Test kits Test kits, what one to use.

[Hybrid Ken]

Wow, leave the hobby for just a few short years, come back and holy smokes the testing kits have changed. I am currently using the Red Sea Marine Care kit while I am cycling. Once the cycle is complete I am going to need to monitor a bit more to make sure nuisance alga does not raise it's ugly head. I have been looking at some of the Hanna Checker set ups specifically and phosphorus and the dkh/alkalinity. I am also looking for a silica test kit and hear that Salifert is a good one. What say you?
(comments like it's garbage or a horrible kit are not what I am looking for. Quantify and qualify your pro or con with information)

 

[Jonathan Troutt]

I recently purchased a hanna phosporus checker. I find it a little more laborious to use. I read about how you shouldnt have finger prints on the cuevetts, shouldnt shake them, and make sure you get all the powder out of the packet. That said I enjoy not having to strain my eyes and my brain to figure out what color it is. I use salifert for everything else. The kits that require a change in color and then read how much of this reagent you used are simple and easy to use for that reason I personally cannot see spending the extra money on hanna meter for ALK or any others that rely on a color shift. I love hanna for Phosphorus though.

I cant comment on the silica kits I do not own one. Thats my .01 cent for what it is worth.

On a different note welcome back. Wish you the best of luck!

 

[jsker]

Yes the Hanna's are nice.
I use the UTL phosphours, Ca, dkh also. Red sea is probably the best for No3, Mg I like the Aquaforest test over the Sailferts

 

[kles]

I like hanna for alk and phosphate but used redsea aquaforest and salifert they all work I'm a fan of salifert then redsea salifert been around many years dependable and reliable redsea been good for me just magnesium is little hard to see color change sometimes.

 

[Hybrid Ken]

I recently purchased a hanna phosporus checker. I find it a little more laborious to use. I read about how you shouldnt have finger prints on the cuevetts, shouldnt shake them, and make sure you get all the powder out of the packet. That said I enjoy not having to strain my eyes and my brain to figure out what color it is. I use salifert for everything else. The kits that require a change in color and then read how much of this reagent you used are simple and easy to use for that reason I personally cannot see spending the extra money on hanna meter for ALK or any others that rely on a color shift. I love hanna for Phosphorus though.

I cant comment on the silica kits I do not own one. Thats my .01 cent for what it is worth.

On a different note welcome back. Wish you the best of luck!

Thank you. I work QA in a chemical lab so keeping the vials clean is easy for me...reading color variations how ever hurts this old mans eyes...lol

 

[Hybrid Ken]

Yes the Hanna's are nice.
I use the UTL phosphours, Ca, dkh also. Red sea is probably the best for No3, Mg I like the Aquaforest test over the Sailferts

Sounds like a nice rounded set of kits, on the lines of what I intend to have.

 

[Hybrid Ken]

I like hanna for alk and phosphate but used redsea aquaforest and salifert they all work I'm a fan of salifert then redsea salifert been around many years dependable and reliable redsea been good for me just magnesium is little hard to see color change sometimes.

Color change on a few are past my ability to read on a few I have used before that's why I am leaning toward Hanna on a few but not all.

 

[JAMSOURY]

Salifert sucks for silica testing. Other than that, I use salifert for mg/ca/alk

 

[Hybrid Ken]

Salifert sucks for silica testing. Other than that, I use salifert for mg/ca/alk

Quantify/Qualify why it sucks. Why in your opinion is it a bad test kit?

 

[JAMSOURY]

Quantify/Qualify why it sucks. Why in your opinion is it a bad test kit?

Sorry, late reply.

I was dosing to raise silicates and could never get a reading. It always read zero. I ended up getting a small amount of water and kept dosing and it still would always read 0 no matter how much I put in. Hannah, is probably the best bet for silicate testing.

I tried two salifert silicate test kits. Same results.