Salifert Calcium Test

[rk4435]

Is it just me or is this test hard to use? The end result is measured based on how much fluid you have left in a syringe after the test fluid you're dropping into turns a certain color. The problem is that the syringe would not fill up to the level indicated by the directions so the results could not possibly be exact.

Sadly Salifert has my calcium at 390 and API has it at 440. I don't trust API kits so I'm at a loss.

 

[northgahillbilly]

Re read the directions, if its like the Red Sea Pro kit it is calibrated to take that air bubble into account, so you use the bottom of the plunger to read the amount of fluid used. It took me a while to find that fine print.

 

[rk4435]

The directions mentioned the air bubble but it extended below the 1ml line. The way I interpreted it the air bubble should line up to the line.

 

[ringo®]

If I remember correctly, and I may not, the liquid level should come up to .85 mL while the plunger is at 1mL.

 

[jvb89]

if the fluid level goes from .9ml to .8ml then its .1ml. Whether the bubble is there or not that is how much left the syringe and entered the test vial. on red sea its .9ml that enters into the syringe.

 

[acroholic]

Draw up until the plunger bottom is at 1.0 ml. Like was said above, the air in the top part has nothing to do with the amount used. Your results are off because of where you drew up to. Like reading .52 ml instead do .44ml. It is showing less reagent used because you drew up a good bit higher than you were supposed to.

And if this helps, the volume of the small pink attachment that goes on the syringe is supposed to be equal to the air in the top of the syringe, so you actually get a true 1.0 cc of reagent in the syringe. That is why they tell you to make sure the tip of the pink attachment is always in the liquid when you draw it up.

 

[glxtrix]

I thought the fluid had no effect other than changing the color at a certain amount. I read where the plunger stops. So black part of plunger goes up to 1.0, then depress until the color changes in the vial. Wherever the black part of the plunger stops, that's what you read from. At least, that's what I've been doing for the past 10 years, lol.

 

[glxtrix]

yup...same will be for CA