Test kits

[mdbueno1977]

Fairly new to reefing, 2 clownfish have been in my show tank for about 1 week and are going strong.
Question: Is there test kits that most prefer over others as a whole or for different tests - Nitrates, Phosphates, etc? I've been using all Salifert and am mostly happy but sometimes it's hard to figure out the number when it's between colors. Thanks

 

[CuzzA]

Fairly new to reefing, 2 clownfish have been in my show tank for about 1 week and are going strong.
Question: Is there test kits that most prefer over others as a whole or for different tests - Nitrates, Phosphates, etc? I've been using all Salifert and am mostly happy but sometimes it's hard to figure out the number when it's between colors. Thanks

I use Salifert and Hanna Checkers. Hanna for Alk and Phosphate. Salifert for Mag, Cal, and Nitrate. With titration testing I put a drop, or even a half a drop until the color FULLY changes. There shouldn't be "in between" color.

 

[mdbueno1977]

I use Salifert and Hanna Checkers. Hanna for Alk and Phosphate. Salifert for Mag, Cal, and Nitrate. With titration testing I put a drop, or even a half a drop until the color FULLY changes. There shouldn't be "in between" color.

Thank you, I will look into that. I have read that the Hanna Phosphate Checker should be the Low or Ultra Low Range one. Do you use either of these or the one that comes in the Master Reef Test Kit?

 

[RudyvandenBerg]

I use various Salifert and Red Sea kits but also have a JBL Marine Combiset and found that the colors also come out "in-between" on the JBL at times so I just accept it as an average between the two colors it cant decide between...

 

[mdbueno1977]

I use various Salifert and Red Sea kits but also have a JBL Marine Combiset and found that the colors also come out "in-between" on the JBL at times so I just accept it as an average between the two colors it cant decide between...

Thank you, that's what I have been doing also. I am glad to hear what others are doing when they get an "in between" reading. I was concerned that I might be doing something wrong.

 

[homer1475]

In between numbers colors just means it's in between the test points.

For instance I use Red Sea nitrate pro, my color is a little darker then 1ppm, but not quite as dark as 2ppm. So I call it 1.5ppm.

With that said, over the years I have landed on Hanna for ALK, Hanna ultra low range phosphorus(although the have a ULR phosphate now, that does the PPB to PPM conversion for you), Salifert for CAL and MAG, and Red Sea pro for nitrates.

 

[piranhaman00]

Hanna for PO4, dkh and copper
API for all cycling
Salifert for the rest

 

[mdbueno1977]

In between numbers colors just means it's in between the test points.

For instance I use Red Sea nitrate pro, my color is a little darker then 1ppm, but not quite as dark as 2ppm. So I call it 1.5ppm.

With that said, over the years I have landed on Hanna for ALK, Hanna ultra low range phosphorus(although the have a ULR phosphate now, that does the PPB to PPM conversion for you), Salifert for CAL and MAG, and Red Sea pro for nitrates.

Excellent, thank you. I have been averaging the 2 test points to come up with a number. I wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing and developing a good habit so I could grow in the hobby and eventually be able to care for the more difficult/sensitive corals & fish.

 

[mdbueno1977]

Hanna for PO4, dkh and copper
API for all cycling
Salifert for the rest

Thank you

 

[homer1475]

Excellent, thank you. I have been averaging the 2 test points to come up with a number. I wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing and developing a good habit so I could grow in the hobby and eventually be able to care for the more difficult/sensitive corals & fish.

With color matching kits, that's what I have always done. For titration kits, the end color should always match what the instructions say before taking a reading.

 

[mdbueno1977]

With color matching kits, that's what I have always done. For titration kits, the end color should always match what the instructions say before taking a reading.

Thank you

 

[mike550]

Pretty much the same here. Hanna for salinity, phosphate, and alkalinity. Salifert for nitrate, calcium, magnesium. Agree that reading between two colors is frustrating — still can avoid this for nitrate measurement.

 

[CuzzA]

Keep in mind nitrate is not a parameter where you need an exact measurement, like Cal, Mag, Alk, Po4. The difference between nitrate at 2.5 and 5 is not critical. Therefore with a color match, a best guess is perfectly acceptable.

 

[Dom]

For quick, routine chemistry checks, I use API. The accuracy of this manufacturer results often come into question, but for fast, easy and cheap routine testing, API is fine.

I also keep a complete set of Red Sea testing kits. When the API tests come back with a result that raises a flag, I use the Red Sea test to back up and provide a result check on the API.

 

[homer1475]

Keep in mind nitrate is not a parameter where you need an exact measurement, like Cal, Mag, Alk, Po4. The difference between nitrate at 2.5 and 5 is not critical. Therefore with a color match, a best guess is perfectly acceptable.

And that is why I don't worry about the actual color or actual number. As long as there is some pink to my test kit(Red Sea Pro), it's fine.

 

[mdbueno1977]

Keep in mind nitrate is not a parameter where you need an exact measurement, like Cal, Mag, Alk, Po4. The difference between nitrate at 2.5 and 5 is not critical. Therefore with a color match, a best guess is perfectly acceptable.

Thank you, that really helps. I wanted to make sure I wasn't messing up somewhere.

 

[mdbueno1977]

For quick, routine chemistry checks, I use API. The accuracy of this manufacturer results often come into question, but for fast, easy and cheap routine testing, API is fine.

I also keep a complete set of Red Sea testing kits. When the API tests come back with a result that raises a flag, I use the Red Sea test to back up and provide a result check on the API.

Thank you for the info.

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

I have tried a bunch of different test kits from a variety of manufacturers and here’s what I am using for each

phosphate - Hannah ULR phosphate
Alk- Hannah checker DKH version
Calcium - Hannah checker for ease , Red Sea pro for accuracy
Magnesium - salifert
Nitrate - Red Sea pro most accurate IMO

 

[mdbueno1977]

I have tried a bunch of different test kits from a variety of manufacturers and here’s what I am using for each

phosphate - Hannah ULR phosphate
Alk- Hannah checker DKH version
Calcium - Hannah checker for ease , Red Sea pro for accuracy
Magnesium - salifert
Nitrate - Red Sea pro most accurate IMO

Thank you for the info.