I'm not a chemist, and I don't know why anybody makes a no3 test like Hanna does for po4 or alk. I wish they did because I feel like my nitrate testing is just a wild a** guess. I get vastly different numbers between the RS and API with nitrate.Went from API to Red Sea Algae Control and Foundation Kits. Very happy and results are easy to read.
I do believe hanna has been developing a NO3 checker for years now but the consistency and reliability of the test isn't there. Something about high chloride throwing off the results with a colorimeter test in a saltwater environment using a cadmium reduction method.I've got one Red Sea kit, the Nitrate Pro. I have to say, this test is the least favorite of all my test kits. I have to use the "high" end test method that requires you to dilute 1 ml of tank water with 15 mls of rodi water, and I can never get the two test cuvettes to be exactly the same level when you put them side to side, and it never fails that the final color, after waiting the required 9 minutes, is a different color than anything on the color wheel. I know my nitrates are on the low end of the high scale (hope that makes sense!) but the color I get is more of a light pink and the color wheel really doesn't have that shade, more of a light violet. I find it frustrating, and I end up guessing which color its most like. I'm not a chemist, and I don't know why anybody makes a no3 test like Hanna does for po4 or alk. I wish they did because I feel like my nitrate testing is just a wild a** guess. I get vastly different numbers between the RS and API with nitrate.
If you go with Salifert, buy from Amazon. That's where we get ours and they are much cheaper then driving to you LFS and having them order them.I think I will get the salifert for now just because I can get everything I need at once. I will look into getting the hanna checkers at some point soon too (maybe a Christmas/Birthday Present since my birthday and Christmas are 5 days apart haha
I had the exact opposite experience here. I had a hard enough time reading the DK pro (titrate) test (the color was WAY off...it went from blue then very slowly changed to green -> yellow -> peach within ~0.1ml and I was just guessing somewhere in a ~1.5dKH range) that I went out and bought a hanna checker just for alk. I actually found myself preferring to use the more basic alk test (which is 1 drop per dKH...so you can only get within 0.5 dKH), but ultimately wanted something more exact.The Marine Care Test Kit includes pH, NH3/4, NO2, NO3 and KH (although I don't like this version of their KH test).
The Reef Foundations Pro Test Kit includes Ca, Mg, KH (prefer this KH test).
I've got one Red Sea kit, the Nitrate Pro. I have to say, this test is the least favorite of all my test kits. I have to use the "high" end test method that requires you to dilute 1 ml of tank water with 15 mls of rodi water, and I can never get the two test cuvettes to be exactly the same level when you put them side to side, and it never fails that the final color, after waiting the required 9 minutes, is a different color than anything on the color wheel. I know my nitrates are on the low end of the high scale (hope that makes sense!) but the color I get is more of a light pink and the color wheel really doesn't have that shade, more of a light violet. I find it frustrating, and I end up guessing which color its most like. I'm not a chemist, and I don't know why anybody makes a no3 test like Hanna does for po4 or alk. I wish they did because I feel like my nitrate testing is just a wild a** guess. I get vastly different numbers between the RS and API with nitrate.
I got the following in my Algae Kit for NO3
https://www.instagram.com/p/BacSluujbAQ/
If was on the low end of the high it would be less than 4. If the color is between, that just means it falls between the two, right? Do you have different measuring tools in your kit?
Well, I defiantly get a discernible color, not the colorless top portion of that card. I fall somewhere between 4 and 12 I think. The problem is that the color I develop in the vile is a bit different than the colors on wheel. The color to my eye on the wheel is shades of pink from lighter to darker. I get a shade of violet in my test vile, and it makes it hard to "match" it on the wheel. I end up moving around the house with the test wheel into different types of lighting, I even have a stand type magnifying glass with a built in light to try and help me discern which color it's closest in matching.I got the following in my Algae Kit for NO3
https://www.instagram.com/p/BacSluujbAQ/
If was on the low end of the high it would be less than 4. If the color is between, that just means it falls between the two, right? Do you have different measuring tools in your kit?
You're correct, I had the colors backwards as I was going from memory from being at work and not a home at the moment to look at the kit. The wheel and chart are shades of lighter to darker pink (at least that's what I would call that color). The color that develops in my titration cuvette for me is more a shade of violet. My bad.I'm curious too, I wouldnt call anything on the color wheel a shade of violet... I am usually doing the diluted sample as well, been hanging around 6 to 8ppm
Phosphate - Hanna Checker, but I am discouraged by the packet of powder. I never feel like I get it all, it is hard to open and pour and you have to cut it open early or you don't make the 3 min timeout window (in my experience). Haven't found another kit I like.
You're right, it's at .5, which equates to 8ppm. I type before I look.What you have it on is .5 right now, if it was .25 that would mean rotating it one color counterclockwise correct? (I’m making sure I’m reading it right also looks like you did not shake the bubbles out, that can distort the color.
I found it easier after buying a second test tube. That way you can use one tube for the blank, while you are shaking the sample tube with the powder.
Thanks for your feedbackHanna for ALK/dKH and PO4/Ultra Low Range
Red Sea Pro for all others
Thank you for your feedbackThe hanna kits are very expensive here in the UK and I like Salifert for all my testing. The only problem is the nitrate tester..very difficult/almost impossible to tell if the nitrate is 0 or 2 or 5 using the colour chart. I keep the nitrate at around 5 so it isn't an issue for me but if you want a real acurate reading then the Salifert nitrate tester isn't it.