Test Kit Comparison

Discussion in 'Water Chemistry' started by gabbyr189, Feb 5, 2012.

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  1. wooboodoo

    wooboodoo Astrea Snail

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    Great write up!
    Anytime I'm buying test (mostly salifert and last two for PO4 and Potassium I got from Elos) same question coming to my head... Is this test accurate? Especially potassium, I have heart buying Potassium test is just wasting money cause the only way to check it is laboratory. Will be great to check the accuracy of all popular test, the easiest way to do this is send water let say here:
    http://www.aqua-medic.com/aquariumwatertesting/
    Then check same water home with all available tests and compare result.
    How many tests you have available? I understand is expensive but maybe with some members help it can happen so we all gonna know what to buy. That's only my two cents but I'm open to help.
     
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  3. gabbyr189

    gabbyr189 Bubble Tip Anemone

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    This is a tough one.. Most of them are the Pro test kits, except for the ones specified as Mini-Lab. I just caught a mistake - the Nitrite test kits should be labeled Mini-Lab, I have corrected it in both the attachment and the pictures.

    Also, the Red Sea reviews from The Reef Tank are very unclear. They often do not distinguish between the two. Calcium is a perfect example. TRT has different information than BRS and MD provide. Maybe they are old or something.. I was thinking of just getting rid of TRT for the Red Sea products all together.

    Some of the specialty kits are weird as well. For example: Ozone. TRT has a single page for ozone that has zero reviews. They call it a Pro test kit. However, the shopping link is to Ebay, which doesn't call it a pro test kit. Since it is still available for purchase, I figured I'd throw it in.

    This would be pretty hard.. There are a lot of factors. Age of the test (has it been sitting on the shelf for two years?), vision, judgement, etc. On a test where the color change is from blue to pink, occasionally there could be a purple intermediate. One person may judge that the test is over when it turns purple, and another may add another drop. I think the best way to do it is to send a standard with the test. I just got a Salifert Alk test, and they send a solution with a known dKH along with it. I haven't tested it yet though lol.


    Thanks everyone, this did take a while..
     
  4. antole

    antole Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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    Great job very helpful thanks
     
  5. gabbyr189

    gabbyr189 Bubble Tip Anemone

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    I'm glad you all like it. I think that I sacrificed my wrist to carpal tunnel for this lol :-/
     
  6. Nvizn

    Nvizn Montipora Digitata

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    Great material. However, the Calcium Hanna Checker includes more than 6 tests. That's more like the Hanna Phosphate Hi 713 kit.
     
  7. proreefer

    proreefer Feather Star

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    i went through the test kit thing and when i got the hanna checkers my wait was over, after the first cost, the refills are reasonable and there fast and no color cards as soon as the mag checker comes out the end is near:)
     
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  9. gabbyr189

    gabbyr189 Bubble Tip Anemone

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    Fixed :)
     
  10. Jake

    Jake Sea Dragon

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    Fantastic write up. That must have taken a long time! Thanks a lot, it will save everyone who reads it time and money.

    I also bought the API salt water and reef master test kit set when I first started. I still have them. I definitely hear you about the API phosphate test... half of the colours are indistinguishable.

    I mostly use Hanna Checkers now, with an Elos kit for Mg.
     
  11. salt4me

    salt4me Skunk Shrimp

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    Great job, alot of time and effort went into this. Thanks for providing us with this great write up.
     
  12. dowtish

    dowtish Horrid Stonefish

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    gabbyr, I think a few of the red sea tests would be easy to figure out. being that the new pro test kits are fairly new, and if I'm not mistaken I dont think they made test kits for iron, potassium etc. until the "pro" kits came out.