Salifert test kits?

[mane3215]

Well I just get my kits for calcium, ph, and alk today, and I open them up. The one I am on now is the PH. It says add 5ml of tank water to test tube, then 4 drops of solution, swirl for 10 secs and put on the white part of chart and compare.

 

Ok, now I am lost because the kit came with one test tube, one syringe, and one tube of solution. Where is the chart? Did they not give it to me or forget to pack it in the box? Also, what is supposed to come int he alk and calcuium? I'm nervous now =(.

 

Thanks.

[Korbin]

Uhh. I think the chart would be in the box or printed on the side of the box. Try feeling around inside the box for a cardboard card or something.

 

Calcium and Alk are a little different. They should have 2 syringes and a couple of different reagents. They are titrations - which means that you drip drip drip reagent in until it changes color, then you read the volume remaining in the syringe. They provide a conversion chart right on the instructions. No colors to compare. I think they are pretty good tests, and easier and more accurate that the others I've been using.

[mane3215]

Thanks Korbin, I searched everywhere for a chart for the PH and cant find one. All over the shipping box, the packaging for the kit everything. I will have to call them.

 

Since it sound slike you have exp with the calcium and alk kits, let me ask you a question. I was just doing the alk, and it says to draw with the little syring until the bottom of the black o ring int he syringe is exactly at 1.0ml. It says there will be an air pocket just below the plunger, but it wont effect results. The air pocket I have it about 1/2" in the sysringe below the plunger is this right? Also as I added the drops to the water and the water turned pink, do I look for a very pink color? Because when I seen the slightest shade of pink thats what i went off of, I mean it was *just* tinted pink. Is this the proper way to do it?

 

Thanks.

[Korbin]

The air pocket in the syringe is just the air volume that was in that long, yellow syringe tip that you stuck on. I don't know if its supposed to be 1/2" or whatever, but last time I looked the reagent was at 0.75 ml when the plunger was at 1.0 ml (I could be wrong). As long as you start with a dry, empty syryinge and tip, and draw up the reagent slowly, it should be fine.

 

Yeah, you drip single drops and swirl around a bit after each drop. I think the dye is a pH indicator. As you drip the reagent (probably an acid or base solution), the pH changes. When it gets to a certain pH, the dye changes color. By reading on the scale where the black plunger is at, you are determining how much reagent it took to alter the pH of the water by a certain amount. The chart translates that information to an alkalinity or calcium estimate.

 

....or something like that....:|

 

When you add the reagent, drip individual drops and swirl the water after each drop. Once you know better what to expect, you can squirt some in initially and then drip drip drip it in when you get near the expected value.

 

As soon as the dye changes color even a tiny bit, I take a reading. Then I drip 2 or 3 more drops until the dye has changed color completely and I take another reading. This will give you a high and low estimate. So you will know that your alk or calcium is above _____ but still below ______. Its still fairly accurate.