The best test kits?

[aquaguy]

Hello.

I need to buy some test kits, do I have to buy all of them, I mean: alkalinity, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, calcium, phosphates, etc or just some of them. and the most important thing; which brand is the best for you guys... thanks.

 

[Modo]

As brands go I really like Salifert. A little more expensive than some, but IMO more accurate.

Assuming that your tank is fairly new I would go with the following 1st and pick the latter up once you save the funds.

Ammonia
Nitrite
pH
Alk

Once the pocket book recovers...

Nitrate
Calc
Phosphate
any others you feel you need (iodine/iodide, strotium, mag., etc...)

There is reef and saltwater master kits you can pick up that usually contains the main players you need to test. If your coming off a cycle test regularly and stay on top of H2O changes. Once you are ready for the leap into the coral realm you will really want to test and maintain the Nitrates,Calcium and Phosphate levels. These are important for coral development along with other trace elements. Not so much for fishies.

 

[Quillen]

I use fasTest master kit for my basics and then have done little kits for the rest.
Amm, nitrite, nitrate, pH.

 

[MattM]

Modo is right on the mark as far as the types you should get. As far as brands, check my post near the bottom of this thread.

 

[Pirate]

Before you buy read all that you can re:accuracy. I recently had some trouble with ammonia following the death of a fish that I was unable to find in the rock work. I used Fast test and I purchased a new Salifert. My buddy came over with his Red Sea and the test began. First of all the Salifert showed O readings for ammonia. the fast test and the Red Sea both showed deadly levels. I then went to the LFS and had yet another test done with still another brand and again the readings aquired were quite different. For me the Red Sea is the way to go. But who is to say, they all vary so much who is to say which is accurate and which is not. I'd like to know the standard used by these companies in determining accuracy.

 

[MattM]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Pirate:
<STRONG>I'd like to know the standard used by these companies in determining accuracy.</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Most prepare a "standard" sample, like putting a certain amount of ammonium chloride in water to get a known ppm concentration. Then you test it with the kit to verify accuracy.

FWIW, Red Sea kits score very poorly in most comparisons. Some I looked at did not even repeat the same values reliably from test to test, which I think could only be caused by badly mixed reagents. I don't recall specifically how the ammonia test did, maybe that's one of their better ones.

Anyway, we're changing one of the recommendations I made in the thread referenced above. We're going with the Aquarium Systems phosphate test. It's much easier to use it did well on a quick test. We measured our unfiltered tap water with the following results:

Tropic Marin - 0 ppm
Aquarium Systems - 0.9 ppm

Then to rule out a false positive, we tested our RO/DI water:

Tropic Marin - 0 ppm
Aquarium Systems - 0 ppm

So our current list is:
<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>pH - Aquarium Systems
<LI>Alkalinity - Tropic Marin
<LI>Ammonia - Aquarium Systems
<LI>Nitrite - Tropic Marin
<LI>Nitrate - Tropic Marin
<LI>Calcium - Tropic Marin
<LI>Strontium - Salifert
<LI>Silicate - Salifert
<LI>Phosphate - Aquarium Systems
<LI>Iodine - Salifert
<LI>Magnesium - Salifert
<LI>Copper - Aquarium System
<LI>Protein - Tropic Marin
</UL>

[ July 30, 2001: Message edited by: MattM ]

 

[randy holmes-farley]

I prefer the following kits:

Hach: calcium, magnesium, phosphate, silica, alkalinity

LaMotte: ammonia, nitrate, alkalinity

 

[reefworm]

Randy,
Welcome back!

I've no experience w/Hach but have heard great things about their kits. Do you have a source for them that you could recommend? I've been a confirmed Salifert/LaMotte user, and with your extensive background, I'm curious that you don't list Salifert among your preferred kits. I'd be very interested in hearing your rationale. Thanks!

regards,
rw

 

[Anonymous]

I started my tank using the aquarium pharm. master saltwater test kit. Works good, no problems, easy to use.

Later, after it had cycled I bought a red sea Ca++ kit (it didn't work) and a SeaTest Alk kit (works good, easy to use). I then bought a SeaChem Ca++ kit. It was pricey next to the red sea stuff, but it came with a solution that you can check the kit against. I like that. It's got 4 or 5 steps, but the endpoint is easy to recognize. Ca++ kits are notorious for being tempermental, difficult to use and generally out to lunch--Iodine kits even more so.