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help! Salifert mag test problems

mountaineer

Non-member
My Elos mag test kit ran out of fluid (you have to use so many drops!), so I replaced it with Salifert, which I`m now regretting. If you are using the Salifert mag test successfully, I could use your advice.

When I begin adding the drops from the 1ml syringe, I can add the entire 1ml syringe of fluid, but the indictator never turns blue or gray. This would mean my magnesium is above 1500 ppm, which is quite unlikely, since I am not dosing for magnesium. I use Red Sea Coral Pro Salt, and my magnesium was typically around 1200 ppm in the past few weeks -- I had always used an Elos test until I replaced it with the Salifert test kit.

I did the test four times, and I got the same result. For the heck of it, I filled the syringe again and finally got it to change to blue with additional drops...at a rate that says my mag is 1590 ppm. This is quite a jump from the Elos test`s 1200 ppm to 1590 ppm. Is there a problem with this test? Am I doing something wrong? The instructions aren`t great, but I think I`m doing the test correctly. I use Salifert`s CA and Alk tests and get what I think are accurate results.

Unfortunately, Salifert has no contact info that I can find, and the online seller I purchased it from has not been helpful. When I suggested this could be a faulty batch, the guy freaked out. Well, okay.

This is a Nano tank, and I`m not dosing anything, besides regular water changes with Red Sea Coral Pro Salt. Any thoughts? I`m all ears.
 
Update: I did a four-gallon water changed and retested my parameters. Here`s where I`m at. Any thoughts?

Ph -- 8.3
salin -- 1.025
temp -- 77
Ca -- 380
dKh -- 8.4
mag -- 1440
Phos -- 0.01
Nitrate -- 0
 
Salifert is a good test just go slower and swirl in between a little more. You probably just had a slow reaction time and added more than it took to make the color change.

I find it useful to have a good strong light overhead and a white piece of paper under the vial to watch for the color change.
 
Agreed, I have found that the human slow reaction time has made me over estimate alk and calc........
Your calc is a bit low imo
 
Thanks for the advice. My Ca and Alk have never been what I want them to be, so I'll probably start dosing two-part in the coming weeks.
 
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