Preferred test kits

[wrfreeman]

What's everyone's preferred test kits? Currently I'm using:

Ca: Red Sea
Mg: Red Sea
Alk: APi
PO4: Hanna low range and APi
Salinity: refractometer
NO3: APi

 

[jservedio]

Alk: Hanna (Salifert for Sanity Check)
Ca: Salifert
Mg: Salifert
PO4: Hanna Phorphorus ULR (Hi-736)
NO3: Salifert
Salinity: American Pinpoint Probe
pH: American Pinpoint Probe
Temp: Ranco 111-000

 

[cee]

I'm pretty much with the previous poster although I don't do nitrate or pH. Some articles I've read say that just about any are fine and it is the relative numbers (changes) that you should be worried about. However, how do you know if you're in the ballpark to begin with if you employ this method?

Dave

 

[Blankrubber]

I'm pretty much with the previous poster although I don't do nitrate or pH. Some articles I've read say that just about any are fine and it is the relative numbers (changes) that you should be worried about. However, how do you know if you're in the ballpark to begin with if you employ this method?

Dave

The only way I can think of is using two (or more) different test kits. If they report the same number, you have decent validity that the numbers are accurate. If they report didn't numbers, well... Repeat the tests and see if they continue to report different numbers. Beyond that, and a water sample to a lab? Haha.

 

[kpiotrowski]

Salifert, but I have found api gets me close enough when checked alone side elos or salifert for ca, alk. and nitrate above 5ppm. example is I can tell with api that alk is 9 or 9.5, but salifert will tell you if its 9 or 9.1 or 9.2 etc. ,