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Here's an interesting slant from the seller of Tunze's currently available on RC:
2 Tunze 6000 Streams with 7095 controller and 2 magnet mounts
I ran these for almost 2 years. They were consistently given vinegar baths and kept in excellent condition. Run silent and are very reliable. Original...
When it was introduced, people on RC took exception to their analysis. The Brightwell claim is that it perfectly matches saltwater. People on RC said it is impossible to test to the level of precision that the claim made, and the apparently bogus claim disappointed a number of Brightwell fans.
Any reason why the Tunze you're looking at isn't controllable? The comparison is odd as the Vortechs are all controllable. I think the least expensive controllable Tunze is the 6055.
I haven't used the Salifert Nitrate kit, and when I checked their instructions I was surprised to find they can test down to .02 ppm. I've always tried for less than 10 ppm (Randy Holmes-Farley's recommendation) and I'm pleased when I get it less than 5 ppm. Good luck getting it to 0 ppm.
I've got a Hach 890 and a LaMotte Smart2. Boomer has some issues with the Hach nitrate test procedure. I don't know his considerations on the LaMotte procedure. I've been happy with both. Some day I'll get around to testing them against a standard nitrate solution.
Seems to me that your nitrate reading is a little too good to be true. What test kit are you using? Is the reading in mg/L nitrate or in mg/L nitrate nitrogen?
Sulfate really isn't an issue - it is actually a major constituent of seawater. If you want to be fussy with magnesium, use a 10:1 MgCL/MgSO4 ratio to keep your chloride and sulfate ions in the same ratio as found in seawater.
Carbonates easily build up at an air-water interface like the one inside the venturi, and it is just a matter of time before the buildup seriously restricts the amount of air going in. I use a short piece of coat hanger wire to knock it out.
Interesting stuff. I didn't like the "sugru isn’t suitable for use in direct or prolonged contact with food" part, and have to wonder why it was necessary for them to state that.
I get that way about some things in the hobby too. But I prefer less open-ended targets. When do you declare success? After you've kept one for 10 years? After you've kept 10 for 10 years each? And, if you succeed at either, will you even know why? The person telling the story I repeated...