Which Is The Best/Most Accurate Water Test Kits?

[TaknByD]

I am currently using API (which should be renamed to POS) test kits to test my saltwater aquarium... I was curious what test kits are the best to get. I've heard good things about Salifert and Hagen, but wanted to hear what you guys think... Thanks.. :bigsmile:

[Europhyllia]

The best kit is the one you can read.
Those color cards are really tough for me. I don't know if my blue green is blue green or green blue. That's why I prefer Salifert. Has a number chart. I can do numbers. And whatever color change is part of it is really obvious like blue versus pink.

[Submariner]

Most people will tell you salifert.

[Regric25]

I agree salifert is the best. i used API for a year then went to Salifert and its a night and day difference. Well worth the cost.

[stoneroller]

I think it was Frank Burr at LMAR that recommended ELOS test kits; I think he even said Salifert was POS.

[Regric25]

Cmpared to API anything is a TON better IMO. I only know what I have used and that is API and Salifert. Between the 2 in my opinion Salifert is a good test.

[Reefer4ever]

I hear Elos is a gread test. Tropic marin is also pretty good. As well as salifert.

[350gt]

I hate this API and trying to figure the colors... But I guess it's better than nothing and will work till I decide to dish out..

[CoryDude]

Seachem's are nice. The ph test uses a slide card to determine the corresponding ph value and the ca and mag kits use syringes and you just calculate the # of ml's needed for the color to change. Of course La motte would be the best and most expensive.

Still don't understand why people complain about api's kits. Sure, they're only good for getting you a range, but they are pretty accurate. I know the NO3 kit shows similar values above 10ppm compared to my salifert kit. But, of course anything below that and those 5ppm and 10ppm beige colors are pretty similar.

[Bill S]

I only use Salifert anymore. API are lousy. I had a Seachem Alk kit that had bad reagents (and the mfg admitted this). After spending $$ chasing non-existent problems, I swore off of anything but Salifert.

In any case, the KEY thing is age. Reagents do not last long, and my belief is that kits over a year old are suspect. Fresh reagents are key to valid results. BTW sunlight (or tank light) is very hard on them. Since many sit on the shelf for that long before being sold...

[TaknByD]

Still don't understand why people complain about api's kits. Sure, they're only good for getting you a range, but they are pretty accurate. I know the NO3 kit shows similar values above 10ppm compared to my salifert kit. But, of course anything below that and those 5ppm and 10ppm beige colors are pretty similar.


Well my API kits are all over the place. The PH is just hard to read... Actually most of them are pretty difficult to read unless they are zeroed out. But my API kit for Calcium, forget it... It's showing that my average is above 600 sometimes more than 700... I'm sorry but something is wrong there. I do a lot of tests,and I even test my water before taking it to the LFS to get checked and there is always a huge difference.

[CoryDude]

Don't get me wrong, I agree that api's aren't the best, just not as bad as everyone thinks. Bill's right about the freshness date too. I've used api dhk, ammonia, no2, and no3 with little problem. Maybe your calcium kit is old. I'll generally stay away from an api kit if the the mfg. date is more than 6 months out.

That being said, I'll take a salifert kit over just about anything.

All in all, most test kits out there are hobbyist grade, so there's always going to be some margin of error.

[tony]

ive owned multiple API kits over the years and have never had any issues either. from what i gather they may be temperature sensitive (storage wise)

color me a fan of them, especially for $20ish for the basics. not sure i would use them for anything other than this though (nitrates, nitrites, ph, ammonia)

for stuff that has to be more accurate, salifert!