Protien skimmer or GFO

Discussion in 'Equipment' started by Kim, Aug 20, 2017.

  1. huntindoc

    huntindoc RRMAS BOD Membership Director Staff Member

    That is definitely true. If you're nitrate is less than 10 you should be looking at it from the side with the specimen cup held tightly against the white part of the card. Then you divide by 10. This is a whole lot easier than looking from the top for the very reason you mentioned. You would think they could supply a flat bottomed cup for the test.
     
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  2. LJC6780

    LJC6780 Grouper

    Yeah my problem is it's hovering right around 10ish ... so I could read it either way. And I thought about using a different cup, but then the depth would be wrong and wouldn't read the same way. :(
     
  3. Brian

    Brian Blenny

    If you think back to high school chemistry days, litmus paper pink to blue would be a huge difference in ph. I think shades of a color gives you much more resolution in values.
    I suppose it's different for everyone. My eye surgeon told me that those of us that have had the cataract surgery are the ones that can perceive colors as they really are. Notice how many people argue about what color something is?
     
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  4. LJC6780

    LJC6780 Grouper

    Different shades may be more accurate in some instances, but your last sentence sums it up. My point exactly.
     
  5. Kim

    Kim Secretary Staff Member

    Hiya,

    I'm just not good at testing my water. The only thing I try to keep track of is Alk, though I stopped doing that because I think my API test kit was off.

    I may have started a mini cycle when I rearranged rock a few weeks ago. Kevin also uses API test kits for salt and fresh testing. His kits may be off too if API has a rep of being inaccurate for salt.
     
    LJC6780 likes this.
  6. Brian

    Brian Blenny

    http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1769785
    "These are hobby grade kits (and they leave something to be desired compared to those methods used in science experiments). In some cases there are batches of kits that seem to be off by quite a bit (this can be true with all manufacturers)."

    I actually did a search to find any reference of API being inacurate for salt. I found nothing.

    "I have used both API and Salifert- IME the calcium test results were very close to each other. In fact close enough that I like having the API it to get a second opinion if something odd shows up. Regarding the Alk kit- the API test higher than the Salifert kit by a fair amount. Some members of this form have explained the API is for both fresh and saltwater and as such will test higher than the Salifert which is designed for saltwater only. Considering the amount of knowledge on this forum with Cliff and Randy I have complete confidence that the above is true. Plus, the Salifert Alk test comes with a standard solution to test the test kit and the kits are dated- something I'm not sure if API offers."

    I did find a lot of statements Like the above.

    I don't have API so I cannot swear the above is true, but it seems pretty consistent on the internet, I have Red Sea. But I am confident enough to take my water to the fish tank and have them test it to. It saves me time, as they are much faster than I am.
     
  7. LJC6780

    LJC6780 Grouper

    Yeah. My salifert tests have expiration dates on nem and there are non on the API. Not to mention that the color cards seem to vary.
     

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