Best test kit to use

[kickbackman]

Hello, I have a 30 gallon Waterbox set up as a reef tank. I want to get a salinity tester and a water parameter test kit. What is the best options/bang for my buck. I’ve seen some awesome digital options but not sure which ones work correctly. Let me know what you suggest.

 

[Spare time]

These are my options with a more expensive and cheaper option

Alk: Red sea pro, salifert

Calcium: red sea pro, salifert

Magnesium: No strong preference

Nitrate: Hanna hr, nyos

Phosphate: Hanna ulr phosphorus or ulr phosphate, salifert (I say salifert as I can't read most non digital phosphate test kits since I'm colorblind

Salinity: any true seawater refractometer, instant ocean hydrometer.


I also use a salifert potassium test but that's not necessary in most cases

 

[Uncle99]

These are my options with a more expensive and cheaper option

Alk: Red sea pro, salifert

Calcium: red sea pro, salifert

Magnesium: No strong preference

Nitrate: Hanna hr, nyos

Phosphate: Hanna ulr phosphorus or ulr phosphate, salifert (I say salifert as I can't read most non digital phosphate test kits since I'm colorblind

Salinity: any true seawater refractometer, instant ocean hydrometer.


I also use a salifert potassium test but that's not necessary in most cases

Like this list as well. ^^^^^^

Red Sea any kit never worked for me so I tossed them all.

Hanna CA and MG always read high for me and results varied a lot. Some say this happens because of the same sample size.

Both Salifert and Aquaforest for MG read equal.

 

[Evil1]

I use salifert for everything alk, ca,mg,phos, nitrate &ph. Never let me down

 

[kickbackman]

Have you tried any of the electronic testers?

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

Check out this reply from @Rick Mathew in the thread "Recommended Test Kits":

Recommended test kits?

Restarting my tank, and have to start over with all test kits. So what would you say are the required tests, and what are the good ones and ones to avoid?

www.reef2reef.com

Ric & @taricha do a lot of testing and test development so I give their advice & experience with a lot of respect.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Hello, I have a 30 gallon Waterbox set up as a reef tank. I want to get a salinity tester and a water parameter test kit. What is the best options/bang for my buck. I’ve seen some awesome digital options but not sure which ones work correctly. Let me know what you suggest.

Salifert are cheap and reliable

 

[PotatoPig]

Copper (if you QT fish in it): Hanna. It’s digital. If you try buy a color test you’ll just end up spending $20 on that and then go buy the Hanna one a few days later because the color differences are terrible.

Phosphate: Hanna. You want this digital. See above.

Ammonia: None. You’ll use it once when cycling the first time, probably confuse yourself with the lower end readings, go on the newcomer forum with cycle issues and find out you’ve been cycled all along and just need to do a water change and adding fish. You’re unlikely to need to use it again.

Magnesium: None. They’re all kinda patchy and you’re better with “Randy’s Magnesium Management” from over in the chemistry forum.

Salinity: My 2c. Mix a control batch, or if your LFS runs at 35ppt take a sample of theirs, keep it in a sealed container and check your readings against this. This way mis-calibrated optical or digital tools, or ones whose calibration has drifted, won’t steer you astray.

 

[esquare]

I prefer Hanna for the things my Trident doesn't test. I just have too hard of a time telling the shades of colors apart and when the color change occurs.

 

[Pistondog]

Copper (if you QT fish in it): Hanna. It’s digital. If you try buy a color test you’ll just end up spending $20 on that and then go buy the Hanna one a few days later because the color differences are terrible.

Phosphate: Hanna. You want this digital. See above.

Ammonia: None. You’ll use it once when cycling the first time, probably confuse yourself with the lower end readings, go on the newcomer forum with cycle issues and find out you’ve been cycled all along and just need to do a water change and adding fish. You’re unlikely to need to use it again.

Magnesium: None. They’re all kinda patchy and you’re better with “Randy’s Magnesium Management” from over in the chemistry forum.

Salinity: My 2c. Mix a control batch, or if your LFS runs at 35ppt take a sample of theirs, keep it in a sealed container and check your readings against this. This way mis-calibrated optical or digital tools, or ones whose calibration has drifted, won’t steer you astray.

Magnesium: aquaforest for $18 for sanity check every month or 2.
Milwaukee refractometer, use randys diy salinity cal solution to validate results.

 

[jabberwock]

If you are starting a new tank, I recommend API Saltwater Master kit, and an API Reef Master to start with. You will be testing a lot, and while these kits have their flaws and limitations, if you do the tests correctly, they will keep you in the ball park, and NOT break the budget. As time has gone on, and API reagents ran out, I have replaced tests that I was unsure of with Hannah Checkers. They are obviously much more precise and objective. After several months to spread out the cost, and use up the API tests, I now have Hanna checkers for Calcium, pH, Alkalinity, HR Nitrate, and Phosphate ULR. I love them.

One drawback is that they get you hooked on these pretty expensive individual reagent packages (over $1 per test). If you are in a phase where testing is not that important, then the Hanna Checkers won't break the bank, and I think they work really well.

Read and follow the instructions...

 

[Evil1]

Have you tried any of the electronic testers?

I haven’t and don’t plan to. To me there are to many variables while using them for false readings. Just my opinion.

 

[Spare time]

Have you tried any of the electronic testers?

Which ones? Ive used a few.

 

[jabberwock]

I have found that the handheld ones that read multiple physical water parameters are garbage. Difficult to calibrate. Its hard enough to do one thing right.

 

[kickbackman]

Which ones? Ive used a few.

Not sure, was looking around Amazon and saw the option for a digital tester that stays in your tank. Kactoily 7-1 tester had some decent reviews.

 

[Spare time]

Not sure, was looking around Amazon and saw the option for a digital tester that stays in your tank. Kactoily 7-1 tester had some decent reviews.

The only digital ones to bother with are hanna except for some pH and salinity probes.

 

[ReefKeeperElite]

I've been using Salifert potassium for a couple years targeting 400 ppm. I recently did my first ICP test, and potassium is way off, at 457 ppm. I guess the ICP could be inaccurate, but I'm leaning toward Salifert being wrong. To cross check, I've been trying the Red Sea potassium test, but I never get the blue color shown on the card below. It should only take a few drops of titrant to reach the 457 ICP level, and around half of the titrant to reach the Salifert level, but the color stays purple, even after using all of the titrant. Is this test kit used by anyone who may have any tips on what I may be doing wrong? I've tried it a few times now with the same results.