Which test kits do you use?

[Zuska]

Which test kits do people use and why? I had use all the test kits out there and never knew which one to stick with. Now im using red sea test kits and im not liking them to much. Is it worth paying the extra buck for some of these kits?

 

[thirty6]

i pu a red sea kit, sort of have no idea how to use it!

 

[Tonyscoots84]

for

Alk, Cal and Alk - Red Sea pro test kit.
Phosphates - real deal hanna phosphate meter (not pocket)
Nitrate - salifert
Salinity - refractometer

Changed from API nitrate to salifert*

 

[edd]

for

Alk, Cal and Alk - Red Sea pro test kit.
Phosphates - real deal hanna phosphate meter (not pocket)
Nitrate - API
Salinity - refractometer

+1 but i use red sea also for nitrate.

 

[PhoenixOne]

Elos for all. Hanna Checker for PO4.

 

[vio]

http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/chemistry/139837-test-kits-do-you-use.html

 

[Nandez13]

I've been using API for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, calcium, alkalinity. I decided to upgrade my nitrate, calcium and alkalinity kits to Salifert based on several people saying that API would put you in close range but was not very accurate. Also bought a Salifert Mg kit which I wasn't testing before.

I received my cal and alk kits today; nitrate is on back order. Here's the comparison:

API:
Calcium 400 ppm
Alkalinity 11 dKH

Salifert:
Calcium 440 ppm
Alkalinity 9.6 dKH

Human error can always be attributed to these results, but I was dosing calcium manually before trying to get it up a little bit, which may have caused some problems I had with my sps recently. These kits are 4-5x the cost but I think once I stabilize my parameters to where I want them to be and starting dripping Kalk, I won't have to test so often so these should last a while. I'll post comparisons for the Nitrate when I get the kit

 

[Zuska]

Most reefers are telling me that red sea test kits suck! and the results are bad!

 

[mbg75]

Salifert for cal, alk, mag

Red Sea for low range nitrate

Hanna for phosphate. Any of the hanna phosphate meters are fine. They are all +\- .04

 

[Zuska]

Wish they had accurate hanna meter for everything

 

[BKLYN REEF]

Someone recently recommended Lamotte test kits especially the alk. Supposed to be easy to use and spot on results!

 

[Zuska]

Someone recently recommended Lamotte test kits especially the alk. Supposed to be easy to use and spot on results!

Dont believe everything you hear or read lol. API prob makes them haha. looking for new test kits to buy to test alk,cal,mag,po4,no3

 

[MikeC]

Elos

 

[bklynreef]

Alk I use both salifert and red sea cause this is the most important of the trinity for me
salifert happens to be better and I hated the LaMotte

Cal I use Salifert and has been spot on compared to all the others and the easiest

Mag I used salifert also spot on ans easy to use

PO4 Milwakee photmeter very accurate

Nitrate I use Elos just hate dealing with the color chart but the best of what ive used

PH Elos also

 

[Chefjpaul]

I find that using the same test kit(s), or a combo of is the key. As none are accurate, but by using the same brand per test does create consistency which in turn creates stability.

I do like the Red sea line, but as mine are expiring, will not re-order.

I have tried every company over the last few years to gauge their reliability; here is what I am comfortable with.

CA- elos
KH- hanna
MG- sailfert
PO4- hanna
NO3- elos

All others- sailfert / elos- don't test often though.

I do use the red sea "equipment" / titrator for the sailfert MG test though. Makes it very easy.