Test results info everyone should read

[bullit67]

OK so you have gone out and spent some bucks on a super duper new test kit in my case it was the Elos kits . BUT I have a good one for you have you ckecked your teat results under differant lights. What differant lights you say why the hell would I do that? Well let me tell you a little tale. I was testing my PH with a Elos test kit after I had set up my reactor I knew befor the reactor I was at 8.3 So I preformed the test and WHAT THE DEUCE ! the results are right off the scale the out come is bright red about the color of a cherry lifesaver not even on the scale so now I am in panic mode What the heck do you do with PH that is this high? So I come up with a plan first check the effluent from the reactor maybe it is sky high and messing up my PH. But no luck it is about 7.6 HUMMM what next lets check the tank water again while I am in the sump room good the sump is at 8.2 OK so why is the tank so high ?????? After some serious head scratching I came to the conclusion that it is impossible for the PH to drop that much between the tank and the sump. So I am thinking that maybe It is because it was a new test kit and I didnt shake it up well enough or I botched it up my self. So lets test the tank again Damb it is cherry red again??? So back to head scratching what is differant between the sump room and the kitchen up stairs. Then it dawned on me I do my tests on the stove because we have one of those fancy new flat top stoves it is perfect with the nice bright helogen lights. So i checked the same test under the regular florecent lights and low and behold it is 8.3 WOOHOO.

So the moral of the story is check your test results under differant light sources aspecialy when you get an odd result.

[mark]

That's one of the reasons I got a pH monitor. For tests like CA, Mg a lot easier as your not trying to determine shades of colour, just pink to blue etc..

[Johnny Reefer]

If I'm not mistaken, most test kits instructions where a colour chart comparison is involved say to do it under diffused daylight.

[randallino]

Don’t test near actinic lighting for that reason.
Always shake the regents before using and rinse out the vials with tank water.
This is why I bought a Hanna PO2 photometer. Guessing which shade of blue is way too inaccurate. Seeing the real numbers was scary
RC

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

SOmething I never thought of before...good to keep in mind.