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Test kits, Test Kits, Test Kits
- Thread starter G Santana
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smm52487
Community Member
I use Hanna for alk, calc, phos, and salinity. Had been using Red Sea for alk and calc, but didn’t care for the titration method. Was happy to see that alk and calc readings were almost spot on between the two.
Ippyroy
Defeater of Dinos
It takes 5 seconds after each drop of triation.
Ippyroy
Defeater of Dinos
I'm not a huge fan foe the calcium. It only tests .1ml of tank water. I feel that is too small of a sample size, but the other ones are great.
Hemmdog
10K Club member
If you already have both syringes filled, you can do it very quickly; I also generally know where my alk is at so I add the reagent quickly until the upper end of my general range of 8.3-7.9 dkh, then do drop by drop. 4-20 seconds.
Dr. Jim
Valuable Member
Calcium: Red Sea over Salifert. Much easier to see color change and more consistent when compared to ICP tests.
Magnesium: Salifert is great. Easy to see color change. Relatively consistent with ICP tests.
Alkalinity: This is a tough one. IME it is difficult to get different test kits to agree and is therefore hard to know which one is correct. I use: GHL probe, Hanna checker, Salifert and Red Sea. Rarely do they agree. Hanna tends to run on low side; Salifert on high side.
I would never depend on any Hanna checker ALONE. I think checkers are fine as long as you have at least one other test kit to compare it to. It is too easy to get a faulty reading on a Hanna checker IMO.
Phosphate: Phosphorus Hanna checker and Red Sea Phosphate. (Not Salifert)
Nitrate: Another tough one. Nyos seems to test low. (It seems to always read around 5 when Salifert and Red Sea are showing higher, up to 10 or so.) I use mostly Salifert (very difficult to read though, especially if you want to be in the 5-10 range). I also use Red Sea but the problem with this kit is 4ppm is the cutoff between the High and Low Range. (You need to do a separate dilution for below 4ppm. For High Range, you might get a <4 or Low Range you might get >4 which becomes frustrating. I will buy the Hanna nitrate checker when it is available (supposedly soon).
Potassium: Salifert. Cheap and good enough for an occasional check.
Magnesium: Salifert is great. Easy to see color change. Relatively consistent with ICP tests.
Alkalinity: This is a tough one. IME it is difficult to get different test kits to agree and is therefore hard to know which one is correct. I use: GHL probe, Hanna checker, Salifert and Red Sea. Rarely do they agree. Hanna tends to run on low side; Salifert on high side.
I would never depend on any Hanna checker ALONE. I think checkers are fine as long as you have at least one other test kit to compare it to. It is too easy to get a faulty reading on a Hanna checker IMO.
Phosphate: Phosphorus Hanna checker and Red Sea Phosphate. (Not Salifert)
Nitrate: Another tough one. Nyos seems to test low. (It seems to always read around 5 when Salifert and Red Sea are showing higher, up to 10 or so.) I use mostly Salifert (very difficult to read though, especially if you want to be in the 5-10 range). I also use Red Sea but the problem with this kit is 4ppm is the cutoff between the High and Low Range. (You need to do a separate dilution for below 4ppm. For High Range, you might get a <4 or Low Range you might get >4 which becomes frustrating. I will buy the Hanna nitrate checker when it is available (supposedly soon).
Potassium: Salifert. Cheap and good enough for an occasional check.
This video is great, Ryan sums up my view perfectly on which test kits are useful for different tests. I hate the titrant test kits, but for some tests I don't do enough to justify the Hanna cost. Alkalinity and ulr phosphorus for Hanna. Calcium for Hanna, but others are probably fine. Salifert for magnesium and anyone for nitrates.
So, it takes you 0 seconds to take the sample, deliver it into the vial, and then fill both syringes? You said, "Salifert alk test takes literally 4 seconds." I consider all the steps that lead up to beginning the titration to count towards the time the "test takes".If you already have both syringes filled, you can do it very quickly; I also generally know where my alk is at so I add the reagent quickly until the upper end of my general range of 8.3-7.9 dkh, then do drop by drop. 4-20 seconds.
Seems like a very hot topic.
personally I just like to stick to one brand so I can at least have the consistency of using the same method every time. I use Red Sea alkalinity test kit for the last 4 years, because I feel like it leaves the least room for human error. A lot of people don’t like the color change of the Red Sea test kit, but I find it to be fine. To each their own ig.
Edit: I really am thinking about investing into a Hanna checker or one of those digital one. IMO they're worth it.
personally I just like to stick to one brand so I can at least have the consistency of using the same method every time. I use Red Sea alkalinity test kit for the last 4 years, because I feel like it leaves the least room for human error. A lot of people don’t like the color change of the Red Sea test kit, but I find it to be fine. To each their own ig.
Edit: I really am thinking about investing into a Hanna checker or one of those digital one. IMO they're worth it.
wilsonline
Active Member
PO4: Hanna or Red Sea, but they didn't match here, last time hanna said 0.07 and Red Sea 0.01 ppm.
NO3 : I only have Red Sea and like it.
ALk Ca and Mg: Trident. I wish there was a trident for the other ones. I hate testing.
Salinity: hanna. And I noticed all refractometer (including the Milwaukee) will show higher salinity than Hanna and PinPoint and Apex probe.
Salifert kh does match trident pretty good. But you have to calibrate yourself. I tested the calibration solution for the trident and now I read kh right after the color grey gets a tint of pink, not a full pink.
hanna alk was 0.6 dkh off compared to trident.
Salifert ammonia test didn't work for me. It's just ridiculous. I can't read that tiny bit of turbid water. Not me.
So, no matter what test/brand, the best practice is to calibrate how you perform them. Fauna Marin solution is in my cart for over a month lol.
NO3 : I only have Red Sea and like it.
ALk Ca and Mg: Trident. I wish there was a trident for the other ones. I hate testing.
Salinity: hanna. And I noticed all refractometer (including the Milwaukee) will show higher salinity than Hanna and PinPoint and Apex probe.
Salifert kh does match trident pretty good. But you have to calibrate yourself. I tested the calibration solution for the trident and now I read kh right after the color grey gets a tint of pink, not a full pink.
hanna alk was 0.6 dkh off compared to trident.
Salifert ammonia test didn't work for me. It's just ridiculous. I can't read that tiny bit of turbid water. Not me.
So, no matter what test/brand, the best practice is to calibrate how you perform them. Fauna Marin solution is in my cart for over a month lol.
Fezbearer
Active Member
Thanks. I was about to ask this.
