Is Salifert a good testing brand?

[Mark3]

I agree with the hydrometer...it is easy to use and accurate.

 

[Mark3]

I agree with the hydrometer...it is easy to use and accurate.

 

[Fenral]

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.

Salifert is good. I use them mostly unless in doubt, and then I pull out the Tropic Marin. But for Sal and PO4 - I use Milwaukee

 

[gbroadbridge]

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?

Along the way I've tried a lot of kits and in the end I settled on Salifert for everything except Phosphate.
Phosphate I use Hanna ULR.

Salinity I use Hanna with home made calibration solution.
I have the Milwaukee refractometer but it's not very accurate - You could call it consistently inaccurate.

 

[Fenral]

Along the way I've tried a lot of kits and in the end I settled on Salifert for everything except Phosphate.
Phosphate I use Hanna ULR.

Salinity I use Hanna with home made calibration solution.
I have the Milwaukee refractometer but it's not very accurate - You could call it consistently inaccurate.

I double-check against salinity probes and a manual hydrometer (not one of those swing arms.) Usually, if the tank differs from the ambient air, the reading will be slightly off; you have to let it sit and adjust due to its automatic temperature conversions. How far off are you seeing its readings?

 

[ZachariahBeanzz]

Thanks for the advice! I’ll go with Salifert for my main tests, and I’ll use a hydrometer, and a Hannah salinity tester

 

[gbroadbridge]

I double-check against salinity probes and a manual hydrometer (not one of those swing arms.) Usually, if the tank differs from the ambient air, the reading will be slightly off; you have to let it sit and adjust due to its automatic temperature conversions. How far off are you seeing its readings?

My Milwaukee refrac reads 1.028 when it should read 1.026.
That is of course within the manufacturers stated accuracy of 0.002 so the device is within spec.

Like I said - it is consistently innacurate :)

 

[Reef Puncher]

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.

its what i use. and i have a regular refractometer as backup if for some reason i want to cross check, but its accurate enough so that i dont have to.

 

[SteveBunlies]

I have an Agriculture Solutions refractometer that seems to be pretty accurate. It's a bit hard to read, but not impossible.

I just started using the Salifert KH/Alkalinity test kit. 1000% improvement over the API kit. Much more accurate and much easier to use.

 

[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 digital refractometers are excellent but you will pay 4x as much. Worth it imo