Refractometers & Test Kit

Hi everyone,

Continuing to get the tank cleaned up and ready for my first build. I wanted to check with the group about a couple things, refractometers and water test kits.

Salinity Refractometers
Are all of these created equal? I’ve seen some for $100+, some are $50, and still others as low as $20 with a digital PH tester on eBay. The $100 seems like a little, but is there an appreciable difference I see some between these or will any do?

Water Test kit
Is there a single kit that will give me all the tests I need? Again are these all the same or is there a recommended kit?

DarhHorse

 

As long the refractometer has atc you should be fine. The ebay ones are the same as the one on marinedepot and brs.
Api test. Give you all you need for the start.

 

Refractometers aren't built equal, but nearly all are built better than hydrometers. They also don't accumulate little bits over time and start to fail.

For a reef, there is no test kit that includes everything. I would recommend something like the API or Red Sea basic Marine test kits, which gets you the basic stuff, and is good for a FOWLR. You might want a phosphate kit for a FOWLR, though.

If you go reef, you need to add magnesium, alkalinity, calcium and phosphate to that list of kits. I wouldn't buy the alk, magnesium or calcium from Red Sea or API, though. I would buy them from Salifert or Elos, because they're much easier to use, and have a much better accuracy.

 

+1 on the API Reef kit I also use the Calcium kit and find it works just fine. But I whole heartedly recommend the Salifert Mag kit, SOOO much easier to use than the Red Sea one I bought.

I tend to disagree though on the Refractometers not being equal, I have both a 20 dollar one from EBay and the Foster and Smith one that they charge 50 bucks for and they are EXACTLY the same. In fact they come in the same type and color box. As long as they are set right they all work the same and better than any Hydrometer on the market.

 

recent convert to Salifert myself - so +1 on the others
Mag, Calc and Alkalinity, in addition to Phosphate and most recent Nitrate kits
have all proved a lot easier to use and more importantly asses the results from compared to numerous other kits I had used previously

Steve

 

I'm not being obnoxious or sarcastic, but can someone please explain how anything can be easier than the API dKH test kit? You add a drop at a time until the color changes from blue to yellow. Do the other manufacturers put a lab assistant in their test kit who does the test for you? Otherwise, I don't see how it gets any easier. More accurate, yes. Easier, I don't see how.

I do use the Red Sea Pro Magnesium test kit, and I will admit it is a PITA. Can anyone explain the step by step process of the Salifert Mag test kit? I'd be more than willing to change to a different test kit if someone would explain why it's easier, and explaining the step by step process is the surest way of illustrating it.

 

Never used ATI myself reeron so cant say that the Salifert is easier than that

for DKH, I had used , Tetra, Nutrafin, Red Sea and Hippo brands and the results I got (and this could be a user issue not a kit issue) where suspect on occasions

Salifert Mag kit
2mls water in test tube
4 drops Mag 1 and swirl for 30 seconds
1 spoon mag 2 powder and swirl for 10 seconds
fill syringe with 1ml of mag 3 solution
add to test tube slowly whilst swirling between each drop
when colour changes to blue ( kit says grey or blue whichever is seen 1st but with mine its always blue)
once colour achieved , turn syringe upside down and read value where the black plunger level is

compare that number with the table on instructions example if you have 012 Mls marked on syringe your mag level is 1320

the thing with this kit over the other kits I had used is the colour change was really obvious to me

Steve

 

I just find the salifert Mag kit, easier to read, not easier to use just easier and more precise to read than the Red Sea one.

As far as the salifert kits being easier ???? more expensive, yes but not necessarliy more acruate, but easier ????, you got me. API works fine for me.

 

I'd definitely say the Salifert kit is more accurate for alk and calcium than Red Sea. The Red Sea kit for alk (alk pro, not the plain alk) is a PITA to read properly, as I've never had it hit the target color (purple), ever, only the overshoot color (yellow). That means you have to guess a little bit under your actual amount out of the syringe, and can't really be too accurate in that guess. The Salifert kit is very easy to see when the color changes.

The calcium kit from RS reads in 50ppm increments, while Salifert is 10ppm increments; a huge improvement in accuracy.

I actually have 0 problems with the RS mag kit, although it's slightly long to do the test, and the beginning 5 drops, one at a time, 15 second shake between each drop is crazy annoying. I get accurate readings every time.

I have no experience with API, so they might very well be as easy as Salifert.