Weekly Discussion - Test kits

[Anonymous]

Weekly Discussion - Test kits

They are so necessary to the hobby, but they seem to have such built in inaccuracies. Which ones do you use, why, and how much faith do you put in the results you get from them?

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[fungia]

i use salifert and i think they are pretty accurate as far as i can tell, no problems. i buy them cuz people tell me they are reliable but i dont know how to tell really. i hear lamotte makes good kits but they are hard to get here and more expensive.

 

[Anonymous]

I've got test kits somewhere. Maybe seachem? I dunno. I quit testing on a regular basis once my tank cycled. Now I only test if something looks REALLY wrong. But usually I do a water change first and run some carbon- if things don't improve then I'll test.

B

 

[Anonymous]

I use Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Saltwater Master


I don't really care if it gives the exact readings, as long as I can use it to detect a change in parameters. It is easy to use.

When I get some fish, I will begin testing on a regular basis to regulate my feeding habits(I usually overfeed)

For now, the tank has no fish, and has had no nitrates for a couple of months so I am not even bothering to test it.

Bryan

 

[fishfanatic2]

I use Aquarium Pharmeuticals. Easy to use, good brand. I don't test very often at all-I had them primarily for cycling. They seem to be pretty accurate, which is definitely a bonus!

 

[liquid]

I primarily use Salifert kits for calcium and alkalinity. For ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate I use Aquarium Pharmaceuticals. I've found that these are pretty accurate for what I want them for.

Shane

 

[Anonymous]

I have two pinponit pH monitors. When calabrated at the same they give different reading in the same tank. I pick the one that I think is closest to reality and calabrate the other one to that. I also use Salifert for Ca, and, uhem, Doc Wellfish for Alk. The Alk seems to remain pretty constant, but I can test the ca twice in a row and get different results by 20ppm.

Sure they are good for seeing changes, but if feels a little weird to not really know what is going on. I guess the answer is that test kits give us a general ballpark, but no accuracy. Oh well! :mrgreen:

 

[Jolieve]

Well... I have some hagen test kits.. I haven't used them since... a couple days after I added my clowns. Locally, I have only been able to find dip stick test kits for ph that say that you can use them with saltwater... I need to get a better ph test kit

I don't test. Once the tank cycled, I pretty much stopped testing for things.. every time I have tested since, the readings have been the same, no ammonia, no nitrites, nitrates so low that the test kid doesn't read them.

The only thing I check regularly is the specific gravity, and that's for water changes. Now... if those hagen test kits hadn't come with the tank.. I probably would have bought salifert.

J.

 

[Anonymous]

lamotte for the store-alk, and Ca
hagen for po4

fwiw-the hagen test kits seem to be fairly accurate for the price

i use my coralline's appearance at home to determine if i need to dose w/b-ionic-this may sound abit 'hokey'-but there's a certain 'look' to the coralline when it's happy-mine has started to plate after two weeks, and corals are doin very well

brought a sample into the store for a test-parameters for Ca and alk were right on

 

[reefann]

I have been using redsea do they suck? :lol:
_________________
economic recession definition

 

[Bone]

Aquarium Systems Ca test kit vs Salifert Ca test kit.

They were evaluated using spectrometry and ICP. Take a guess which one was more acurate.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthrea ... hlight=icp

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry, not a member

Bryan

 

[Anonymous]

Seachem testkits are'nt bad and seem to work reasonably well for the price. Beat the hell out of Aquarium Pharm, Red Sea, Tetra, mardel, and aquarium systems. Although Sometimes I do revert back to the aquarium systems for the basic tests (mainly because I can add some powder shake here and there and be done). Seachem got some good well priced stuff. There Mg test could be a little simpler. to run the whole slew of tests it takes a good 20(+,- 5 to 10) minutes. This includes Ca, Mg, NO2, NO3, NH3 (total & free), Ph, Alk, PO4, Si, iodide....

 

[Anonymous]

I test CA and ALK with Slifert test kits. I usually test before a WC, to determine if any changes in dosing need to be made. This is every 4 - 6 weeks.

I also have a Pinpoint PH monitor. I have it mounted on the inside of the door to my stand. I like seeing the PH each time I open the door. It is reassuring to see the PH remain steady.

Louey

 

[baseman]

I use Tropic Marin for Ca and Alk, and Aquarium Pharm for pH. I have a Red Sea PO4 kit, but it reads 0.1 with the tank water and with RO water. I tested botlled water and it still read 0.1. I theink I need a new kit.

 

[Anonymous]

I like (and recommend) SeaChem (also Salifert, based on information from others knowledgeable). If I could have afforded it I would have used LaMotte.