Salifert or API

[BlackGoldReefs]

Ok I have a little issue on my hands to say the least. I have used several methods of testing my water from, Red Sea, API and now salifert. I switch to salifert for the reviews and LFS opinions. I started to see a decline in my aquarium visibly after the first 90 days of switching. I relied on saliferts results to justify my maintenance needs I&E of water changes media replacement etc. I still had issues with my tank visibly but the test kits showed no signs of high nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, or phosphate. On the salifert test Nitrate never read about 5PPM. I then decided to try to match results with my API test kit and the nitrates had a difference of 20PPM between the two. I really don’t want to send off my water to get the true numbers and wanted some advice from the experience here in R2R. I have since done major water changes over the last two weeks and the API nitrate is show 10PPM and Salifert is 2 PPM. Which one do I trust. I am leaning towards API, since my tank is recovering.

 

[DDenny]

Well API is notoriously inaccurate ok for cycling. I don’t have a Hanna checker but I here they are great for certain tests. I used Salifert for nitrates and it was higher than my API test kit. I trust Salifert more than API however do you have a LFS you can get to double check your tests?

 

[BlackGoldReefs]

Well API is notoriously inaccurate ok for cycling. I don’t have a Hanna checker but I here they are great for certain tests. I used Salifert for nitrates and it was higher than my API test kit. I trust Salifert more than API however do you have a LFS you can get to double check your tests?

No I don’t, but I might just try a NYsos nitrate or Hanna. I need to know to hopefully not waste my efforts in water changes.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Ok I have a little issue on my hands to say the least. I have used several methods of testing my water from, Red Sea, API and now salifert. I switch to salifert for the reviews and LFS opinions. I started to see a decline in my aquarium visibly after the first 90 days of switching. I relied on saliferts results to justify my maintenance needs I&E of water changes media replacement etc. I still had issues with my tank visibly but the test kits showed no signs of high nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, or phosphate. On the salifert test Nitrate never read about 5PPM. I then decided to try to match results with my API test kit and the nitrates had a difference of 20PPM between the two. I really don’t want to send off my water to get the true numbers and wanted some advice from the experience here in R2R. I have since done major water changes over the last two weeks and the API nitrate is show 10PPM and Salifert is 2 PPM. Which one do I trust. I am leaning towards API, since my tank is recovering.

IMO, tanks will not noticeably "suffer" across the entire range of possible values that you are reporting (2-20 ppm nitrate).

If there is a problem, I expect it lies elsewhere.

FWIW, there are technical reasons that nitrate kits may "correctly" not agree with each other if there is any nitrite present. A little nitrite (say, 0.1 ppm) can read as 10 ppm nitrate with some kits even if there is zero nitrate.

 

[BlackGoldReefs]

IMO, tanks will not noticeably "suffer" across the entire range of possible values that you are reporting (2-20 ppm nitrate).

If there is a problem, I expect it lies elsewhere.

FWIW, there are technical reasons that nitrate kits may "correctly" not agree with each other if there is any nitrite present. A little nitrite (say, 0.1 ppm) can read as 10 ppm nitrate with some kits even if there is zero nitrate.

Do you think a Hanna checker would be more accurate or should I try another brand of test kit. I heard great reviews on Salifert but I am lost at this point. I also heard Nyos is pretty accurate. I just want consistency and accuracy, since I am recovering from the Snow apocalypse that hot Texas

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Do you think a Hanna checker would be more accurate or should I try another brand of test kit. I heard great reviews on Salifert but I am lost at this point. I also heard Nyos is pretty accurate. I just want consistency and accuracy, since I am recovering from the Snow apocalypse that hot Texas

The Hanna nitrate checker is quite new and unusually tedious. I'd read up on it before opting for it. I do not know how it compares in accuracy to the Salifert or other nitrate tests.

