Best Test Kit Brands for SPS

[Brandon McHenry]

Just not as consistent. Ive had my numbers vary on multiple occasions. That said its ''generally'' accurate for me. Even if it was accurate though its more time consuming than salifert. I find salifert much easier and more accurate which was a no brainer for me. I still use the Hanna for cross checking though.

So salifert is your go to for all of your tests with Hanna on standby? Which Hanna checkers do you use? Just alk?

 

[KingTriton]

So salifert is your go to for all of your tests with Hanna on standby? Which Hanna checkers do you use? Just alk?

Correct. Salifert is my go to for Ca, Alk, Mg, and No3. Those are the only elements that I really test for. This has just been my experience though Im sure others will feel differently. I only use the Hanna checker for Alk, which isn't my primary source. I find it hard to test for phosphates in an aquarium setting especially when algae is present as they are hidden. This is why I don't bother testing for it. I generally let the algae tell me where my phosphate levels are. That said I will test for phosphates in a bin after a dry rock bath. This however is in a closed system where algae can't survive which leaves little room for error in testing imo.
My apex has a Ph probe, but I don't use it. Right now my Ph is reading 8.8 . As long as everything else is in check I don't follow Ph.
FWIW the Hanna Alk that I have may be from my own testing error. This is really why I prefer other test kits compared to the Hanna though as there is less chance of human error to occur for us dummies.

 

[Brandon McHenry]

Correct. Salifert is my go to for Ca, Alk, Mg, and No3. Those are the only elements that I really test for. This has just been my experience though Im sure others will feel differently. I only use the Hanna checker for Alk, which isn't my primary source. I find it hard to test for phosphates in an aquarium setting especially when algae is present as they are hidden. This is why I don't bother testing for it. I generally let the algae tell me where my phosphate levels are. That said I will test for phosphates in a bin after a dry rock bath. This however is in a closed system where algae can't survive which leaves little room for error in testing imo.
My apex has a Ph probe, but I don't use it. Right now my Ph is reading 8.8 . As long as everything else is in check I don't follow Ph.
FWIW the Hanna Alk that I have may be from my own testing error. This is really why I prefer other test kits compared to the Hanna though as there is less chance of human error to occur for us dummies.

I understand. Salifert is clearly getting the majority of the votes. It does seem to be a popular brand and I know they are good. Its just funny how the polls and the comments can differ. Like I said Im probably going Hanna for alk and PO4 because I want really precise numbers. I have a Mg test for now so for Calcium and NO3 Im thinking Salifert. That seems to be the consensus anyways.

 

[toaster77]

I've had good success with Salifert over the years, but haven't tried anything else for comparison.
One thing I have noticed is that if your kit is aged or you are nearing the bottom of some of the titration solutions, your readings may be artificially too low.
I suspect this is due to some gradual evaporation and concentration of the titration reagent over time. Thus one might be adding more of the titrating agent per unit volume and your parameters may read out to be lower than they really are.

 

[Habib(Salifert)]

I've had good success with Salifert over the years, but haven't tried anything else for comparison.
One thing I have noticed is that if your kit is aged or you are nearing the bottom of some of the titration solutions, your readings may be artificially too low.
I suspect this is due to some gradual evaporation and concentration of the titration reagent over time. Thus one might be adding more of the titrating agent per unit volume and your parameters may read out to be lower than they really are.

Yes, the bottles should be capped properly after each use. Sometimes that is not done (by accident) after use. That will cause evaporation resulting in a higher concentration reagent, requiring less for a color change. This results in a low false value.

FWIW, our caps have a special liner which prevents evaporation if tightened properly. The change is typically 1% over a 5 year period.

 

[Brandon McHenry]

Thank you all for the opinions and experiences! I finally decided. I am getting the Hanna ULR Phosphorus meter and Salifert Calcium, Alkalinity, and Nitrate. I will continue using Red Sea for Magnesium until it runs out.

 

[toaster77]

FWIW, our caps have a special liner which prevents evaporation if tightened properly. The change is typically 1% over a 5 year period.

good to know!