Let’s talk test kits.

[coralseas]

I wanna know what you sps gurus use for your testing. I have been using Red Sea test kits for a couple years now and periodically my kids seem to test extremely inaccurate/wide difference from other test kit.

I’ll tell ya that I have kept my

Alk 10 dkh
Cal 465
Mag about 1600

Seems high to some buy that has bin the sweet spot for my sticks, I have good growth and pretty decent color. And normally don’t loose anything.

In the last couple of weeks I have bin having a little base recession happening on some of the larger colonies. But in the last few days it has increased to losing about a quarter inch a day.

So I took my water to my lfs and has them test it using elos test kits(I use Red Sea pro kits) the numbers we got were highly different.

Alk 8.5
Cal 400
Mag 1200.

Very disappointing!! Who’s is right?!? Now I’m going to buy either triton or Ati icp. But both will take days to get and a week or better to get the results.

I’d love to hear what you highly experienced SPS keepers have to say!!!

Please let’s here it!

Also I’ll post pix

 

[coralseas]

 

[Luno]

I think when using different test kits it still needs to be the same person doing the test. For example most test kits are color change dependent. This means what you perceive as the color change someone else may not. By the same person doing both test kits eliminates that variable of what they think should be the change point.

 

[coralseas]

I told there and the colors look right to me. Can they very that much??? Is there a even medium?

 

[Luno]

As a rule I find the Red Sea pro kit and the salifert kits my favourite and seemingly most accurate. Outside of Hanna equipment ofcourse

 

[BoomCorals]

I have found salifert to be the easiest and most consistent for me.

 

[Luno]

I told there and the colors look right to me. Can they very that much??? Is there a even medium?

One persons perception to any other, without seeing each test result definitely could be a large enough value to create a difference.

Also something must be swinging to cause the tissue necrosis from the bottom. Or less likely something really irritating them

 

[coralseas]

One persons perception to any other, without seeing each test result definitely could be a large enough value to create a difference.

Also something must be swinging to cause the tissue necrosis from the bottom. Or less likely something really irritating them

I took my calcium reactor and put new medium in it a couple weeks ago and it took a week to dial it in back perfect but according to my test kit 12 is the new 9.

 

[coralseas]

I would love to hear what other people are using for test kits and their experiences

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

Stability. What has changed? re test your water the way you always have. How's your di resin? Heaters? any stray current in the tank? Awesome tank.

 

[KidA]

These are the ones I like the most to date mainly from ease of performing the test, ability to tell the end point, where applicable, and accuracy compared to ICP test - all my results were within 5% of the ICP.

Mg - Red Sea
Alk - Hanna
Ca - Salifert
Sr - salifert (this is the hardest for me, I have to take pictures each titrate to be able to tell when the end light blue occurs)
B - salifert
NO3 - Red Sea
PO4 - Hanna
I - Red Sea
K - Salifert

 

[CodyBot]

I would recommend salifert for alk, mg, and nitrates. For Ca I just use API. It's +\- 10ppm compared to a triton test, twice. That's good enough for me with that parameter.

Personally, I use Hannah for Alk though. Nice digital readout and it's consistent with other test kits.

 

[CodyBot]

These are the ones I like the most to date mainly from ease of performing the test, ability to tell the end point, where applicable, and accuracy compared to ICP test - all my results were within 5% of the ICP.

Mg - Red Sea
Alk - Hanna
Ca - Salifert
Sr - salifert (this is the hardest for me, I have to take pictures each titrate to be able to tell when the end light blue occurs)
B - salifert
NO3 - Red Sea
PO4 - Hanna
I - Red Sea
K - Salifert

That Sr is a real pain to read. I do automatic, daily water changes so I just test the salt that I'm using, and don't really revisit past that.

 

[coralseas]

Stability. What has changed? re test your water the way you always have. How's your di resin? Heaters? any stray current in the tank? Awesome tank.

Everything stayed the same other then I clean my Reactor. Heaters look good DI resin looks good did the test the same way I normally do them.

It’s the tests that bother me the most. The test expire 11/18. So far from old.

 

[coralseas]

Stability. What has changed? re test your water the way you always have. How's your di resin? Heaters? any stray current in the tank? Awesome tank.

Everything stayed the same other then I clean my Reactor. Heaters look good DI resin looks good did the test the same way I normally do them.

It’s the tests that bother me the most. The test expire 11/18. So far from old.

 

[Centerline]

Everything stayed the same other then I clean my Reactor. Heaters look good DI resin looks good did the test the same way I normally do them.

It’s the tests that bother me the most. The test expire 11/18. So far from old.

From my experience something happening that fast has got to be alk or heat. I absolutely hate to see.

 

[coralseas]

These are the ones I like the most to date mainly from ease of performing the test, ability to tell the end point, where applicable, and accuracy compared to ICP test - all my results were within 5% of the ICP.

Mg - Red Sea
Alk - Hanna
Ca - Salifert
Sr - salifert (this is the hardest for me, I have to take pictures each titrate to be able to tell when the end light blue occurs)
B - salifert
NO3 - Red Sea
PO4 - Hanna
I - Red Sea
K - Salifert

I’m just loosing faith with Red Sea test kits. My mag tested 1600+ I’d say 1700.

Alk mag and cal are so important and test are so far apart. I llove that you can compared with icp testing! Great info!! Thank you

 

[coralseas]

From my experience something happening that fast has got to be alk or heat. I absolutely hate to see.

Heat has bin super steady. Just had a couple days where my alk went to 9 according to Red Sea testing but within a day I had it back up over 10

 

[coralseas]

Just wanted to share a couple images of my tank. Sorry poor quality. iPhone pix

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

That looks great! You have a great grasp on your tank and what it does. I wonder if it was your ALK dip? I use salifert for alk. Im to cheap to buy the hanna.