Test Kit Recommendations

[Mario]

This is for the experienced reefers:

What type of test kit can you recommend for nitrates and phosphates? Something that wont blow my budget like an digital one?

Also, what do you think of using Petco Natural Sea Water for water changes? They have discontinued selling Catalina Water now.

Regards

Mario

 

[meschaefer]

For Nitrate, I use salifert but I know that some people have issues with them.

For phosphate, there are no good tests that wont blow your budget. It is better to just assume that you have phosphates, and take corrective action. All of the "budget" phosphate tests are so inconsistent that IMO they are a waste of money and time. Be carefull about what you feed, rinse your food, run GFO and skim heavy.

 

[rookie07]

im not experianced, but ive been told salifert is the best.

 

[JLAudio]

I prefer the Aquarium pharmaceuticals brand because I find it the easiest to do and get consistant results that are easy to read.

I hate the instant ocean tests where you have to open up some small tinfoil package and put some powder in the water and shake. Its always hard to read and I always end up with some of the powder still stuck in the package and some on the floor. JUST ANNOYING

 

[KathyC]

For nitrates, I use Salifert.
Also agree with Matt on the phosphate kit, basically a waste of money. Perhaps you can ask and find if any of the reefers near you has a Hanna Meter and will test your water for phosphates for you.

I have no experience with premixed SW.

 

[basiab]

I also use Aquarium pharmaceuticals but the pro's will tell you they are not good. I once had problems with their tests and I wrote to them and they answered that there is an expiration date for each bottle. What I found was that each bottle in my master kit had a different date (which is the mfg. date not the expiration date) and that after a few years they are not reliable. All mine were past expiration. So i bought a new set and find the dates did not leave much time for expiration. But I still use them.

 

[Mario]

For nitrates, I use Salifert.
Also agree with Matt on the phosphate kit, basically a waste of money. Perhaps you can ask and find if any of the reefers near you has a Hanna Meter and will test your water for phosphates for you.

I have no experience with premixed SW.

Good to know. I did an ebay.com check on Hanna and they sure are pricey. If would be an interesting idea bring samples to a meet and mass check readings from different folks tanks and co-relate observational differences in husbandry

 

[lhkorn99]

I just started usng Elos for phosphates and think it is easier to read the results in Elos than in Salifert.

 

[Solace Aquatics LLC]

Salifert or Sera

Phosphate test kits are a waste of money and inconsistent.

Also Sera has a new line of German made test kits on the market that are as accurate and salifert and easier to use

 

[grundig5]

I've read good things about Elos phos kits, and they compare relatively well to photometer readings. Still, I balked at the $30 to try it. I use their kits for everything else though...much easier and more consistent than salifert imo. I follow the same guidelines as above, just assume you have phosphates and try to correct it.