Which test kit should I purchase

[tinctorus]

Hey guy's I am going to be ordering a new set of test kits since I need something to test my water until I purchase my reefkeeper to monitor everything and I am not sure which test to purchase, I have always used the Red Sea master marine test kit but to be honest I never had 100% faith in it that it was giving me proper readings




So these are the test kits I have narrowed it down to and I would like your guy's and gal's opinions on which YOU think is the better kit


Also if you have personally used one of the kit's I mention PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE chime in and let me know about your experiences with the kit




1) ELOS brand kits " NO2, NO3, NH3/NH4,Professional Phosphate kit, Magnesium, Carbonate hardness




2) Red sea PRO line of test kits " Iodine, Multi NO3/PO4, NO2, Alkalinity, Magnesium, Calcium"


3) Tropic Marin " Expert kit which comes with "ph, alk, NO2, NO3, NH3/NH4" PO4, calcium/magnesium"

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

I like Tropic Marin but that's just me.

 

[spero]

I've been using the Red Sea Pro tests for the last couple months. Very happy with them.

 

[lpslover]

I haven't used the Tropic Marin or Elos. I've been using the Red Sea Pro kits. The Alk/Ca/Mg absolutely rocks. All are titration not colorimetric with well designed equipment and clear instructions. I will definitely buy them again.

The others are nice with two caveats: be aware that the color match in the NO3/PO4 test is not exact IMO. So look for the closest not exact match. Also the I2/Fe/K reef colors kit is straightforward, but it is time consuming as the tests require lots of steps and long processing times. The I2 for example requires a control sample to be temperature equilibrated to your tank for subsequent use as a reaction timer. Not a huge deal, but an extra 10-15 minutes required to do so.

 

[bct15]

Salifert kits, even though they are not in your list. You will not be dissapointed, you might as well just avoid the phosphate test kits as none of them will give you good readings.

 

[feh]

I like Salifert but I use Hanna checkers for Ca, PO4, and Alk.

 

[mcarroll]

I've used a lot of kits over the years....so far not Tropic Marin or Elos.

FWIW, here's my $0.02

Minerals
Alkalinity, Mg and Ca it's going to be hard to beat the Salifert kits. They are reasonably priced, very consistent and very well known, so you can have a small chance at having comparable results with someone else. They are also very user-friendly simple and fast to operate. Alk is by far the most important to have. Depending on the tank you may do very well with only this kit.

Nutrients
PO4 I would go for one of the Hanna kits. Personally I like the Phosphorus ULR kit which measures Phosphates (PO4) from 0.0 to about 0.6. You won't go wrong with their Phosphate ULR kit either though...measures from 2.5 down to 0.0...just that if PO4 ever gets that high, A) algae will tell me and B) I have about the same strategy for 0.6 as I do anything higher than that.

Nitrates are almost always a colorimetric (color comparison) test and I pretty much dislike them all equally. This is also one of my least-worried about factors...YMMV, but you may find you can do without this one. Certainly I wouldn't spend money on Ammonia or Nitrite. You're doing something wrong (probably rushing something) if these seem important. Your LFS probably offers testing for these parameters and to the extent one should need these tested (barely and rarely), that should suffice.

pH
pH...ditto my feelings on Nitrate kits. Thankfully economical pH pens and other electrical options abound, including those from Hanna. Again depending on the tank, most people are better off focusing on Alk and not worrying about pH anyway. It's a cheap and easy test (even the electric ones) so lots of people do it...it's not that straight forward to interpret though so aquarist's reactions to pH often cause further problems. (This is unlike almost every other param we're interested in where you're measuring something straightforward like a concentration of something.) I very rarely ever recommend someone to test their pH.

Trace Elements
I would never recommend that someone test for Iodine....ever. If you are still crazy (and I mean goofy-crazy! ) enough to do it....use the Seachem Iodine test...it comes with a good reference solution and it's the best compromise of simplicity and good consistent results IMO. But don't get me wrong, those are relative observations....the Iodine test is neither simple, nor consistent in it's results. I will repeat, I do not recommend testing for I. Use aquariumwatertesting.com's service* if you're really that into the minutia like this....they are properly equipped to get (more) meaningful and consistent numbers.


Summary
Honestly, my advice would be to get a Salifert Ca and Alk kit (or pick your own favorite brand) and if you're really hardcore about over stocking and heavy feeding, then a Hanna PO4 meter as well. Beyond that, I would send out for testing the other params you'd like to know about. (BTW, If you felt at all happy with the old Red Sea test kits you will likely be blown away by any of the brands you mentioned as well as the Red Sea Pro's and Salifert kits. Those old ones were among the worst kits on the market IMO....Red Sea did right by discontinuing them.)

* I'm sure it's only a coincidence, but these guys are located literally around the block from Hach Chemical.

 

[cdness]

I have been using API since I started and while they don't give a super precise reading, they are close and cheap...

I have been looking at the red sea pro ones though as I like the ability to just buy more reagent instead of the whole kit. Brings costs down a bit.

 

[_sludgefactory]

If u use api kits u absolutely need a syringe to measure the water into the tube. The screen printed lines on the tubes are not even close to accurate. That being said.

