Mike M. Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 Hate to admit it, but I like the Hanna Alk checker. I'm sold on it so to speak. Takes some of the guess work out of interpretation. Now, if they just had a Magnesium and Calcium model! Soon I hope! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 Hate to admit it, but I like the Hanna Alk checker. I'm sold on it so to speak. Takes some of the guess work out of interpretation. Now, if they just had a Magnesium and Calcium model! Soon I hope! In the works! I'll let you know when they are available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike M. Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 When they are available, don't even message to ask, just get me one of each in! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbnj Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 I check my Alk/Ca API test kits from time-to-time on a new batch of saltwater. I know the levels provided by my brand of salt (Seachem), so it's easy to check the test kits that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mcallahan Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 I know the levels provided by my brand of salt (Seachem), so it's easy to check the test kits that way. That assumes every batch is the same and never varies. I always hand check each new bucket to find out where the levels really lie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike M. Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 Okay, so if we are going to play the "I check on my test kits game", the only truly smart, repeatable, and trustworthy method to verify test kits is through the use of a standard solution. Mr. Keen showed this to me and I was truly impressed. He orders a standard solution, something like alk of 7.3 similar to the standard solutions we use for pH probes and salinity refractometers and verifies his test kit in this manner. This is how lab equipment and assays are certified and if you truly want to check on your kits, this is the one and only way to be SURE. Wish I could take credit and maybe Stephen will post where he gets the standard solutions as we should all be doing this to Walk the Walk so to speak. As Mark said, you cannot "Know" what your salt mix will produce on a given mix because of the unknown of how your mix has settled out during shipping. It is a decent guess, but you can't know from a test like that. So thanks Stephen for showing us how it ought to be done. If I had been more of a scientist about my reef keeping I would not have lost $2500-3000 worth of stuff! Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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