Calcium and Alk test kit questions
 

1. How long do these test kits stay good for? I have the Salifert Ca and Alk test kits, they are over a year old, should they be replaced regularly or just use them until they run out?

2. Has anyone tried the Hagen Calcium and Alk test kits yet, just wondering, they are a lot cheaper than the Salifert test kits.

I just pulled out a 2 year old Salifert alk kit and it works fine.

STAY AWAY from Hagen kits. I've used them before and for the most part they just don't work, or if they do, you'll have a heck of a time trying to figure out what colour you're looking at and trying to compare the chart to.

For alk I use hagen because you just add drops until the colour changes. You don't have to squint at a colour chart with that one. For 1/3 to 1/4 the price of a Salifert kit I think the Hagen Alk kit is sufficient, IMO.

Cheers,

I agree with Johnny Reefer, my hagen test kit works fine for alk. For calcium, I've used both the hagen and the salifert. The results were within 10ppm of each other, but the ease of the salifert kit over the hagen kit is worth it in the cost difference. The hagen kit was about 15 bucks, the salifert was about 30. The salifert kit is good for 50 tests.

that's how the salifert one works. you might want to check the accuracy of the hagen kit against a salifert kit, if it's anything like the hagen nitrate kit you probably have no idea what your levels are.

I was using a Hagen test kits for everything. I used a Salifert CA test kit and found out my CA was sitting at 250ppm when the Hagen was saying it was just over 400ppm. So I have switch over to Salifert find they are easyer to use and are more Accurate. I have also run tests with one Salifert test kit to another Salifert test kit and they match up really close. Did the same with Hagen they were quite a bit off.

Just my 2 cents

Cheers
Tyler

test tests
 

One suggestion is that if anyone ever doubts the accuracy or viability of any test (or a new box), use a standard control. I use I.O. @ 1.025 (mixed overnight) for alk, Ca, and Mg..the values are very close from batch to batch. There is also published values.
Ever since the I.O. Alk "incident" I test every new bucket of salt for Ca, alk and Mg to make sure something hasn't gone off and as a side bonus I control my test kits every new salt bucket....for me about every 4 months. Comparing values between test kits and/or any friends parameters should work the same way.
Personally,I like Salifert for their accuracy, even though they are a bit pricey. I have seen the Hagan Calcium test be out 20-40ppm (depending on the color shade you decide on) , maybe fine for spot tests, or in combo, but I'm to uptight for that :smile: .
Just my 2 cents, hope it's helpful
Cheers

I find with hagen test kits they work well when you shake the crap outta the reagents before testing..it's when you don't shake them good, I find is when you get the wonkey results.

Re: test tests
 

Sounds like a good plan. What are the values of Ca, Alk, and Mg for IO salt at 1.025 s.g.?

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to tag along..I've been doing some hard reading on wwm and I'm finding a lot of recurring things.

I've basically figured out that Mg, Ca, and Alk all play roles on eachother, but I'm hung up on which is most important to be at the peak..

I've been seeing a lot of Ca at say 400-450ppm whilst Alk is down around 8dKH..I've been seeing a lot of "aim for Ca to be 350-450ppm and alk to be around 8-12dKH". since these are quite varying am I to simply find my own equilibrium within those ranges? I'm assuming once reached, the equilibrium would be tank specific? I've noticed the trend to be calcium on the high end of the scale(400+ppm) and Alk to be on the low end of the scale(8dKH)..is that what most people here aim for? higher Ca lower Alk? are their different growth patterns if Alk is higher and Ca is lower? -- I would assume more growth happens with higher Ca..but just trying to get a feel for "the trend" of reef keepers!

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Thanks! :D