I use api for cal and kh. I've used salifert and elos for mag and i prefer the salifert. The elos kit needs 2 different test samples both with counting. The salifert u drip into the test tube until the color changes then however much solution left in the syringe relates to your mag level. Both seem to be equally as accurate but i hate all the counting in the elos kit, i freakin forget to count or lose cont all the time and have to start over. Lol.

Sent from somewhere using something.

 

[jformani]

I like salifert as well. If I had to pick of those three...red sea

 

[hollback]

Salifert and Hanna electronics.

 

[mallorieGgator]

I haven't used any of those but I do like and use Salifert.

 

[GeoHawk]

I've used a lot of kits over the years....so far not Tropic Marin or Elos.

FWIW, here's my $0.02

Minerals
Alkalinity, Mg and Ca it's going to be hard to beat the Salifert kits. They are reasonably priced, very consistent and very well known, so you can have a small chance at having comparable results with someone else. They are also very user-friendly simple and fast to operate. Alk is by far the most important to have. Depending on the tank you may do very well with only this kit.

Nutrients
PO4 I would go for one of the Hanna kits. Personally I like the Phosphorus ULR kit which measures Phosphates (PO4) from 0.0 to about 0.6. You won't go wrong with their Phosphate ULR kit either though...measures from 2.5 down to 0.0...just that if PO4 ever gets that high, A) algae will tell me and B) I have about the same strategy for 0.6 as I do anything higher than that.

Nitrates are almost always a colorimetric (color comparison) test and I pretty much dislike them all equally. This is also one of my least-worried about factors...YMMV, but you may find you can do without this one. Certainly I wouldn't spend money on Ammonia or Nitrite. You're doing something wrong (probably rushing something) if these seem important. Your LFS probably offers testing for these parameters and to the extent one should need these tested (barely and rarely), that should suffice.

pH
pH...ditto my feelings on Nitrate kits. Thankfully economical pH pens and other electrical options abound, including those from Hanna. Again depending on the tank, most people are better off focusing on Alk and not worrying about pH anyway. It's a cheap and easy test (even the electric ones) so lots of people do it...it's not that straight forward to interpret though so aquarist's reactions to pH often cause further problems. (This is unlike almost every other param we're interested in where you're measuring something straightforward like a concentration of something.) I very rarely ever recommend someone to test their pH.

Trace Elements
I would never recommend that someone test for Iodine....ever. If you are still crazy (and I mean goofy-crazy! ) enough to do it....use the Seachem Iodine test...it comes with a good reference solution and it's the best compromise of simplicity and good consistent results IMO. But don't get me wrong, those are relative observations....the Iodine test is neither simple, nor consistent in it's results. I will repeat, I do not recommend testing for I. Use aquariumwatertesting.com's service* if you're really that into the minutia like this....they are properly equipped to get (more) meaningful and consistent numbers.


Summary
Honestly, my advice would be to get a Salifert Ca and Alk kit (or pick your own favorite brand) and if you're really hardcore about over stocking and heavy feeding, then a Hanna PO4 meter as well. Beyond that, I would send out for testing the other params you'd like to know about. (BTW, If you felt at all happy with the old Red Sea test kits you will likely be blown away by any of the brands you mentioned as well as the Red Sea Pro's and Salifert kits. Those old ones were among the worst kits on the market IMO....Red Sea did right by discontinuing them.)

* I'm sure it's only a coincidence, but these guys are located literally around the block from Hach Chemical.

Couldn't agree more, especially after all the money I have spent on a variety of other kits.

 

[VegasRick]

I have used a lot of different test kits, from the high end like Hach, Lamotte to the low end ones.
I use Salifert for alk and calcium even though I have higher end ones. Ease of use, availability and consistency they are hard to beat. Alk I test for about twice a week and Ca maybe once a month. These two are the only things I test for regularly.
Mg I only have the Tropic Marin and have used it maybe 8 times in 4 years. Mg is generally maintained by water changes so as long as you use a salt with high Mg I wouldn't waste money on one. Not the easiest test to use. I do weekly or every other week water changes and have never found my Mg below 1250 and don't use any additive.
Phosphates I use the Hanna, probably used it 5 times since it came out. It's ok just not sure if it's worth testing for very often. If you have algae you have phosphates. The Hach low range test kit is extremely hard to use/read.
Ammonia and Nitrites I haven't tested for in over 20 years. Nitrates again I use Salifert. And maybe test once or twice a year.
Ph I don't test for, I have a pin point monitor, but I don't use it often. Apex ph probe is in the ca reactor.
For salinity I use a refractometer and verify it with a glass hydrometer.

 

[K1Reef]

+1 on Salifert & Hanna checkers

 

[NanoNathan]

I have been using api but after buying redsea po4 and nitrates. they test at a very low range. api tested nitrates 10ppm red sea tested 40ppm i knew they were not 10. tested twice with each both same result. API is garbage pretty much, i rather not test then test and get crazy reading from api kits. But i know plenty of people that have pretty nice LPS reef tanks and swear by api test..

 

[shred5]

I hate the redsea test kits. I hate having to use math. Do it like salifert. Magnesium test kit is hard to read.


Salifert are nice and easy to use but I have had problems with them with messed up readings from box too box.

 

[Skinpuppi]

why not some of the Hannah checkers? They seem convenient and more cost effective in the long run.