Red Sea pH kit seems weird

[WhiskeyCoffee]

So I tested my water with a Red Sea pH kit, and when I look at it from above it looks like a watered down purple but when I look at it from the side it looks blueish/grey. What does that mean? lol... I can't take a pic because with the camera it looks purple no matter what.

 

[KenO]

I've been having strange results with my recent reagent replacement also. Just before my reagents ran out my Mg levels were 1420. I have a doser and dose small amounts each day. The new reagents (lot # 607) indicated my levels at over 1800. When I added the B bottle to the solution the color just didn't look right it was too reddish/pink. So I tested again, same results. So I contacted the online store I purchased them from and they sent me a new reagent set (#597). I tested using that one, the color again still didn't look correct when I added the B bottle. This time it indicated 1640. So I tested again it indicated 1680. I then tried the lot # 607 again. Levels were indicated at over 1800. I'm not sure what to do now.

 

[randy4083]

Go buy a salifert test kit and see what that test kit gives you

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I wouldn't recommend any pH kit.

If you want to measure pH, I'd use a meter.

 

[Angrywalnut]

My Red Sea standard PH kit is useless. Its 2 full points off from my Red Sea pro kit which is off compared to a Salifert kit. Electronic measurement it is.

 

[randy4083]

What kind of meter measures ph

 

[WhiskeyCoffee]

What kind of meter measures ph

A pH meter.

 

[randy4083]

A pH meter.

What brand is a good one other then like the apex and stuff like that in the way of ph meter??

 

[randy4083]

What brand is a good one other then like the apex and stuff like that in the way of ph meter??

I didn't know that there was a good meter other then a apex or something like that because a Hannah checker isn't good for ph testing is it

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

A pH meter.

lol

That was going to be my answer.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I didn't know that there was a good meter other then a apex or something like that because a Hannah checker isn't good for ph testing is it

Any pH meter is better than a kit in the sense that it can be checked and a kit cannot (unless you somehow get a pH standard with a value in the range of the kit).

I'd suggest it is not a priority to measure pH at all, but if you do, I describe what to look for in a good meter here:


Aquarium Chemistry: Measuring pH with a Meter ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2004/chem.htm

and

A Comparison of pH Calibration Buffers by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-02/rhf/index.htm

from the first one:

Selection of Combination pH Electrodes
There are hundreds of different types and styles of pH electrodes. These vary in size, composition (glass or plastic sides, typically), shape, the nature of the glass membrane (even non-glass materials can be used), how that membrane is separated from the internal filling solution, (that is, single vs. double junction), whether the internal fluids are sealed or refillable, and a variety of other issues.

For most reef aquarists, the exact nature of the pH electrode doesn't much matter. Nearly all can give suitable pH readings. Here is my opinion about what is most important to look for:

1. Selecting an epoxy body electrode instead of a glass body electrode will make it less likely that you will break it by accident. The glass bulb on the tip is still very fragile (I've broken many), but the bulb can be protected by a plastic shield to reduce the chance of breakage.
   
   
2. If you intend on measuring pH directly in the aquarium or sump (rather than in a cup of water removed from the aquarium), then expect to occasionally get the whole electrode wet (by accident). If it is a refillable type which has a hole for adding more filling solution (usually KCl), then you might get aquarium water into the electrode. That can severely degrade performance by messing up the reference electrode. So selecting a sealed electrode may be a better choice.
   
   
3. Some folks argue that a double junction electrode is preferable, and that is likely true. Without going into the design details, a double junction electrode makes it much less likely that there will be any exchange of ions between the aquarium and the filling solution through the glass bulb. This option may be especially important if you are using an internal reference electrode other than Ag/AgCl. For example, if it is a calomel reference electrode, it contains mercury. It is desirable to keep mercury salts out of the aquarium due to its toxicity, so a double junction is likely preferable in that case. Likewise, it is desirable to keep sodium and other seawater ions from entering the reference electrode, and a double junction prevents that to a much greater extent than a single junction. That aspect is more important if you leave the electrode in the aquarium water than if you put in into a storage solution after every use. In general, it is likely better to have a double junction than a single junction, but it may not result in appreciably better measurements.
   
   
4. There are other attributes of certain electrodes that may make them more useful in laboratories, and hence justify prices that easily range to more than $350 for the electrode alone. There is not likely any significant advantage in using such electrodes for reef aquaria, however. Do not be worried about claims that you need a special electrode for high pH or high sodium environments. That is true for the most accurate measurements at high pH and high salinity, but aquarium water will be OK with a standard electrode, and even brief measurements at high pH (like limewater) will be fine.
   

An electrode that I have been using for the past few years is sold by Cole Parmer. It is catalog number U-59001-70. It has an epoxy body, is sealed, and has a double junction. I'm not certain what type of reference electrode it contains, but I believe it to be Ag/AgCl. Its list price is $60.