Can we trust test kits? I don't even know anymore.

[Earl Karl]

I've been using Salifert test kits since the beginning of my hobby, then one day I tried using a Hanna Checker, and Salifert was 1 dkH higher than the Hanna. I bought two more Salifert Alk. test just in case it was just a faulty test, all had similar results. I assume the Hanna Checker is more accruate since it is not a titration test, but a colorimeter. However, shortly after using the Hanna, I was introduced to the eXact iDip tester, a photometer that tested multiple parameters. Apparently it tested close to ICP tests and the Hanna Checker had a .5 dkH error consistency, so I decided to try one. It was awesome. My reef looked better than ever as Alk. was spot on every test, the consistency was great. I test Alk. everyday since stability is key to my success.

However, a wholesaler told me that that tester was prone to getting bad batches of strips. Of course, I fell victim to it. When I tested, I tested 11.87 dkH instead of the 9.25 I shoot for. They had just came with new test strips so I thought the previous one was bad. I adjusted my Alk. according to the new tests, then that was when everything went downhill. I didn't lose much, but I lost my nice piece of RR Pretty in Pink Acro, Beach Bum Monti that I have been growing forever, most of my JF Homewrecker, and a nice colony of Aussie Acropora Loripes. All from STN, and my other corals looked horrible. I couldn't figure out what was wrong. The wholesaler who told me about the batch problem told me that iDip had an error with the new batch so I got another batch of strips that was updated again, as the wholesaler told me it was definitely accurate.

I tested that day and found out I got 5.49 dkH.

It sucks losing something out of your control, that seems to be a trend in my journey in this hobby. I lost so much time, money, and dedication from this. I adjusted Alk. accordingly to the tester, and a week later after the Alk. finally reached its desired parameters, everything looked better again. I make a lot of mistakes in life which I take blame for that, but I hate when bad things happen due to something out of control because it makes you feel hopeless.

@eXact iDip® I hope there's an explanation to this.

I'm too far into this hobby to just trying new things rather than trying things that has been proven to work. Or maybe I'm not, I don't know. I'll keep using the eXact iDip tester since it's been working now, but I no longer have trust in any tester no more. I guess I just gotta start to read my reef now, become one with it. Consistency is key, accuracy is not a given in this hobby.

 

[Quietman]

I never had an expectation of accuracy with these hobby grade test kits, mostly because of everyone's experience on here. But also knowing that if I'm taking a plastic storage bottle dropper in a vial I fill to 10ml (that doesn't match my syringe fill) and then adding a teeny tiny spoonful of crystals that I can ever seem to even out just so and then add on my 'calibrated eye'...

I agree it's consistency, which I do have some faith in as my repeated tests show consistent values. I run tests compared to known seawater values (thank you Fauna Marin) and try to get something approaching expectations and repeated test results. Then I watch my tank to see if what I'm keeping the parameters at looks like it's better or worse. Plus I gotta just believe that being 10-20% off just isn't that big a deal (which is what I estimate is accuracy based on non-scientific BRS video extrapolation). Otherwise we'd all be failing miserably or paying huge amounts in professional testing.

 

[Earl Karl]

I never had an expectation of accuracy with these hobby grade test kits, mostly because of everyone's experience on here. But also knowing that if I'm taking a plastic storage bottle dropper in a vial I fill to 10ml (that doesn't match my syringe fill) and then adding a teeny tiny spoonful of crystals that I can ever seem to even out just so and then add on my 'calibrated eye'...

I agree it's consistency, which I do have some faith in as my repeated tests show consistent values. I run tests compared to known seawater values (thank you Fauna Marin) and try to get something approaching expectations and repeated test results. Then I watch my tank to see if what I'm keeping the parameters at looks like it's better or worse. Plus I gotta just believe that being 10-20% off just isn't that big a deal (which is what I estimate is accuracy based on non-scientific BRS video extrapolation. Otherwise we'd all be failing miserably or paying huge amounts in professional testing.

I guess so, I got really OCD with parameters as I believe in extreme stability, it has been very successful until recently. Still doesn't explain why iDip has bad batches now and then and why they have to update their strips so frequently. It's like they don't do extensive testing or using a reference before releasing their product.

 

[madweazl]

Been using the Hanna for alkalinity the past 3+ years and havent had any issues. It may not be spot on accurate but it has been consistent for me, and that has been close enough. If it aint broke, dont fix it.

 

[Earl Karl]

Been using the Hanna for alkalinity the past 3+ years and havent had any issues. It may not be spot on accurate but it has been consistent for me, and that has been close enough. If it aint broke, dont fix it.

