Is Salifert a good testing brand?

[Zachy]

I’ve been needing to get new testing kits, and my eyes had a hard time seeing difference in colors in my old brand. I’ve been looking around, and salifert seems to have good reviews, and is very affordable. Are they any good?

 

[Fish Fan]

Yes, they are considered very good and easy to read compared to the color match tests.

Good luck!

 

[Zachy]

Yes, they are considered very good and easy to read compared to the color match tests.

Good luck!

Thanks! While we’re on the topic, are there any good brands of salinity testers? Refractometers also are a bit hard for me to read.

 

[FUNGI]

IMO....get the Hanna Salinity....you should be able to find used for $50.00

 

[Fish Fan]

Thanks! While we’re on the topic, are there any good brands of salinity testers? Refractometers also are a bit hard for me to read.

I'm with you there too, and I have and I like (and I *used* to recommend) the Milwaukee digital refractometer as it's easy to use, easy to read, comes with calibration fluid, etc. But, it was pointed out to me that it's not really a high-accuracy instrument, with a +/- accuracy of 2 ppt.

So I'm all ears here too lol!

 

[FUNGI]

in fact......@CCK_8814 MIGHT STILL HAVE ONE LEFT....

edit: I bought one of his two yesterday

 

[Fish Fan]

IMO....get the Hanna Salinity....you should be able to find used for $50.00

Is this something like what you'd suggest?

HI98319 Salinity & Temperature Tester - Hanna

Hanna Instruments HI98319 Water Salinity Tester measures conductivity (EC) to determine the salinity & temperature of natural and artificial seawater within seconds.

www.saltwateraquarium.com

Thanks!

 

[FUNGI]

I think Hanna is a love / hate thing.....currently, I'm lov'n it......

 

[spsick]

Salifert has been one of my cornerstones in successful reefing for almost 20 years.

 

[Fish Fan]

I think Hanna is a love / hate thing.....currently, I'm lov'n it......

Well I very much like my Hanna CheckTemp, as long as we are talking testing. It seems pretty spot on, I used it for all my tanks, even freshwater, sanitizing with an isopropyl wipe between tanks:

HI98509 Checktemp 1 Digital Thermometer

Knowing the temperature of your reef tank is very important, and with the Hanna Checktemp HI98509 Digital Thermometer, you can accurately know your aquariums temperature within 0.5°F. Each Checktemp comes with a 3.3' silicone cable that has a stainless steel probe at the end that gives rapid...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[Zachy]

Oh, thank you all for all this info!

 

[JoJosReef]

Salifert Alkalinity is my favorite test out of all tests. I also prefer Salifert Nitrate to others. I'm not a Hanna fan, except for the PO4 test because PO4 as a colorimetric test is difficult.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I use both salifert and red sea test kits. Salifert kits are great for the price!

 

[ReefAtlas]

Regarding Salinity - I highly recommend two salinity tools. The one I trust most is the "Tropic Marin High Precision Hydrometer". With this you can ensure your tank water is dialed in very close to where you want it. I then use the tank water to calibrate the Hanna Salinity Tester. The Hanna can drift a little and need recalibrations but it settles in and can be trusted for a couple of weeks with every other day testing. The Hanna is quick and reliable, but then once every week or two I confirm with the Hydrometer. I pull water from the aquariums to do the checking and calibration. 120 ml sample cups for the Hanna and 500 ml graduated cylinder for the Hydrometer. Always rinse both when done. Squirt bottle of RODI works great.

I like Salifert for NO3, Alk, Ca, Mg. Prefer Hanna ULR for Phosphorous.

 

[Reef Puncher]

salifert or aquaforest for Ca, Mg.. hannah for Alk po4 and no3. this is the true way

 

[dedragon]

Thanks! While we’re on the topic, are there any good brands of salinity testers? Refractometers also are a bit hard for me to read.

tropic marin precision hydrometer might be easier for you and will always be properly calibrated. Just drop it in a graduated cylinder full of tank water and see where the water line is

High Precision Hydrometer

Ensure that your equipment is reading correctly and your aquarium is at the right salinity with Tropic Marin's High Precision Hydrometer. Many tank inhabitants are sensitive even to minor changes of the water conditions. Unfortunately as we've all experienced, salinity reading equipment as...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[danlechem]

Salifert po4 is useless. Definitely go hanna or tropic marin pro

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

Thanks! While we’re on the topic, are there any good brands of salinity testers? Refractometers also are a bit hard for me to read.

milwaukee

 

[Reefer Brent]

I just lower my Tropic Marin hydrometer in my tank and water change fill bucket at around 77-78degrees. So easy and accurate. Rinse afterward and back in it's tube. Just don't let anything else touch it as its fragile fragile fragile. But yeah, as said it's used to calibrate other devices so it's about as accurate as it gets.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

the Milwaukee was not cheap but its so fricken easy and accurate, its silly not to have one. I like to also have a standard refractometer to cross check the SG from time to time. My issue with a refractometer is that i cant distinguish between 1.026 and 1.027. I need glasses.