Test Kit's

[Hirobo]

What is everyone using? Any Experiance with the Seachem one's?

 

[Nickjr000]

I have an instant ocean- ocean master from petco i think. Seems to work ok. Has all your basics in it. I'd like to try those suction cup ones that stay in the tank

 

[Hawkeye]

i use salifert except for alk - i use the lamotte one.

 

[Hirobo]

i use salifert except for alk - i use the lamotte one.

I've been using the salifert but i'm not to sure about their ph test kit it seems to never go above 8.0 i tested side by side with an api one and the api reads 8.4

 

[Hawkeye]

I actually don't use salifert for Ph - i have a milwaukee ph monitor.

I use red sea for mag - but that is because it was the only kit available at my LFS.

salifert i use for ammonia/nitrite/nitrate.

 

[Hirobo]

I actually don't use salifert for Ph - i have a milwaukee ph monitor.

I use red sea for mag - but that is because it was the only kit available at my LFS.

salifert i use for ammonia/nitrite/nitrate.

what about calcium?

 

[vangvace]

API for the nitrate cycle and pH, Salifert for Mg, and Hagan for Alk and Ca here.

 

[Hawkeye]

I actually don't use salifert for Ph - i have a milwaukee ph monitor.

I use red sea for mag - but that is because it was the only kit available at my LFS.

salifert i use for ammonia/nitrite/nitrate.

what about calcium?

Salifert...

 

[Nickjr000]

Hawkeye how do you like the milwaukee for ph? I was lookin at a pinpoint still up in the air though

 

[Hawkeye]

I do like the milwaukee. I had the pinpoint on my old tank (still there) in NY. The only difference I see is that the milwaukee has a small red dot (they call it an "Alarm") on it that lights up if your PH exceeds a level you set.

I would say either would work. Another thought would be to go the controller route - like a reefkeeper or ac jr or something.

 

[Dave]

I have been using API, but I have heard they are unreliable. Not sure if that is a rumor, or actually has some facts behind it.

I will say that it seems to be ok for me, but I am not doing comparison tests so this is based on the tank seeming healthy.

The one drawback with API is they can be hard to read when it comes to nitrate, phosphate, and PH.

 

[evoIX]

what are the essentials?

ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, pH, Mg, Ca, and Alk?

 

[Buffalowing]

I use API saltwater test kit and reef test kit currently, they're cheap and accurate according to everything I've read. I should get a magnesium kit though. If I could afford digital tests I would, I find testing very tedious and don't do it often enough.