Yeah, I'm always trying to improve in this hobby, I just realized that's when things go downhill. I'll stick to things that have been proven to work from now on.

 

[Quietman]

I guess so, I got really OCD with parameters as I believe in extreme stability, it has been very successful until recently. Still doesn't explain why iDip has bad batches now and then. It's like they don't do extensive testing or using a reference before releasing their product.

And I think you probably do have extreme stability...it just might be extremely stable at 10 dKH and not extremely stable at 10.5 dKH.

When I switch test gear, I usually run them in parallel for several tests over a week or two just so I know how to adjust in my mind what's what. Plus, if my tank is healthy and corals look good, I'm not chasing numbers because the new device said to, I'll adjust my expectations on measurement before I change actual chemistry.

Some companies are better than others, but again with hobby, there's no real incentive to QC anything except for reputation (which is important) because who's going to sue over corals that don't look quite right?

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I've been using Salifert test kits since the beginning of my hobby, then one day I tried using a Hanna Checker, and Salifert was 1 dkH higher than the Hanna. I bought two more Salifert Alk. test just in case it was just a faulty test, all had similar results. I assume the Hanna Checker is more accruate since it is not a titration test, but a colorimeter. However, shortly after using the Hanna, I was introduced to the eXact iDip tester, a photometer that tested multiple parameters. Apparently it tested close to ICP tests and the Hanna Checker had a .5 dkH error consistency, so I decided to try one. It was awesome. My reef looked better than ever as Alk. was spot on every test, the consistency was great. I test Alk. everyday since stability is key to my success.

However, a wholesaler told me that that tester was prone to getting bad batches of strips. Of course, I fell victim to it. When I tested, I tested 11.87 dkH instead of the 9.25 I shoot for. They had just came with new test strips so I thought the previous one was bad. I adjusted my Alk. according to the new tests, then that was when everything went downhill. I didn't lose much, but I lost my nice piece of RR Pretty in Pink Acro, Beach Bum Monti that I have been growing forever, most of my JF Homewrecker, and a nice colony of Aussie Acropora Loripes. All from STN, and my other corals looked horrible. I couldn't figure out what was wrong. The wholesaler who told me about the batch problem told me that iDip had an error with the new batch so I got another batch of strips that was updated again, as the wholesaler told me it was definitely accurate.

I tested that day and found out I got 5.49 dkH.

It sucks losing something out of your control, that seems to be a trend in my journey in this hobby. I lost so much time, money, and dedication from this. I adjusted Alk. accordingly to the tester, and a week later after the Alk. finally reached its desired parameters, everything looked better again. I make a lot of mistakes in life which I take blame for that, but I hate when bad things happen due to something out of control because it makes you feel hopeless.

@eXact iDip® I hope there's an explanation to this.

I'm too far into this hobby to just trying new things rather than trying things that has been proven to work. Or maybe I'm not, I don't know. I'll keep using the eXact iDip tester since it's been working now, but I no longer have trust in any tester no more. I guess I just gotta start to read my reef now, become one with it. Consistency is key, accuracy is not a given in this hobby.

My friend, welcome to the new way of Reef keeping. Many here with great success for many years, have found out that our creatures are the canary in the mine. Use them as the canary in the mine and you can't go wrong.

 

[Earl Karl]

My friend, welcome to the new way of Reef keeping. Many here with great success for many years, have found out that our creatures are the canary in the mine. Use them as the canary in the mine and you can't go wrong.

Yea, it's about time I become one with my reef. I've been so busy in life, but I realize that animal's lives are at stake as well. I'm a young kid, so this is a harsh lesson learned if anything. Still waiting for @eXact iDip® however.

Wish I can revive the corals I lost or something.

 

[stanleo]

I think all hobby test kits are off by some degree. Some are better than others and the choice IMO comes down to how low the level is for a certain parameter. For instance I keep PO4 at .03 so I want a kit that will read phosphate at that level. So API doesn’t work because it won’t read levels below .25 ppm. If my Red Sea consistently reads 9 dKH for alk and my corals and tank are looking good than I am happy with recording alk at that level even knowing that the actual level is probably one degree off one way or the other. I would only act on a bad reading if 1. I got the same reading three times in a row or 2. If the corals or tank were noticeably in distress.

 

[Quietman]

My friend, welcome to the new way of Reef keeping. Many here with great success for many years, have found out that our creatures are the canary in the mine. Use them as the canary in the mine and you can't go wrong.

Wow, when put that way it sounds awfully harsh. True of course. Doesn't change the fact that putting your trust in measurements from a test kit without being armed with the knowledge of your system based on monitoring your livestock response isn't a recipe for anything but problems.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Yea, it's about time I become one with my reef. I've been so busy in life, but I realize that animal's lives are at stake as well. I'm a young kid, so this is a harsh lesson learned if anything. Still waiting for @eXact iDip® however.