 

[Super Fly]

u can always bring sample of tank water to a lfs and ask them to test it for you to help determine which test kit is more accurate. FWIW, I stopped using API after tank cycled as I find them messy and not precise.

 

[BlackGoldReefs]

The Hanna nitrate checker is quite new and unusually tedious. I'd read up on it before opting for it. I do not know how it compares in accuracy to the Salifert or other nitrate tests.

Something is definitely wrong in my tank for sure and water changes doesn’t seem to be helping. I did break out an old canister and packed it with Carbon and filter floss to maybe save my last Acan colony. Hammers, bowerbanki, blasto’s and Duncan seem to be much better. The Zoas and Acans are really struggling to say the least.

 

[GoVols]

Do you think a Hanna checker would be more accurate or should I try another brand of test kit. I heard great reviews on Salifert but I am lost at this point. I also heard Nyos is pretty accurate. I just want consistency and accuracy, since I am recovering from the Snow apocalypse that hot Texas

With Randy on the Hanna for nitrates.

Salifert and NYOS match each other to a tee until you hit 10ppm or below.

Like that, you can do the 10 X's nitrate test with Salifert with 10ppm or below.

If had to choose from only one brand, it would be Salifert.

Sorry about your reef... ;Sorry, something like an ATI or Triton ICP test might be the way to go.

 

[David S]

Ok I have a little issue on my hands to say the least. I have used several methods of testing my water from, Red Sea, API and now salifert. I switch to salifert for the reviews and LFS opinions. I started to see a decline in my aquarium visibly after the first 90 days of switching. I relied on saliferts results to justify my maintenance needs I&E of water changes media replacement etc. I still had issues with my tank visibly but the test kits showed no signs of high nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, or phosphate. On the salifert test Nitrate never read about 5PPM. I then decided to try to match results with my API test kit and the nitrates had a difference of 20PPM between the two. I really don’t want to send off my water to get the true numbers and wanted some advice from the experience here in R2R. I have since done major water changes over the last two weeks and the API nitrate is show 10PPM and Salifert is 2 PPM. Which one do I trust. I am leaning towards API, since my tank is recovering.

Strange
I've used the API Nitrate kit for years.
I know API has a rep as a cheap alternative, but they have a few quality test kits and their Nitrate test is one of them.
Go back several months, when I decided to start dosing NO3 in my tank.
So I felt I could use a second test kit to sort of validate my results and bought the Salifert kit.
IME I have found the test results from both as virtually identical.
The main differences:
API is cheaper and the card it comes with displays a finer range.
For ease of use, Salifert wins.
BTW for low range Nitrate testing, the Red Sea is the best IMO.
It is however, a pain in the behind to use.
I stopped using it once I began dosing to higher levels.
The RS pro nitrate only measures from 0 - 4 PPM.

 

[BlackGoldReefs]

Strange
I've used the API Nitrate kit for years.
I know API has a rep as a cheap alternative, but they have a few quality test kits and their Nitrate test is one of them.
Go back several months, when I decided to start dosing NO3 in my tank.
So I felt I could use a second test kit to sort of validate my results and bought the Salifert kit.
IME I have found the test results from both as virtually identical.
The main differences:
API is cheaper and the card it comes with displays a finer range.
For ease of use, Salifert wins.
BTW for low range Nitrate testing, the Red Sea is the best IMO.
It is however, a pain in the behind to use.
I stopped using it once I began dosing to higher levels.
The RS pro nitrate only measures from 0 - 4 PPM.

Thanks for the reply. I tested my water with Salifert again this Sunday and nitrates show zero. I am going to try the API once again to see if there is a big difference and let you know

 

[Sabina]

I trust salifert more than API. I tested it against known solution (trident calibration solution)

 

[BlackGoldReefs]

I trust salifert more than API. I tested it against known solution (trident calibration solution)

Thanks for the video

 

[yow.chris]

I trust salifert more than API. I tested it against known solution (trident calibration solution)

I'm watching the video now, also. Thanks.