Your experience with API tests

[Spare time]

I know that API tests are despised by many here on reef to reef. I would like to hear everyone's experience with their tests kits. I personally am not a fan since the alk can be off by 2 points, the nitrate is hard to read (once was off by 30 according to my red sea pro test but that could have been user error), the phosphate test is very difficult to read and does not go low enough), the vials sometimes leak liquid when shaking, etc..

 

[ZoWhat]

You tell me what shade of green the API test results in what value....

 

[jcolliii]

Throw them out and buy Salifert.

 

[Kryptonian]

I feel API has done a great job testing nitrite and nitrate for my tanks but everything else, blah... Can never tell what ammonia is, phosphate basically says 0 all the time, pH will change by .3 testing two minutes later, and alk kept saying 16 (red sea says 10.5). I test nitrite and nitrate most so I keep the API kit handy for those because I think those are the only two accurate tests API offers and the kit is pretty cheap.

If you have lethal ammonia, API will tell you, but a normal test you can barely tell the difference between 0 and 0.25. You can check it against skimjim's green meter.

 

[Mirkus]

i always had great results with api for kh. I use a 5ml syringe and get consistent results all the time.

 

[Jet915]

I use it for ammonia, nitrate and calcium but its horrible for phosphate and alkalinity where you need more precise numbers.

 

[vetteguy53081]

You get what you pay for

 

[Mirkus]

what is wrong with api kh? It was always close to salifert in my experience. You don’t get the resolution of the other test kits, but its cheap and quick.

 

[Spare time]

In my opinion, I see them as indicator tests rather than parameter tests. They seem to be a cheap and easy solution if you want to know whether you water is ok or bad. I think they have their places in local fish store free testing and for those who keep soft coral tanks or fish only tanks. I think this applies to the KH, Nitrate, ammonia, nitrite, ph, and calcium tests. The only test that I think its useless is the phosphate test kit since the difference between 0 and 0.25 is very large when it comes to phosphate.

Yes they are no where near the quality of a much more expensive test kit, but many people in this hobby don't like testing their water and convincing them to spend 20 bucks per a test kit vs 20 or 30 for a set / 10 per an individual api test is very difficult. I am by no means anti API. Rather, I am for their use as indicators and not as measuring tools. To some people, having their nitrate read about 10 or their alk read about 9 is fine. To those with stony corals and what not, there is a difference between 9.7 and 9.1 since calculating daily use becomes more difficult when accounting for a larger margin of accuracy as well as having to guess the exact water volume of a tank.

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

I've liked mine for cycling a tank where you're mostly looking for presence and absence. Funny you mention the leaking caps. I learned early to wrap a paper towel around the vial prior to shaking lol.

When I want finer details I turn to my Red Sea or Hanna tests (or send for an ICP test). Can't wait for Hanna's nitrate checker!

 

[Spare time]

I've liked mine for cycling a tank where you're mostly looking for presence and absence. Funny you mention the leaking caps. I learned early to wrap a paper towel around the vial prior to shaking lol.

When I want finer details I turn to my Red Sea or Hanna tests (or send for an ICP test). Can't wait for Hanna's nitrate checker!

That nitrate checker looks nice. The only downside is that it only reads up to 9.99ppm

 

[LeftyReefer]

For API, ammonia and nitrite tests are fine.
I struggle with the API nitrate test. Those shades of orange just aren't clear for me.
The API pH test has been useable..... I always seem to get the same color result, which doesn't correspond with any color shown on the pH chart, so I end up guessing. I have a handheld pH meter that i use to double check and so far, the meter and my guess based on the API chart has always matched.

I really dislike the API tube caps though.... leaky SOB's!!!!

At least the API kits are relatively simply and easy to use.... the Red Sea kits with multiple syringes and having to add reagent and determine how much is left in a syringe is a pain in the rear too imho.

 

[Opus]

what is wrong with api kh? It was always close to salifert in my experience. You don’t get the resolution of the other test kits, but its cheap and quick.

I'm with you. It is quick and it is always close to my hanna checker. If I want to get more exact, then I will pull out the hanna. I also use the calcium test kit. It has always been close to the hanna and salifert kits so I use the API for the quick tests and will pull out the salifert every so often to make sure the API is still giving good readings.

 

[ksanfranfan]

I’ve used some of the api test kits before sending in water samples for Icp tests. From my own experience the numbers were close between the 2 times that I used the api test kits against Icp analysis results.
For me I feel comfortable using api test kits for my tanks.

 

[nmo0ory]

i am using it with reefbot only CA and its working good for me

 

[Super Fly]

they were messy to use and on top of that not very precise

 

[Vinny84]

Only real issue I have had is with the ammonia test tested the other week was reading 4ppm so tested with fresh saltwater I had and boom same reading also nitrates are hard to read against the colour chart