Wish I can revive the corals I lost or something.

Hahaha, if I could show you all the ones I lost, I do hold on to their base rock.
Here's memory lane with some of them

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Wow, when put that way it sounds awfully harsh. True of course. Doesn't change the fact that putting your trust in measurements from a test kit without being armed with the knowledge of your system based on monitoring your livestock response isn't a recipe for anything but problems.

Don't get me wrong I have all the test kits to test. But our creatures are quicker at something wrong that no test can. When you're sleeping they're testing the water for you when you're out working guess who's testing your water for you when you're in the bathroom busy guess who's testing the water again.......heeeee

 

[Earl Karl]

Wow, when put that way it sounds awfully harsh. True of course. Doesn't change the fact that putting your trust in measurements from a test kit without being armed with the knowledge of your system based on monitoring your livestock response isn't a recipe for anything but problems.

Yeah I made that mistake of not reading my reef. I have been very busy in life, I haven't even seen my roommate back at home in 4 days, all I have her do is test the tank for me every day and text me the results. That's about to change now, I absolutely hate it when animals under my care dies. I tend to try to be perfect. Didn't seem like it now however.

I guess you're chained to your reef when you keep one, I can't get out of the house more than a few days. I can't even sleep at night well without being worried since I'm away so often.

I miss the old days when I was able to come back to my reefs everyday after school since I didn't have a job to worry about.

 

[madweazl]

If your corals are doing well (growing), whatever your current parameters are, have proven successful. Dont arbitrarily make a change because you believe something to be outside of ideal. If one test kit says it's 10 dKh and another says it's 7 dKh, believe them both and leave it there because it's obviously producing successful results. Just note that 7 is the new magic number (or whatever the new test kit says it is) and keep it there.

 

[Quietman]

Don't get me wrong I have all the test kits to test. But our creatures are quicker at something wrong that no test can. When you're sleeping they're testing the water for you when you're out working guess who's testing your water for you when you're in the bathroom busy guess who's testing the water again.......heeeee

Oh I didn't take you wrong at all. Agree completely.

I have test kits I "trust" and use all the time (2x a week - not all tests) and my first go to when I notice something wrong.

 

[LC8Sumi]

If Alk is the number you’d like to keep spot on, I highly recommend a Kh director from GHL. It is perfect

 

[Earl Karl]

If your corals are doing well (growing), whatever your current parameters are, have proven successful. Dont arbitrarily make a change because you believe something to be outside of ideal. If one test kit says it's 10 dKh and another says it's 7 dKh, believe them both and leave it there because it's obviously producing successful results. Just note that 7 is the new magic number (or whatever the new test kit says it is) and keep it there.

Good point. I'll take note of that from now on, I put too much trust in something else rather than my reef. All of my reefs have been flourishing for so many years, I didn't expect to go downhill all of a sudden. I guess too much confidence was what made me stop reading my reef.

 

[Quietman]

I just puzzle sometimes over how people understand test kits. For example, how a digital readout is going to make this a professional lab grade test kit that you can trust completely when it's just removing some reader inconsistencies (a very good thing I value and pay for myself).

But ultimately if my tank looks good, it looks good...and that should be the key input, not the only one as you can have ticking time bombs waiting to go off but still, I would never lightly override my tank appearance over a test kit and change what I'm doing unless I had very good reasons.

Edit: Sorry OP...got off topic a bit. I've been very fortunate in not having batch inconsistencies so far. I do check out of date tests which is always recommended. And I've been known to screw up a test a couple times in a row, dig out the old/backup API or whatever and find out I messed up.

 

[Earl Karl]

I just puzzle sometimes over how people understand test kits. For example, how a digital readout is going to make this a professional lab grade test kit that you can trust completely when it's just removing some reader inconsistencies (a very good thing I value and pay for myself).

But ultimately if my tank looks good, it looks good...and that should be the key input, not the only one as you can have ticking time bombs waiting to go off but still, I would never lightly override my tank appearance over a test kit and change what I'm doing unless I had very good reasons.

Digital or not, if it's consistent, I'll take that over anything else. I just carried away with accuracy since my reef looked at it's best that time. I thought it could look even better however as I am always trying to improve. Apprently not, I seem to always want more.

 

[Quietman]

Digital or not, if it's consistent, I'll take that over anything else. I just carried away with accuracy since my reef looked at it's best that time. I thought it could look even better however. Apprently not, I seem to always want more.

Man, who doesn't?