Old test kits

[Paul B]

Today I decided to clean out my workshop. This week I painted the floor and workbench and I found some test kits. I know many or most people test things all the time and that is fine but I really don't, except for the temperature and the salinity ocasionally. I can tell by the mood the animals are in what the readings will be.
I didn't want to be left out so I decided to try out these kits. First of all I should say I have no idea how old they are but I would imagine ten or fifteen years, maybe older. On some of the kits I discovered that the chemicals would not come out of the bottles so I figured they may not be any good. My pH kit seemed to work and I got a reading of 8.4. not bad although I really don't know how accurate that is. The next kit was alkalinity.
I measured the correct amount of water into the vial and added the correct amount of drops. The instructions said the water in the vial should now look pink. It was more the color of a tar and merlot combination so I thought that test kit was also history.
So I went to a calcium kit. I filled the vial and tried to add the first chemical but the stuff in the bottle just cracked like broken glass so that may not be a good reading either.
I guess I will just have to do what I always do and taste the water. That will not tell me anything but at least I feel that I tried.
OK maybe you should not do what I do :tongue1:

 

[James]

I forgot who but someone on this board can test salinity with their tongue pretty accurately. You old timers are impressive. When you have a tank as long as you, you can tell whats wrong just by looking, for the majority of us we do not know our systems that well and need to rely on test kits (hopefully non-expired ones

 

[Paul B]

Educator that is correct. As an electrician for 40 years I could test for a hot circuit with my fingers but I would never teach that to a noob.
I used test kits for years and they are an invaluable tool.
Eventually, in a couple of decades you can tell what your test readings will be by looking at the animals.
It also takes years of observing fish and corals to be able to tell the state of their health. Swimming, and growing don't mean much except that they are alive but fish in a captive envirnment are rarely as healthy as they should and could be.

 

[e.muehlbauer]

My alkalinity got all screwed up by an old salifert kit. I've always used salifert without problems, so it never occurred to me that the kit was the problem. I kept increasing my b-ionic. Now, using a Lamotte and a cheap Hagen kit, I see that my alk is now very high. I've found that calcium kits don't last long...the purple powder gets caked.

 

[CHEMCHEF]

I check salinity by taste. But always re check with proper tool to make sure.
I am Usually within .002