Aquaforest probiotic method

[spedly]

Originally Posted by Myka

I don't like the Hanna Calcium checker -it always reads about 50 ppm higher than Salifert and Elos when I used it.

*grumble*

Really? I was using a Red Sea test kit and it was waaaay off. I was measuring ~360 in my display so I started dosing kalk to bring it up. I could never get it higher than 380 - which I thought was weird. I tested the display yesterday and it was around 490 which was when I realized my Red Sea kit was out to lunch. I was expecting the Hanna checker to be a silver bullet.

[spedly]

Doh! I think I've been messing up on my testing procedures. I'll perform another test tomorrow and see what comes out of it.

[spedly]

So I properly tested some salt mix I made yesterday and it tested 353. This is more aligned with the test results I've been getting all along but certainly different than the results others are getting. Might be time to try a different salt mix.

[Myka]

If you're getting 353 ppm calcium in freshly mixed Aquaforest salt then I think you're making errors testing or maybe your refractometer isn't calibrated and the specific gravity is a lot lower than you think it is.

[spedly]

Originally Posted by Myka

If you're getting 353 ppm calcium in freshly mixed Aquaforest salt then I think you're making errors testing or maybe your refractometer isn't calibrated and the specific gravity is a lot lower than you think it is.

So maybe fresh isn't the right word. I got the salt mix going two days ago and performed a water change yesterday. Salinity was measured at around 1.025. After the water change I turned off the mixing pump and heater so what I measured today was what was left at the bottom of the container.

I have a Vertex refractometer and ensure it's calibrated before every measurement. Do they have a limited lifespan? This one is about two years old.

You're right though something is weird. I thought that my old Red Sea test kit was garbage because of the low measurements. I've watched and re-watched YouTube videos on how to use the Hanna checker and I think I'm doing it right now. I'll watch it one more time....

I'm a little more concerned now that the Hanna checker is basically confirming things.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by spedly

I have a Vertex refractometer and ensure it's calibrated before every measurement. Do they have a limited lifespan? This one is about two years old.

You calibrate it every time before you use it? That's a bit excessive. If you're just using it on one or two tanks, and it's not traveling around anywhere getting bumped around or exposed to significant temperature changes, then once every 2-3 months should be sufficient. How are you calibrating?

[Slick Fork]

So people seem happy with this? Just read the whole thread and other than some broken boxes I don't see a whole lot of complaining. I'm used to using RBS but the price difference is now hard to swallow.

Thoughts on the differences between the probiotic and "just" the reef salt? Is the probiotic simply reef salt with some bacterial additive?

[Skimmer Juice]

Originally Posted by spedly

So maybe fresh isn't the right word. I got the salt mix going two days ago and performed a water change yesterday. Salinity was measured at around 1.025. After the water change I turned off the mixing pump and heater so what I measured today was what was left at the bottom of the container.

I have a Vertex refractometer and ensure it's calibrated before every measurement. Do they have a limited lifespan? This one is about two years old.

You're right though something is weird. I thought that my old Red Sea test kit was garbage because of the low measurements. I've watched and re-watched YouTube videos on how to use the Hanna checker and I think I'm doing it right now. I'll watch it one more time....

I'm a little more concerned now that the Hanna checker is basically confirming things.

would recommend bringing your refractometer to a lfs and just cross check numbers, also get them to test with different test kit that should solve any issues. Also what are you calibrating your refractometer with? Solution or rodi ? I found my hanna calcium test kit super inconsistent so I went back to test kits recently started using Nyos test kits really liking how easy the numbers are to calculate with no color matching .

[spedly]

I think my RO filters need replacing. Just ordered replacements from Reef Supplies and will re-test.

I have been using RODI for calibration but I think I have solution somewhere. And good advice about the refractometer - I'll take it to the LFS and see what they say.

[spedly]

Wow...

So I did find an unused container of Pinpoint salinity calibration fluid. I used that to calibrate my refractometer and then checked the salinity of my display and fresh salt mix. Wow is it ever off. I'm measuring only about 1.021 salinity. That would explain why my calcium measurements are so off. Thanks for the tip Skimmer Juice.