After using the Salifert Magnesium test kit for several months, I decided to share my experience with it. Here’s my detailed review.
A couple of months ago, I decided to buy different test kits to test my water parameters.
If I wanted to get serious about keeping corals, I needed to test regularly. I didn’t want to break the bank, so finding cheap yet reliable products was my priority.
After the initial search, I’ve decided to go with the Salifert test kits. Based on my research, the Salifert test kits are one of the best on the market.
This review is one of the many reviews I will do about this brand.
Let’s start with the magnesium test kit.
Contents
Salifert Magnesium Test Kit Instructions
Take 2ml of water from your reef tank with the syringe given in the test kit and add it to the test vial.
Take the Mg-1 bottle and add five drops to the test vial. Shake the little bottle before you add the drops, and make sure that you hold it vertically, so every drop is the same size.
Add one spoon of Mg-2 powder to the test vial and gently swirl for 10 seconds. You can find the spoon inside the test kit.
After adding one spoon of Mg-2 powder to the test vial and swirling for 10 seconds, it should change its color. The test vial should have a pink or purple color like the picture below.
Take the pink plastic tip and place it firmly on the 1 ml syringe provided in the test kit.
Place the 1 ml syringe into the Mg-3 reagent. Make sure the pink plastic tip is submerged to avoid air bubbles being withdrawn instead of liquid.
Draw into the reagent until the lower end of the black syringe part is at the 1 ml mark.
Don’t worry when you see an air layer between the liquid and the piston.
It’s normal. It will not influence the final results.
Start adding the Mg-3 reagent you’ve just taken with the 1 ml syringe to the test vial. You can add approximately 80% of the reagent all at once.
Proceed to add drop by drop, gently swirling the test vial for two seconds after each drop. Do this until the color in the test vial changes to grey or blue.
Take the syringe and face it with the plastic tip upward. Read the measurement of the upper end of the black part. Each division represents 0.01 ml.
Here is the reading chart provided with every Salifert Magnesium test kit.
Is The Salifert Magnesium Test Kit Accurate?
You’d be surprised how these relatively cheap test kits are accurate.
If you follow the instructions, which you won’t have a problem with because they are easy to read, the results will be pretty accurate.
The package has a decent expiration date, which is nice if you don’t test often.
The only complaint I have is the color you get after you’ve done the testing is not the same as the picture in the manual (light blue).
However, that’s not a big problem because the manual says to do the test until the color in the test vial changes to gray or blue, whichever comes first.
Are There Better Magnesium Test Kits?
In my opinion, the Salifert magnesium test kit is the best on the market.
However, my opinion is biased because I haven’t used any other magnesium tests, which I plan soon.
Recently, Hanna released its magnesium checker, so feel free to check their product.
And if the Hanna magnesium checker is better than the Salifert magnesium kit, let me know in the comment section below.
Final Thoughts
What is my final verdict about the Salifert magnesium test kit?
I love it!
Of course, there might be more accurate test kits on the market, but you can’t beat the price for the stuff it does.
If you follow the instructions, your readings will be pretty accurate. If you are not satisfied with this test kit, there are kits from other companies.
In essence, they all do the same stuff with some margin of error. Choose whatever suits you and what it’s best for your budget.