Are all test kits created equal?

[MattK]

It's time for a new test kit and I don't know which one to get. I had the SeaChem Marine Basic kit and it seemed to work fine. I'm looking to get a basic kit which would test for pH, alkalinity, ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite. In addition I want to get a calcium and phosphate kit also.

So, my question is: Which brand should I get? I've been looking at the Hagen Master Test Kit and the Salifert Test Kits. I haven't found a Salifert multi-kit and the individual kits seem kinda pricey :wacko . What do you MAASTards think? What do you recommend?

[erikharrison]

COW! I have been wondering the EXACT same thing! What is TRULY the best bang for the buck?

[caferacermike]

The answer around here is no. I'm not an expert on test kits but from what I've gathered on this site, Tunze, Salifert, and then Seachem. The rest are not recommended.

[Euclid]

The answer around here is no. I'm not an expert on test kits but from what I've gathered on this site, Tunze, Salifert, and then Seachem. The rest are not recommended.
I've always heard the same. Stay away from Petsmart!

[matt]

Test kits are almost certainly not equal. Although there's no study on this that I know of, Randy Holmes-Farley's forum has a lot of threads about the innaccuracy of some test kits. Lots of people post parameters that seem out of whack, then find out it was just a testing error. Salifert kits are pretty well respected, and worth the cost IMO. If you test for calcium (or anything) and you're not sure your reading is correct, there's no point in testing in the first place.

[Richard]

For ammonia & nitrite any test kit will do IMO. You don't care about accuracy on these kits since zero is the goal. I also use a cheap kit (aquarium pharm) for ph and it seems as accurate as salifert.

For the others I prefer salifert.

[Bill S]

I also only buy Salifert now - and CB usually has most of them in stock. After going thru some gyrations with a Seachem kit having bad reagents (brand new), I just stick with Salifert. Seachem WAS good about replacing the reagents, AND Seachem includes known samples so you check them, but I've just been hesitant to buy again.

[Richard]

I've actually tested most kits (seachem, hagen, SeaTest/Fastest) against salifert and when the reagents are good they are all pretty accurate. The problem with them is that you might be getting old reagents because you don't know how long they have sat in the distributors warehouse and then on the store shelf. Salifert does not ship enough product to the US (european work schedule I guess) so usually once or twice a year everyone (distributors that is) runs out of salifert kits until another batch gets in the country. So your always going to get a kit with fairly fresh reagents.

[Richard]

Also when comparing pricing don't forget to take into account the number of tests a kit gives. Salifert nitrate kit for example is actually cheaper than the FasTest nitrate kit per test since the Fastest only gives 20 tests per kit whereas Saliferts gives 50 tests.

[MattK]

Also when comparing pricing don't forget to take into account the number of tests a kit gives. Salifert nitrate kit for example is actually cheaper than the FasTest nitrate kit per test since the Fastest only gives 20 tests per kit whereas Saliferts gives 50 tests.

Good point. So, maybe I should stick with the SeaChem for the mulit-kit and Salifert for the calcium and phosphate kit?

[jroescher]

You're are all wrong. Read the advertisements! Every one of them is the best, most efficient, most reliable, and easiest to use than all other products on the market.

[caferacermike]

John is the only one of us that gets this "hole" hobby.

[erikharrison]

You're are all wrong. Read the advertisements! Every one of them is the best, most efficient, most reliable, and easiest to use than all other products on the market.
Don't forget there is 20% more free!