Best Testing kits?

I have about $1500 in livestock. I still don't feel the extra money is worth it. A CA reading of 450 using API is just fine with me when the more expensive one reads 460. Close enough.

 

my experiences with a number of brands over the last 3 years

Tropic Marin - combined Calcium and Magnesium test - a good kit IMO but with one negative, if you run high mag and calcium , you tend to use up all the mag reagent long before you are even close to using up the Calcium ( the kit requires only a few drops to register 440 ca, but almost the full 1ml to reach 1450 mag

Red Sea - the Mag and Calc pro I found to be pretty good and as I still had the Tropic Marin kit I was able to see that the Red Sea kits where OK in terms of results when compared to that one
the Red Sea Alk pro kit was a waste of money - I never got a useable result with it

Salifert - having used this brand for Phosphate testing right from the start, I went for Salifert on Calcium, Magnesium and Alkalinity , and again found these to be easy to use and I will probably remain with these now.

Steve

 

I used to use API for all my testing and have been upgrading to Salifert one at a time. Currently use Salifert for Ca,Mg,KH,PO4. I recently got an Elos nitrate kit because my LFS ran out of Salifert for that particular test. Tested my nitrates last night for a comparison test. API said 0 and Elos continuously read 2.5ppm for all the three tests of each I performed. Hence, my current algae bloom. WC this weekend anyway. Hopefully my bio-pellets kick in soon, going on 3 weeks running them.

Haven't used any other brands to comment.

Think it definitely pays to have more sensitive test kits for at least nitrates and PO4.

 

i have done research and API being a pain to use seems to be acurate enough so i stick with it.

 

I use salifert and mag seachem...much more accurate and easier to use

 

i use api for everything(don't test for mag just dose and pray...). i don't really enjoy using the kits. the Ca and Alk i always have to do 2-3 times before i'm comfortable that its consistent. API is the only brand i'v used to date.

 

Buy red sea. Expensive but long lastin and works good. True that if you used thousand of money in corals a $20 kit is nothing. Im willing to sell my used red sea for $30. Almost new i used it couple times only. I got red sea saltwater too. Let me know email me in my page

 

Not really wise to dose something your not testing for.

 

The red sea alk pro kit is horrible, the calcium kit is only within 50 ppm, and the mag kits is a PITA but doable. The rest are pretty much on par with the other kits.

Go Salifert for Alk and Calcium, they're super easy. I haven't used others for mag, so I don't know what to recommend. Red Sea is good for the standards (ammonia/nitrite/nitrate, ph)

 

But he prays!!!! No one read that part! :-/

I've used API for my initial testings, going through cycle etc. I bought the saltwater master's test kit, or something to that extent. I've been using the CA, Mg from them, but slowly replaced them by Salifert. They seem easier to decode for me with the clear color changes of their formula. I would be lying though, if I said that I cross checked them for accuracy, since I never had any 3rd option to cross-check and compare with and I don't think 2 brands are good enough to make a neutral comparison between the products.
In general, I like how it becomes easier for me with Salifert.

What about those Red Sea test kits with the little color wheel that were reviewed here a bit ago? Any body has reports from the users about them?

- Mag.