Test kits

[hammondegge]

What are your favorite test kits and why???? If this exists in previous string will someone link it.
I have been using Aquarium Pharmaceuticals because thats what my LFS has. I am not sold on the accuracy, but they are clean and easy to use. I just tried a Seachem Nitrite/nitrate and it seems to be capable of greater accuracy but it indicates that my systems are in much better shape than i had previously thought. So i suspect that it may be flattering me. AP read 5-15 on nitrate and Seachem is as good as zero. The Seachem is less user friendly yet offers multiple tests at once (more than one aquarium) and i do like that. What else is out there??



Thread title has been changed. We have family members here who might not appreciate that.
Edited by Chris

thanks chris, i was going to change it back; eventually ;)

[SBreef]

Salifert are the best kits. As with all test kits, make sure that they have not expired.

[hammondegge]

Very hard to compete with some of these posts. So.............(title edit)

[::pete::]

90 percent are going to be Salifert

[TexasTodd]

I like Salifert on PO4.

I like Nutrafin/Hagen for alk KH testing. The color change is easy to see and it's super fast. Their CA test isn't too bad either.

My mag test is a seachem. It's o.k. I'd like to know if there is an easier one out there.

TT

[hammondegge]

Thanks guys, salifert it is then.

[hammondegge]

yeh, that's what i am looking for. Fast? Messy? Inaccurate? Unnecessary? I know i have wasted alot of frag money on BS chemicals. Stop the cycle!

[aquadoc]

I use two different types, Salifer(6 different test kits), and Tunze( Mainly just for Calcium).
I have never had a problem with Salifert, so I would deem them trustworthy and accurate. I also enjoy the TUnze kits as well. But Salifert gets my vote.

But for you guys out there that realy want the best LaMonnte is hands down the best(but pretty pricey).
They are realy in depth, and super accurate.

[rocketeer]

I've got three test kits for calcium, Seachem, Salifert and Seatest. All are current. Salifert always measures highest and Seatest is lowest. Get a load of this spread:

Salifert: 460
Seachem: 425
Seatest: 375

How can you put your calcium inside of a 50 ppm range when test kits vary by 85 ppm?

If I go by Seatest I'd add Ca like crazy. But if Salifert is right then I'd be making a huge mistake. And visa versa.

Rocketeer

[hammondegge]

Hmmmmmm, perhaps seachem and seatest have something else that they would like to sell us. like CALCIUM!!!!!!!!?????????? :angry

[TexasTodd]

350ppm on calcium is enough for sps.

TT

[GaryP]

I like Salifert on PO4.

One thing to remember on phosphate test kits is that they only test for ortho phosphate. Ortho phosphate is the inorganic decay product of the the organic phosphate (meta phosphate) that are produced by fish and through decay of detritus.

Ortho phosphate is very rapidly used up so any positive reading by a test kit indicates a problem.

We're going to be talking about phosphate cycling at tomorrow's meeting. I don't want to use up all of my best material.