test kits?

[junkstang]

ok so i am in the market for a test kit, but with so many on the market I would like the opinion of a user not a salesman at the store. i have been able to limp along quite a while but since i no longer work with ALTON I will have to get my own. thanks for the help.....

[Bill S]

On name, and one name only. The others are a waste of money:

Salifert. B & B has them.

[JKLUSAF]

agree with bstreep on the Salifert kits.....they are alot more money than other kits.

I've used APi kits for a while now, i like them cause they fit my price range, but started having some bad readings a couple months back. it may have been due to the age of kits or whatever the reason was so just make sure you keep a good eye on parameters and any changes that you notice within your tank.

[MRSBIGBIRD123]

I own and prefer the Hagen......great kit! Never have had any troubles.....knock on wood!

[lt1z28]

Salifert

[BIGBIRD123]

Salifert are one of the best that I can afford. I have used ELOS and they are pretty good but no one in SA carries them.. In Austin, Kingfish ( a Sponsor) carries them.

Of course right now we are using the Hagen Pro Kit and It seems to be dead on.

[Bill S]

Not spending money on Salifert kits is "penny wise and pound foolish". I've used ALL of the kits in the last 35+ years, and had problems with ALL of them EXCEPT Salifert.

The single biggest issue is shelf life. The kits from LFSs could have been sitting for years. As a molecular biologist by education, I can tell you that fresh reagents are CRITICAL.

All-in-one kits are garbage. Even Seachem - one of the best known kits - I had a alkalinity problem I chased when I first got my big tank. After chasing it everywhere, I call Seachem and they tell me "oh... we had a bad batch of reagents...". REALLY? FREAKIN' REALLY?

[wesheltonj]

I use three brands API, Salifert & Seachem. When the seachem is gone I will replace it with a Salifert. The API that I use is the Calcium. It very very close to the Salifert readings. I used to use the API kH, its good but it only reads whole numbers, the Salifert reads in more detail. The API NO3 is hit or miss.

[junkstang]

yea, the problem i had when looking at the LFS was age, most had dust on them. well i guess the winner is SALIFERT thanks for all the help...

[corkyGramma]

My Api calcium has never worked!

[smalls]

i use the basic API kit seems to work well for me every now and again i take my water to Jason at AD (uses the hagen test kit) and always spot on

[CoryDude]

My Api calcium has never worked!

+1. Complete waste of $$$.

[junkstang]

who has the newest stock?

[allan]

I've changed 40 gallons of water in the last 24 hours, but my API is showing high 'trates. Really high. I wonder if the reagents are expired? I checked the bottles but it only has the lot number.

Now that B&B is in transit who else carries salifert?

[wesheltonj]

AD has some I think.

What do you call really high? You changed 40 out of how many? Also the API measures NO3 differently then Salifert.

[GoldCorals]

[QUOTE=allan;683147]I've changed 40 gallons of water in the last 24 hours, but my API is showing high 'trates. Really high. I wonder if the reagents are expired? I checked the bottles but it only has the lot number.
I wouldnt worry about a thing....these test are about a crap shoot unless u get into crazy money..


How's the coral look..thats your answer........

[allan]

Well, the corals look fine. Some of the zoas aren't opening up and the flower put thingy (purple short tentacles) hasn't stretched out in the last day or two. That's one of the reasons I checked it. The rest seem fine.

40 gallons out of about 130 or so. I have a 100 display and a 55 that isn't full, maybe 30gallons.

As far as what I consider really high? I don't know. 20 is ok, but I think I'm past 40. My test doesn't do numbers which I really hate because I really have a hard time telling shades of color. I hold it up against the color chart, I hold it against the white part, I hold it next to the white part of the card, I hold it up against a light source... the last one works very well but I doubt that it's accurate.

I'm going to check again in the morning, but if I get--- crap, I forgot that I was making water before I went to watch transformers (ok movie, not all that great) but it looks as if milly turned off the rodi just a gallon short of mopping the kitchen.

[allan]

....and this morning it looks as if my API is telling me that I'm at 80! Going to do about 25 gallons this morning. Tomorrow I'll have to take in a sample to AD to verify my own readings.

[wesheltonj]

How well are you mixing the regent. Try turning the bottle upside down and shake hard the 30 seconds and try again. You may have a bad kit if you are doubling that fast with water changes.

[allan]

Have you ever seen that commercial with the guy in the cooler section of the store shaking a bottle of V-8?

I haven't tried shaking it upside down but I will when I check the levels later.

[allan]

BTW, this is the same kit I've been using for the last six months.

[wesheltonj]

Regent #2, I would guess is the suspect (this one has a poor shelf life). If you do not shake the hell out of it you will not get a good mix of the two chemical in that bottle, they not not like to combine and will seperate, thus the need to mix well.

Assuming you really have high NO3 have you vaccumed the sand bottom?

[BA]

Hagen Pro kit!!!

[allan]

Yeah, I do a moderate vacum each time I siphon. I can't get into all of the nooks and crannies but I siphon all of the stuff that I do see. I have, on occasion, used the power head to stir things up a bit when I siphon.

I'll shake the bottle harder when I do my next readings. You know could be all this time I thought they were low and now that I'm shaking harder...

Is this a problem with all number two bottles or just the API?

[wesheltonj]

That I know of, API & Red Sea. Salfert use dry materials to test for NO3.

[allan]

My bad, I was referring to the liquid test for nitrates. I haven't gotten to the point where I'm checking for no3.

I did get the test for magnesium... Wow, hate that one. Think its seachem, don't like the multiple steps involved. I need one of those digital jobbies that gives me numbers rather than colors.