W Churchill
Member
Anyone else here use the salifert strontium test kit, please let yourself be known, I could do with some help.
Salifert strontium test kit - could do with help.
- Thread starter W Churchill
- Start date
Lots of steps in that kit :columbo:
W Churchill
Member
OK my issue is this.
In the first part of the test (Ca), I'm having difficulty in telling when the test solution turns blue, which if I understand correctly will lead to errors in the second half of the test (Sr), or at least I'm hoping so because if not I have a strontium reading of nearly 40.
If I use the salifet Calcium test kit (actual Ca test kit - not the first half of the Sr test kit), it is still quite difficult to tell when the solution goes from red/pink to blue but I think I have the hang of that now and when it goes into the purple stage I give each drop around 30 seconds with a good swirl all the while and it seems to either go a little pinker in which case I go for another drop, or it goes a little bluer in which case I call it a wrap. Hope you understand what I mean.
But when I use the Sr kit I get a situation where from the side the vial is clearly blue but from the top it's clearly pink (no purples involved). Thing is I only just got the kit but I'm not sure when to call it a wrap. Last night I had a reading of 410 from my Ca kit, but in the first part of the Sr test I had a Ca reading of about 450, so I'm sort of assuming (and maybe hoping) that I added a few too many drops to get the high Ca reading and those few too many drops impacted in the same number of drops error in the second part of the test and hence gave me the high strontium reading.
Having used the kit before how do you determine when the pink goes blue in the first part of the test, in the second part the change is quite easy to determine.
Hope all this makes sense.
In the first part of the test (Ca), I'm having difficulty in telling when the test solution turns blue, which if I understand correctly will lead to errors in the second half of the test (Sr), or at least I'm hoping so because if not I have a strontium reading of nearly 40.
If I use the salifet Calcium test kit (actual Ca test kit - not the first half of the Sr test kit), it is still quite difficult to tell when the solution goes from red/pink to blue but I think I have the hang of that now and when it goes into the purple stage I give each drop around 30 seconds with a good swirl all the while and it seems to either go a little pinker in which case I go for another drop, or it goes a little bluer in which case I call it a wrap. Hope you understand what I mean.
But when I use the Sr kit I get a situation where from the side the vial is clearly blue but from the top it's clearly pink (no purples involved). Thing is I only just got the kit but I'm not sure when to call it a wrap. Last night I had a reading of 410 from my Ca kit, but in the first part of the Sr test I had a Ca reading of about 450, so I'm sort of assuming (and maybe hoping) that I added a few too many drops to get the high Ca reading and those few too many drops impacted in the same number of drops error in the second part of the test and hence gave me the high strontium reading.
Having used the kit before how do you determine when the pink goes blue in the first part of the test, in the second part the change is quite easy to determine.
Hope all this makes sense.
W Churchill
Member
Man this is a wild kit.
I think I've solved the blue from the side/pink from the top scenario and have put it down to fluorescent strip lighting in our kitchen, seems if I wrap white paper around the vial when viewed from the side it will show the same clour as looking from the top.
Generally a difficult kit though, for those that haven't used it, it's important that you keep the chemicals apart and use the same syringe with the same chemical each time. Odd things are though the chemical with the red top mustn't be used with the red syringe according to the instructions. Wouldn't you think the red syringe should be paired with the chemical with the red top. Oh and half way through the instructions they start talking about a yellow syringe, even though there isn't one.
Think I have it sorted now, except for my strontium level which is way over the top.
I think I've solved the blue from the side/pink from the top scenario and have put it down to fluorescent strip lighting in our kitchen, seems if I wrap white paper around the vial when viewed from the side it will show the same clour as looking from the top.
Generally a difficult kit though, for those that haven't used it, it's important that you keep the chemicals apart and use the same syringe with the same chemical each time. Odd things are though the chemical with the red top mustn't be used with the red syringe according to the instructions. Wouldn't you think the red syringe should be paired with the chemical with the red top. Oh and half way through the instructions they start talking about a yellow syringe, even though there isn't one.
Think I have it sorted now, except for my strontium level which is way over the top.
bluespotjawfish
Well-Known Member
I just marked up the instructions so I didn't accidently do it wrong. I also made red go with red.
I usually do the calcium test first, then do the strontium test. If the calcium levels are very different, they one of the tests was done wrong.
I usually do the calcium test first, then do the strontium test. If the calcium levels are very different, they one of the tests was done wrong.
Boomer
Reef Sanctuary's Mr. Wizard
if I wrap white paper around the vial when viewed from the side it will show the same clour as looking from the top.
Yup, an very old trick of mine for many kits like this. Even if on is using large berakers, like some of the HACH kits and putting a piece of white paper under it.
Yup, an very old trick of mine for many kits like this. Even if on is using large berakers, like some of the HACH kits and putting a piece of white paper under it.