More accurate way to test for alk, calc

[Nemo555]

Hello all,
I got salifer test kits for calc and alk. when i test water at home, i got a different result than the result when i bring water to my friend's house to test it with his kits. I bring the water to Lfs and i got a completely different result than mine. Is there any way to check for sure, once and for all if my test kits are good or it is completely off?
I am so confuse about this. My friend's tank is growing and his corals look good, so his test kits can't be wrong. I doubt that lfs's kits are wrong either. so confused

Thanks

 

[RichConley]

I am so confuse about this. My friend's tank is growing and his corals look good, so his test kits can't be wrong.

People keep corals at a significant range of Alk/Ca, so his kits could be wrong and have the corals growing great.


How far off are we talking? There have been issues lately with the Salifert Alk kits.

 

[Nemo555]

I got 350 for calcium and 8.0 for alk with my test kit
When i bring water over my friend's house, with his test kits he got 340 for cal and 6.5 -7 for alk. I was curious if my test kits are wrong, i bring water to lfs. with their kits, they got 8.5 for alk and 280 for calc. I and the guy at lfs were surprised that my calc is so low, so he get out another salifer test kit for calc and test my water. that result is off the chart, almost 450 (this can't be right since i dont' dose calcium at all). I change my water with Instant ocean salt and rodi water. My friend's tank is growing good, so i dont' think his kits are wrong and the lfs, they are doing this for a living. That only leave me, the new guy more confused and frustrated.

 

[Behrmon]

For CA, maybe try a higher end kit like the Elos.

 

[Reef55]

or go all out, and get a Hach digital titrator (can be bought off of Hach's website). Once the initial expense is paid for, the refill kits are cheaper than the aquarium tests.