Tropic Marin Mg/Ca Test

G

GraviT

Premium Member
I wasn't able to find a Salifert Mg kit locally, so I picked up the Tropic Marin Mg/Ca kit at Neptune's Cove this past weekend. For the life of me, I can't seem to get a consistent result with this test. The first time, it read a Ca value of 486 and Mg was below the limit, around 700 or so. Thinking that I really wanted a second opinion before dosing that much Mg, I thought I'd run another test and got 1480 Mg and 760 Ca. We've done probably about 8 tests since then and each time, the numbers are very different than the last instance.

Does anybody else have this kit and experience a similar problem?
 
@GraviT wrote:
I wasn't able to find a Salifert Mg kit locally said:
I really don't like this test kit, I have also had similar issues. The first test was <u>kinda</u> consistent with what I expected but the rest were all over the place, I chalked it up to my somehow contaminating it. I doubt your mg is 700ppm, you would not be able to keep your alk up, coralline would be diminish and it would inhibit calcium uptake by your corals. I actually found Salifert at Aquatic Design, they surprisingly have( or had) the best local pricing on it and the only reason I would go in there.

Cheers,
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@bimmerzs wrote:
[I]@GraviT wrote:[/I][quote="I wasn't able to find a Salifert Mg kit locally said:
I really don't like this test kit, I have also had similar issues. The first test was <u>kinda</u> consistent with what I expected but the rest were all over the place, I chalked it up to my somehow contaminating it. I doubt your mg is 700ppm, you would not be able to keep your alk up, coralline would be diminish and it would inhibit calcium uptake by your corals. I actually found Salifert at Aquatic Design, they surprisingly have( or had) the best local pricing on it and the only reason I would go in there.

I agree about the low value not being very feasible, but I'm pretty sure it is lower than it should be. I checked Aquatic Design, but they didn't have the Mg kit. Guess it's time to order a Salifert kit. :roll:

Cheers,"]
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@GraviT wrote:
I wasn't able to find a Salifert Mg kit locally said:
im not sure its possible for mag to go that low
please dont dose till you get a different test
take ron up on his offer he has the smarts
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@chappy wrote:
[I]@GraviT wrote:[/I][quote="I wasn't able to find a Salifert Mg kit locally said:
im not sure its possible for mag to go that low
please dont dose till you get a different test
take ron up on his offer he has the smarts"]

Ron, I might take you up on that...

Thanks Chappy. No worries...I have no intention of dosing until I have a better idea where the level actually is. I've done this a time or two. :wink:
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Just a quick question, how did you test Calcium to be over 700? I thought the Tropic Marin kit started at 500 and went down from there for Calcium.
 
Kevin, that kit was rather suspect when we did the test kit roundup a while back.

http://dfwmas.org/files/TestKitAnalysis.pdf
 
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