api test kits

Hey going to get all my reef essentials soon. Calcium, Magnesium, and Alkalinity. Was woundering I have api test kits should I trust them or get something else?

 

I use API for calcium. It seems to work well. I use Salifert for pretty much everything else. I didn't like API's nitrate test. It didn't go low enough.

 

Much appreciated I would add karma but im not sure how.

 

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Ah, I see thank you.

 

no problem

 

API is good for Calcium, dKH, Ammonia, nitrite...
Agreed nitrate is hard to read but it does the job and I'm not sure if getting an expensive test kit for that is worth it... so for the money it's great.
The Phosphate test is kinda weak.. the scale is not low enough for someone really trying to get a more detailed reading.. it's important for a SPS tank or people with algae problems. Also more detail is needed to know when your Phosban material is exhausted. Replacing Phosban material (GFO) that doesn't need to be replaced could get expensive.
Magnesium.. I go with Salifert for sure.

 

I forgot about that. The lowest two colors look identical to me for the API nitrate test. That's one of the reasons I switched to Salifert. The salifert nitrate test is worth every penny in my opinion. You can measure down to 0.2 ppm.

 

Yeah thats what I was going to get. Everything is fine which is suprising becuase all im adding for calcium is fiji gold, I guess it does the trick. But then again I have no corals yet just a little bit of corraline. My corraline is spreading very very slowly I have no magnesium test yet. Could the problem be I just have low mag? thats what im hoping for i'll find out when I get a test. I've seen good reviews for salifert test kits