HELP with Nutrafin Ca test..

[kimkissyfish]

HI,
I bought a new test kit for Calcium... I bought the Nutrafin..
QUESTION: If anyone else uses it...
After I add the FIRST 7 drops.. it is still clear...
directions say add.. 3 drops of second regent, then shake well....
AT THIS POINT the water in the test tube turns NEON PINK
NEXT The directions say .. then add 1 drop of regent 3... a light pink color should be produced..
My NEON pink is produced after step 3 not after step 4....
Then your supposed to add ONE drop at a time of regent 3 untill the water turns from light pink to violet...
If I add 22 drops of regent 3, it DOES turn DARK violet... so my Ca would be 440ppm .. They color chart on the back of the test kit show what the colors should be.. mine are MUCH DARKER in general.
BUT.. I am wondering if I am getting a flase reading because the first color change is at step 3 not 4????????
Anyone have any opinions on this?? I would appreciate it. I am gonna take my water to the LFS for them to test it today. They dont ususally test Ca.. but maybe they will for me. OR use MY test, and see what this means.??????
Thanking you kindly, Kim

 

[fishphreak]

Kim,
I use the same test and have the same problem. The colors are much darker than the ones on the color chart.
I just tested mine yesterday and got a reading of 440 also.
But a week ago before I started doing the limewater drip I got a reading somewhere around 380.
So it does work, I just don't know how accurate.
Make sure you shake regent #2
I don't really worry about it, I just keep adding 1 drop at a time until I get the truest purple I can get. Even then it is no where near the color on the chart. It is always much darker.
So what I started doing was add one drop at a time then hold the vial infont of the color chart after each drop. I stop counting when I can't see the purple on the card through the vial.
I don't know if that is right but that is how I do it.
Jessica

 

[tstaub3]

Your doing it right just make sure you shake second bottle very well, had problems first time I used it lfs tested and said to shake really hard .

 

[kimkissyfish]

Thanks a bunch! It was driving me NUTZ!
Someone should write this company and have them change the color chart and add a note on step 2, that that might happen.
:cheer: Kim

 

[mkbigz]

Hi, i just replaced mine and it to was much darker than the previous one, probally just the dye. these were Hagan kits before.