Test kits, Test Kits, Test Kits

G Santana · Jul 23, 2020

I feel like I have to preface all my posts by saying "well I haven't been in the hobby for 20 plus years" so there it was lol
I have been going through a lot posts and videos on line looking for opinions and advice and I have learned a ton.

My next query has to do with, you guessed it, test kits.
I know what I need but my question is, what in your opinion gives you the best bang for the buck and what should be omitted in favor of the digital testers ie Hanna tests.

The other question, is what are absolutely must haves. I have seen folks say they don't check phosphates where others don't check alkalinity and so on.
Back when I had my tank, I was very diligent regarding testing and I have no doubt I'll be the same this time around as well. I know right off the bat I need to check ammonia and nitrates to determine when the tank is cycled but for long term tank viability, what should be in every reefers bag of tricks or reagents?

I am about 30 days from launching my tank and am getting very excited!!!

Thanks for your input!!!

Spare time · Jul 23, 2020

It all depends on what you are keeping and what stage of the tank you are in. Right now when cycling you want to test ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. pH is also handy just to know what your water source is at.. Once done cycling and after adding the first fish or two, the first two are only important if something died or if you remove biomedia/rock. At this point phosphate and nitrate are what to look for. Once you move to stony corals, add alk, calcium, and far distant magnesium to the mix of tests.

Are you planning on a reef system?

G Santana · Jul 23, 2020

Yes SPS dominant tank is what I am shooting for.

Spare time · Jul 23, 2020

G Santana said:
Yes SPS dominant tank is what I am shooting for.

Ok, as for what tests to use, pick whichever has the easiest color for you to see. Some color charts are ridiculously difficult. I am a big fan of red sea foundation pro test kit for when you get stony corals. Red sea offers an easy to read low range nitrate test too for when you get sps. I use the hanna ulr ppm for phosphate. Again most of these are personal preference and whichever is easiest to see. Being color blind, I cant use practically any other phosphate test since they are so hard to read in low range

Hemmdog · Jul 23, 2020

G Santana said:
Yes SPS dominant tank is what I am shooting for.

Salifert test kits.
akalinity, calcium, magnesium, potassium, nitrate, phosphate.

hanna phosphate is good, salifert Alk test takes literally 4 seconds, so don’t waste your money on a hanna alk checker imo. Calcium is also very easy, takes about 35 seconds on salifert.

G Santana · Jul 23, 2020

Hemmdog said:
Salifert test kits.
akalinity, calcium, magnesium, potassium, nitrate, phosphate.

hanna phosphate is good, salifert Alk test takes literally 4 seconds, so don’t waste your money on a hanna alk checker imo. Calcium is also very easy, takes about 35 seconds on salifert.

This is exactly the type of response I was hoping for, experience and truth all rolled up in one reply.

Thank you!!!

Hemmdog · Jul 23, 2020

G Santana said:
This is exactly the type of response I was hoping for, experience and truth all rolled up in one reply.

Thank you!!!

Anytime!

nereefpat · Jul 23, 2020

Don't forget a refractometer and calibration fluid to check salinity.

Ippyroy · Jul 23, 2020

Tests all come down to each person's eyes and the available light. It all comes down to preference and all three major brands, Red Sea, hanna, and Salifert cost about the same after you start buying refills. I love the Hanna checkers for Phosphates and Alk. I complete both in under 5 minutes everyday. I am still trying to figure out which Calcium test I prefer. Salifert is easy in some ways but the color change is very easy to miss.

Spare time · Jul 23, 2020

Ippyroy said:
Tests all come down to each person's eyes and the available light. It all comes down to preference and all three major brands, Red Sea, hanna, and Salifert cost about the same after you start buying refills. I love the Hanna checkers for Phosphates and Alk. I complete both in under 5 minutes everyday. I am still trying to figure out which Calcium test I prefer. Salifert is easy in some ways but the color change is very easy to miss.

Some of the salifert tests seem really difficult to read regardless of who I have checking the color. This is mostly a problem when I try their nitrate and phosphate. I have had no problem with their alkalinity test.

Hemmdog · Jul 23, 2020

Spare time said:
Some of the salifert tests seem really difficult to read regardless of who I have checking the color. This is mostly a problem when I try their nitrate and phosphate. I have had no problem with their alkalinity test.

Yeah the nitrate is tricky to see, I’ll agree with that.

Ippyroy · Jul 23, 2020

Spare time said:
Some of the salifert tests seem really difficult to read regardless of who I have checking the color. This is mostly a problem when I try their nitrate and phosphate. I have had no problem with their alkalinity test.

it always comes down to preference. For me it is due to the lighting where I do my testing. Low wattage bulbs make the colors look very different for me. Red Sea seems the most accurate but I have to use Hanna most of the time due to poor eye sight.

G Santana · Jul 23, 2020

nereefpat said:
Don't forget a refractometer and calibration fluid to check salinity.

Covered, thanks!!!

Joeg · Jul 23, 2020

I've been happy with a variety of Hanna checkers and Red Sea test kits.

jx.reef · Jul 23, 2020

Hanna alk meter is a 100% must have for me. I can’t stand the titration and color matching with salifert / Red Sea. Then I get frustrated and stop testing all together. Once you buy the $50 device, the refills ($10) are cheaper than new salifert kits too.

Jen1978 · Jul 23, 2020

My eyesight fails me more and more on a yearly basis. The Hanna digital checkers have been a life saver. I do not have a digital salinity tester yet but will need to be getting one soon. It's getting too hard for me to see a clear line on the refractomoter. For what I can't do digitally, I do like my Red Sea kits.

Seadoc · Jul 23, 2020

I have tried multiple test kits but at the end I have settled with the following: Hanna for Alk, Calcium and Phosphate (ULR), Salifert for nitrates and magnesium, and the same digital refractometer by MW.
I have in the back of the drawer ammonia and Nitrite tests from RedSea and API. Many people don't like the API as it can give you false positives for ammonia. I have not had that experience and I use it as a screening test that I need to confirm with others.

nereefpat · Jul 23, 2020

G Santana said:
Covered, thanks!!!

Uh oh. Is that the wrong one? Brix is a measure of sugar in water. The Milwaukee one I usually see says "seawater refractometer."

Sugar and salt bend light differently. Better double check that that one will work for you.

And, even though they say to calibrate with RO, use a saltwater standard as a check.

G Santana · Jul 23, 2020

nereefpat said:
Uh oh. Is that the wrong one? Brix is a measure of sugar in water. The Milwaukee one I usually see says "seawater refractometer."

Sugar and salt bend light differently. Better double check that that one will work for you.

And, even though they say to calibrate with RO, use a saltwater standard as a check.

You made me look lol
The box has a picture of the Brix unit number MA871 but the unit in the box is actually the MA887.
I never even caught that, but thanks for the scare LOL