Test Kits - What are YOU using, and why?

[dlhirst]

I have to replace a coupld of my test kits soon, as they are running out of various parts. So, I thought I would put it out here - what are y'all using for your testing?

I got the Red Sea kits with my tank, and had a malfunction that required me to replace the pH kit a while back with an API test. Don't remember why I chose that one, might have been the only choice on the shelf?

Like to hear from many of you!

[Sidewinder]

I used to use Red Sea. I had an issue with the accuracy of the Alk. test and yes, a secondary test would have been great. Heard a few people complaining about Red Sea but recommending API and Salifert. I went with API and have been happy. Whatever you get, I would recommend taking a water sample to the LFS to confirm your results. Hope that helps.

[Manoj's Reef]

I have tried various test kits over time and I like these so far

Alk - Lamotte
Calcium - Salifert
Nitrate - Lamotte
Phosphate - Hanna

[dlhirst]

Jerry, I always ALWAYS bring water in to LFS to be tested. I am spoiled to have several shops not too far away from my route from home to work... so, I even rotate between stores. I figure, if I can repeat the same error, so can the LFS. I had one employee of a not to be named shop insist that my pH was "off the charts - 15+" I knew it was wrong, and kept asking "you mean dKH?" I think a tank with pH of 15 would likely have etched the glass. I tested it later, and got the 7-8 number I almost always do.

Regarding Red Sea - I have found that their Nitrate test always says 0.25 for me, but the LFSs all tell me "zero".

[Sidewinder]

I hear ya! Sometimes you just don't know. I just feel a little more confident knowing that the LFS is getting results that are very similar to mine. My only issue with the Red Sea kit was the ALK test kit. The others all seemed to be pretty close.

[MizTanks]

This is not promising to hear about the RedSea Alk test. I just bought the Pro. Unfortunately the only other test available to me is the API. Which I had been using for the last 2+yrs. Decided to switch for comparison reasons only and BRS has chosen the RedSea as one of the more accurate tests available. Our LFS uses only the API :(
How far off was the RedSea Alk test you preformed? What other test did you compare it to?

[Sidewinder]

This happened several months ago and I wasn't using the Pro kit. It was giving me a very low reading so I added Alk buffer. I would then wait a day and test...still low. Something eventually didn't seem right (I know - chalk it up to being relatively new and I should have known better) so I took a sample into the LFS and my Alk was between 13 - 14. The LFS was using a Slaifert test kit. I have compared their results to my API and they are pretty close. If you bought the pro kit I would just test and take a sample into the LFS for a base comparison.

[TM01]

I have always used..

Alk - API (forever I think)
Calcium - Salifert
Mag - Salifert
Phosphate - Salifert/Hanna

If your tank looks good, then thats what matters most. :)