Which nitrate kit is better?...

fishboy15 · Jun 4, 2015

The Api is really annoying I'm sure a lot of people will agree, which other one is better? The Red Sea nitrate pro kit or the salifert nitrate test kit??? What do y'all think? The Red Sea is kinda expensive.

Reefing Madness · Jun 4, 2015

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=16751
http://www.marinedepot.com/LaMotte_...water_Aquariums-LaMotte-LM1115-FITKNA-vi.html

fishboy15 · Jun 4, 2015

Those are too expensive... Have you heard of the nyos test kit? Anybody?

kschweer · Jun 4, 2015

I really like the redsea pro test kits. They're pretty easy to use and seem to be accurate. I also like the fact that they sell "refill kits" for them as well, including just the reagents. Cheaper than buying the whole kit once you have used the reagents. I also use their kits for ALK, CAL and Mag.

Longnose Hawkfish · Jun 5, 2015

Red Sea works well IME

fishboy15 · Jun 5, 2015

I read that it only reads 4ppm and below?

fishboy15 · Jun 5, 2015

I think I'm going with salifert, cheaper. Do you know about salifert? Can it be used in fowlr? Does it measure low or high readings, or both?

fishboy15 · Jun 5, 2015

Is this the correct one?

ImageUploadedByREEF2REEF1433480053.888851.jpg

pdiehm · Jun 5, 2015

fishboy15 said:
I read that it only reads 4ppm and below?

there is also a workariound to test higher than 4ppm, up to 64ppm.

1ml of tank water, 15ml of rodi water. There's even a guide. So if you are doing the high range test, and the color is say 0.25ppm, there's a automatic high range number.

underwaterdan · Jun 5, 2015

Does anyone use the Hanna checkers?

Myka · Aug 14, 2015

I use Salifert for both high and low range. I use a 1.0 mL syringe to measure the water rather than the supplied 2 mL syringe. With this smaller syringe I can measure out 0.1 mL tank water and fill the rest (0.9 mL) with new SW to measure very high nitrate with reasonable accuracy. Taking that reading from the top (rather than the side) and multiplying the reading by 10 gives you a reasonably accurate high range reading. I've read tanks up to 750 ppm this way, and have been able to monitor the level decreasing.

ReefMadScientist · Aug 14, 2015

API for Nitrate works just fine for me...and I am colorblind.

Russ265 · Aug 14, 2015

ill never own salifert personally. maybe i just get crappy kits.

i would go for the marine care kit by red sea. it is more than enough by itself.

if you are testing below 2-5ppm then go red sea pro.

glb · Aug 16, 2015

I use salifert for nitrates without a problem. More accurate than API and easier to read IMO. Hanna's nitrate checker is very expensive. They haven't come out with a little model like the rest.

Myka · Aug 19, 2015

I just ordered a Red Sea nitrate kit. I'm interested to see how it compares to Salifert and API since it's double the price of Salifert and 5x the price of API. Haha!

Russ265 · Aug 19, 2015

Myka said:
I just ordered a Red Sea nitrate kit. I'm interested to see how it compares to Salifert and API since it's double the price of Salifert and 5x the price of API. Haha!

interested to hear your experience. also the recharge kits are the same price if you went pro.

Mike in CT · Aug 19, 2015

I use Sailfert because the API I started with would look the same in color if the reading was on the
high side. For example if it was reading 80 or 100 on the API scale, and I did a 50% water change, almost no difference would show up according to the API kit. While the Sailfert kit definitely reflected the expected change.