Heartbreak hotel

[Delphinus]

My rant with the KZ test kit is that I can't read the results. The instructions say to take the reading from when you can't see the colour strip anymore through the vial, OR when you can only barely see the colour strip. My problem is these are two very different spots. If they were close that would be one thing, but they're not that close. The point where I can't see the colour strip anymore is about 310-320. The point where I can only barely see the colour strip is the darkest point of the strip, ie., top of the scale, which is 400. So which is the reading? 310? or 400? 400 sounds implausible, why would have I have high K when I've never dosed it before. But reading up on zeovit.com it seems that you are supposed to take the reading when you can only barely see the test strip. So that means 400. But reading up on the perils of low K, it sounds like it could be a plausible explanation. So maybe it's 310? But being 310 or 400 is very important to know before I embark upon any kind of dosing.

Sigh. I throw my arms up in the air over this one. The only form of testing that I trust with degree of confidence are titrations or volumetric based test kits. Too bad the chemisty just isn't there for some things. If any point you find yourself saying "I guess this vial matches this colour" or "I guess I can't see the strip anymore through the liquid" - confidence in the value goes right out the window. Or should I say, "I guess" confidence goes out the window. Or I guess it's a window. I guess I can't really be sure. I guess I can't really be sure of anything. I guess.

[digital-audiophile]

Tony,

Did you try to modifiy your zeo dosing regiment as suggested by G.Alexander? I have found with new modified dosing schedule and the addition of a vortech my green film algae/cyano is all but gone again.

[Delphinus]

Hi Greg, yes I did and it did indeed kick back the slime. There are still some spots but nowhere near as bad.

This problem with the frags is I think something else. I guess it could be that the weekly water changes caught up to me and the new seawater has params out of whack. I had to buy a huge box of Mg supplement from littlesilvermax and I've already used about about 20% of it just correcting my tanks (and I'm not there yet - I'm only raising the tanks by 50ppm per day, they should be hitting their target values tomorrow or Thursday) and my water change water.

So much for Aquamedic salt! Problem is I'm so stubborn. I paid $90 for this bucket of salt, I can't throw it out. Hopefully it's just the Mg is out but I guess I should double-check the Ca and Alk. At least Ca and Alk don't appear to be deviating in the tanks so I don't really suspect that those params are out. Nevertheless the Mg of 900 is way too low, I won't be using or recommending this brand of salt to anyone. If it's a case of it's a just bad batch, Ok fine, but the thing is, they advertise that the levels are a certain thing, so you expect it to be what it claims it is. A bad batch means there are quality assurance issues, and thus I'm still concluding that I won't use or recommend that brand again.

Anyhow so I have to wonder if the latest casualties are a result of the chemistry of trying to raise Mg over such a profound range. And of course there's the potassium thing too.

Next salt for me is Reefer's Best..

[Delphinus]

Thanks J At least I know I'm not the only person who's looking at that test kit thinking "now what?" .. Maybe the solution is just to switch to RBS and not worry about K since K is supposed to be good, out of the box, with that one.

[Jason McK]

I agree 100% Tony. I just can't read that test kit. I still try to read it. The crazy thing is your ability to see through the liquid is also determined by ambient light.
Anyway. I did notice huge improvements in coral when using K. But I have stopped because of the inability to test

J