Aquarium Test Kits

[leliataylor]

Which test kits do you use?

Just on Nitrates alone I got a ready of >160 ppm with a API kit, slightly lower with a Seachem and 30 ppm with a Salifert.

On Nitrites I got a reading off the scale with API, which turned green after 5 minutes, also not on the scale. Salifert gave me a reading of .5 ppm.

These readings were on tanks that I was cycling.

A friend of mine got a reading of Nitrites with a API test kit, again off the scale, on a occupied tank.

I am not impressed with these test kits. The swings in their results are useless.

[Mike]

How old are the test kits? Think they are only good for about a year maybe, then way less reliable.

[leliataylor]

Mike, they are all less than 2 months old with expiration dates ranging from 2017-2020. On my established tanks all 3 brands are in agreement with with no nitrites and small amounts of nitrates. What got me started on this was a friend of mine was getting extremely high readings using API kits so I decided to experiment with different kits. One system I am cycling and tested with a API nitrite kit turned dark purple as soon as the reagents were combined and was green after 5 minutes. It makes me wonder what these kits are actually reading. The same system gave me a ammonia reading off the scale (dark blue) after being filled for less than 12 hours and I did not add any pure ammonia to the system. I have another system that gave me the same results. Both systems were started as sterile bare bottom tanks. Yes I did test my water prior to filling the tanks and no trace of ammonia, nitrites or nitrates.

Still trying to figure out what is causing such a divergence in the results. The only common denominator between his tank and the ones I am cycling is the use of K1 media (which I have in other systems without the crazy test results).

[Jasonb]

Have always used the Red Sea kits in the past. Don't have one currently though so I need to get another.

[Tnt]

Red Sea. And Hanna. I got the Hanna because I thought for a moment my Red Sea were not accurate. And it turned out they were very close. The Hanna is a it easier and faster. I can do alk and calcium almost at once with the Hanna.
And I don't have to second guess the colors from colormeters

[Zack]

I like Red Sea, but when I start up my next tank, I'll for sure be using Hanna

[Dkray944]

I'm all about Red Sea and Hanna for Alk. As far as the others you need to make sure to shake the solution prior to adding to the water bring tested. You might already be doing this but I found out this was a step I missed for years.

[Bill S]

I've been a Salifert user for years. Hard to switch when they work so well. I CAN tell you that the APIs have always been thought to be a little suspect.

[Dean]

Salifert fan here also. Accurate and easier to read.

[Francis]

Hanna Checkers my main kit (Ca, Alk and phosphate) and Red Sea for nitrate and Mg. Also Red Sea to double check my (Ca and Alk)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk