Opening the floodgates again: is API good for testing parameters?

[be_ninja_pancake]

I’ve seen several discussions on here and other forums about the API Saltwater Master Test Kit being inaccurate, unreliable, and overall a money hemorrhage because of the livestock lost due to inaccurate readings. However, I’ve also seen people defend API by saying those people just don’t do the instructions right, or can’t distinguish the colors right.

I have had my 15 gal since January, so I’ve been in this hobby for about 5 months. As a beginner, is API good for me? Or would it be better to upgrade since I hardly have any coralline algae right now? (I have mostly green film currently)

 

[Cichlid Dad]

I use salifert test kits I have a API test kit that I stopped using after I wanted to grow coral.

 

[welshd24]

I’ve seen several discussions on here and other forums about the API Saltwater Master Test Kit being inaccurate, unreliable, and overall a money hemorrhage because of the livestock lost due to inaccurate readings. However, I’ve also seen people defend API by saying those people just don’t do the instructions right, or can’t distinguish the colors right.

I have had my 15 gal since January, so I’ve been in this hobby for about 5 months. As a beginner, is API good for me? Or would it be better to upgrade since I hardly have any coralline algae right now? (I have mostly green film currently)

if you have no other ways of testing api is better then nothing

 

[Nano_Man]

There was some body on the forum said his api was very close to his hanna checker. I use salfert but api was always easier to use . Ammonia test never read 0 with api .

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

I used API for a couple years when my reefs were essentially frag tanks. I grew tired of guessing colors, so I went with Hanna Checkers next. Some of the tests have a very dramatic color change though, like the API calcium test or the Salifert magnesium test, and those ones are okay, imo. For API, I would wrap the cuvette cap in paper towel to prevent it leaking while I shook it for what seemed like forever with the nitrate test. I also suggest shaking up all the api bottles before testing.

 

[Garf]

This reminds me that I’ve run out of Hanna phos reagents, I’ve been using API reagents in my checker. Cheers, I’ll need some in a few years when the API bottles run out, so I can recalibrate, lol.

 

[Rmckoy]

I’ve seen several discussions on here and other forums about the API Saltwater Master Test Kit being inaccurate, unreliable, and overall a money hemorrhage because of the livestock lost due to inaccurate readings. However, I’ve also seen people defend API by saying those people just don’t do the instructions right, or can’t distinguish the colors right.

I have had my 15 gal since January, so I’ve been in this hobby for about 5 months. As a beginner, is API good for me? Or would it be better to upgrade since I hardly have any coralline algae right now? (I have mostly green film currently)

For cycling and just a basic idea of parameters api is great .
But other test kits are needed for higher accuracy with lower and favourable numbers

 

[blecki]

Very few reasons to test ammonia in an established tank and usually what you want to know "is there any at all" and not a specific number. For that API is fine. If it never reads 0 even on freshly mixed salt water then there's ammonia in your water source and you should get a better test to figure out exactly how much.

The nitrite and nitrate tests are accurate, but 1) Who cares about nitrite? Waste of a test. 2) People forget to subtract the nitrite results from the nitrate test, and because of how the tests work a little bit of nitrite can make the nitrate test read much higher than it would otherwise.

PH tests are pretty hard to **** up. Seriously you can make your own test kit with some cabbage and get perfectly accurate results. But the big one here is people will test PH at home and get like... 8.1. Then they'll put their water sample in a hot car and drive it 45 minutes to their LFS, and the LFS will test the PH and get... 7.9. Hurr Durr, the API PH test is wrong! No, the test kit is fine, it's the water that changed.

 

[be_ninja_pancake]

There was some body on the forum said his api was very close to his hanna checker. I use salfert but api was always easier to use . Ammonia test never read 0 with api .

That’s the biggest issue I’ve had. It would consistently read at 0.25ppm when there was no ammonia in my tank, otherwise my critters would be suffering if there was that much ammonia in the tank.

 

[Reeferbadness]

I use a combination of Salifert for Nitrate, Calcium (the Hanna Calcium tester is very difficult to get an accurate reading) and Magnesium and Hanna for UL Phos and Alk. Thinking of switching most to Trident but haven't had the courage to switch as my Apex stock tests are not very accurate (PH, Temp, etc)

 

[Nano_Man]

That’s the biggest issue I’ve had. It would consistently read at 0.25ppm when there was no ammonia in my tank, otherwise my critters would be suffering if there was that much ammonia in the tank.

Yep I think lots of people had the same thing . I changed to salfert but some people love api . You need a test kit you can trust then go from there. If you have £750 you can get a machine that gives all the results on one screen. I think @vetteguy53081 has one . I would have one if I had a spare £750

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

Not my first choice.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Yep I think lots of people had the same thing . I changed to salfert but some people love api . You need a test kit you can trust then go from there. If you have £750 you can get a machine that gives all the results on one screen. I think @vetteguy53081 has one . I would have one if I had a spare £750

I dont but this machine originally by LaMotte testing is a spin test by API and also found inaccurate at times. Discs are costly and harder to acquire.

 

[Nano_Man]

I dont but this machine originally by LaMotte testing is a spin test by API and also found inaccurate at times. Discs are costly and harder to acquire.

Sorry I thought you had a new test machine my mistake. What is your thoughts on best test kit todays market . Thanks

 

[vetteguy53081]

Sorry I thought you had a new test machine my mistake. What is your thoughts on best test kit todays market . Thanks

Hanna and salifert. I do have a new test kit which is the Hanna master kit

 

[Nano_Man]

Hanna and salifert. I do have a new test kit which is the Hanna master kit

I think this is what I seen how good is it your review info would be welcome thank you vetteguy

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Hanna and salifert. I do have a new test kit which is the Hanna master kit

Now that's a test kit!

Now that's a test kit!

 

[SnazzyUrchin792]

For £750 you can get a machine that gives all the results on one screen.

Do you mean an Apex with trident?

 

[Nano_Man]

Do you mean an Ap

Do you mean an Apex with trident?

I could not tell you I have seen one from the USA that gives all parameters on one screen but people said it was not that accurate. The one vetteguy has is the one I seen on a thread vetteguy would have to say how good it is. But if vetteguy bought one they must be fairly good

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

I’ve used almost every API Test kit, and the only one I’ve had a problem with was the Copper Test, just doesn’t indicate close enough to the Therapeutic Level for Copper Power. On some of the Thinner Reagents, you have to be careful that the first drop, is not too small, when it comes out while tipping the bottle. BTW, someone had a different method, on a different board, for the Copper Test. You used twice the water and twice the reagent, in some another brand kits vial. According to the post, it was spot On.