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02-08-2008, 07:21 PM
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#1 (permalink)
| | Spaghetti Worm
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 187
Karma: 181
 |  Do It In Daylight!
I just tested my pH with a "Red Sea" pH & Alk kit and looked at the sample using the fluorescent sump light. The sample is GREEN. It isn't the olive green that represents 8.0 on the scale, it is a sickly lighter green that doesn't even show on the color chart.
So I walk the sample into the kitchen and, under the incandescent lighting, it's a nice purple around 8.2 - 8.4 range.
For the sake of science,  I wander around the house comparing different fluorescents , from 3k to 6.5k and they all produce a green color sample.
All the incandescent lamps are showing the sample as being purple.
So I check the instruction sheet, to see if they mention to use a particular light source, and they just say to "hold the sample up in front of a white background"!
I could see someone dumping a whole lot of chemicals into what was (up to that point) balanced water just because they held the sample up to a fluorescent light and figured there had to be a problem.  | 
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02-09-2008, 11:27 AM
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#2 (permalink)
| | Fire Shrimp
Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Myerstown, PA Age: 21
Posts: 302
Karma: 127
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yeah, flourescent lights will do that, I always compare mine under my lizards incandesent heat lamp(since it is made to represent sunlight) and since its right beside my nano it works perfect...
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...AGA 46 gal. bowfront, coralife 192watt aqualight, koralia 4, aqua c remora w/maxijet 1200 and surface skim box,200watt heater, 40 pounds black aragonite reef sand, 50 lbs. LR...cycling at the moment...
...12 gal. Nano-Cube, heavily modded, becoming a QT/Hospital tank for the new 46 | |
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02-09-2008, 07:45 PM
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#3 (permalink)
| | Torch Coral
Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: valencia,pa. Age: 34
Posts: 1,151
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my lfs guy told me that test kit was junk so i'm using salifert now.i found the ph test they give you ok though.
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55 gallon reef with 4x54 watt t5,29 gallon sump,red monti cap,1blue echinophyllia,trumpet,red lobo,2 toadstools 1purple and 1neon,gsp,xenia and yellow xenia,red ,many mushrooms,2 giant frilly shrooms,cabbage coral,yellow polyps,many zoos,1 orange and one neon green nepthia,duncans,cladiella | |
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02-10-2008, 12:34 AM
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#4 (permalink)
| | Spaghetti Worm
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 187
Karma: 181
| Retested in daylight
I ran the test again using sunlight as the "final word". It showed a lower reading than the incandescent lighting, higher than fluorescent.
Final tally:
Fluorescents : off the scale, no possible color to match on the sample chip.
Incandescents :read higher than daylight (pH=8.4)
Daylight: you've got to believe someone- (pH=8.0) | |
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02-10-2008, 04:53 AM
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#5 (permalink)
| | Giant Squid
Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Miami, FL Age: 39
Posts: 4,482
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I always go to a window or my french door and use the sunlight as my light source. _________ 9YR OLD 90G/55g custom sump/refug Mag18 Aquac 180skimmer 692w MH AC jr,yel&kole tang,midas&convict blenny,B&G chromies,Blk/yel fin chromie blackcap,nemo,neon goby,6line; Blastomussa Merleti,Acan ,BUBBLE,Torch,LTA, Acropora(2) Moon, assort zoas, yel& G star polyps, P&B ricordia, montiporas, cup&candy corals, xenias,B/G mush,flower ane(2), cherry red mussa, dusters,cleaning crew..  | |
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02-10-2008, 11:05 AM
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#6 (permalink)
| | Spaghetti Worm
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 187
Karma: 181
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lunatik_69  I always go to a window or my french door and use the sunlight as my light source. | I found out through this that "DAYLIGHT" bulbs don't really match daylight coloring.
No more evening water testing! | |
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02-10-2008, 11:09 AM
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#7 (permalink)
| | Giant Squid
Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Miami, FL Age: 39
Posts: 4,482
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Quote:
Originally Posted by conjuay I found out through this that "DAYLIGHT" bulbs don't really match daylight coloring.
No more evening water testing! | No matter how hard we try, we'll never match mother nature, in every sense. | |
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