Testing kit inaccuracy?

TanknTang

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Hey guys what test kits do you recommend? I have hanna checkers, red sea, and api. I have been getting different results from them so I dont know which to believe. My lfs uses api. I am trying to get into the routine of testing all the time so I learn about parameters etc. I dont know which to believe? Is there another brand that better than all? Or which to use for certain tests?

Here are my results;

Levels

1/14/25 10:30pm

Alk- 6.3dKh

Phosphorus ULR- 0.017ppm

Phosphate HR- 0.5mg/L

Calcium- 360-380ppm

Phosphate- 0ppm

KH- 8-9dKh

Nitrate n03- 0-5.0ppm

pH HR- 8.8pH

Ammonia- 0ppm

Nitrite n02- 0ppm

Mag- 1560-1600ppm

Salinity 1.023



1/18/25 5pm



-increased surface movement with powerhead, did 5 gallon water change; increased salinity.



High range pH (api) 8.0pH

KH (api test) - 5-6dKh

KH (red sea) - 8.4dkH

Calcium (api test)- 360ppm

Calcium (red sea test)- >500ppm

Phos p04 (api)- 0ppm

Nitrate n03 (api)- 0-5ppm

Salinity- 1.026

Magnesium (red sea)- >1600ppm

High range phosphate (hc)- 0.1ppm

Alkalinity (hanna checker) - 6.3dKh
 

edsbeaker

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API has a reputation of being pretty unreliable and most reefers use other kits. If done correctly, I would believe Red Sea and Hanna over API.

For me, I like using Hanna checkers for Nitrate, Phosphate, the ULR one, and Alkalinity
I use Red Sea pro for Calcium and Magnesium, but no home test kit seems that reliable for magnesium.
 
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taricha

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My current tests (I like how all of these compare to standards)

NO3 - Hanna High Range
PO4 - Hanna Ultra Low Range Phosphorus
Alk - Salifert
Ca - Red Sea
Mg - Salifert
K - Salifert
 
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TanknTang

TanknTang

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API has a reputation of being pretty unreliable and most reefers use other kits. If done correctly, would believe Red Sea and Hanna over API.

For me, I like using Hanna checkers for Nitrate, Phosphate, the ULR one, and Alkalinity
I use Red Sea pro for Calcium and Magnesium, but no home test kit seems that reliable for magnesium.
Im just kinda worried seems the api and red sea matched for like alk testing and the hanna checker was lower.. kinda worried to pick the wrong one to go off of.
 
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TanknTang

TanknTang

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My current tests (I like how all of these compare to standards)

NO3 - Hanna High Range
PO4 - Hanna Ultra Low Range Phosphorus
Alk - Salifert
Ca - Red Sea
Mg - Salifert
K - Salifert
How do you like the salifert? They have bad reviews on amazon. And the red sea above for mg and calc are off the charts.. I use red sea pro salt on a 125g. Never really measured those before but seems crazy?
 

Cichlid Dad

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How do you like the salifert? They have bad reviews on amazon. And the red sea above for mg and calc are off the charts.. I use red sea pro salt on a 125g. Never really measured those before but seems crazy?
Salufert is fine, phos and nitrates hard to read color for me.

Throw away API only good for fish only and softies

These are all hobby test kits and not completely accurate. A lot people don't even perform the test correctly. The idea is this. There's a range of parameters. It's pretty wide. Goal is not to be exact in actual parameters but exact in the test you perform doing it exactly test after test the same way each time. It's having consistent parameters not exact numbers .

At least that's how I Reef
 

rishma

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I do have some experience/opinions, but not much data on different kits.

I like Hanna checkers for alkalinity and phosphate (ULR). These are the only things I checked regularly. But use a Red Sea Pro nitrate kit too. All three have matched my ICPs close enough to give me confidence they are good.

I don’t get consistent results with calcium kits, so I don’t test Ca hardly ever. Mg is even more problematic (for others too) so I never test it. I just do that math based on alkalinity consumption. This has worked well long term and I’ve validated periodically with ICP.
 

taricha

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How do you like the salifert? They have bad reviews on amazon.
For those kits I listed, where I use Salifert - it's very good. I trust salifert on those far more than I'd trust amazon reviews from people who I have no idea if they know how to do a titration or not. :)
And the red sea above for mg and calc are off the charts.
Red sea is good for Ca, but I don't like it for Mg.

Like I said, the kits I listed I (and others) have checked against standards and I like them.
 

tuscani

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I pretty much use Hanna exclusively.. no issues really.. but their salinity checker has not been very accurate when compared to refractometer or TM hydrometer
 

Bruttall

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Every test will give different results, this has been noted so much, and then we ask which is accurate? Well None of them are accurate to be honest, they at best give Ball park readings and should be used to measure CHANGES, not the actual numbers. Establish your Baseline by testing with same test at same time of day.

Basically if you test at 8am every day for DKH using the same test, you will get trackable data, is the 8.5 the Hanna says exactly what your water has? Probably not, but using the same test, gives the same Error Margin every time and what you look for is Big Swings in parameters.

If you really want an accurate measure of what your parameters are, go to
https://www.triton.de/en
and order a water test kit, they cost about $50 US. Using the same Sample Water use your tests and record, then compare to ICP results when they are ready and you know exactly what your Margins for Error are.

Just my 2 cents.
 

twentyleagues

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I dont know everyone is always down on api. I used api back in the early 2000s because it was that or salifert for the most part. I grew corals just fine.

I currently use or have on hand redsea pro kit alk, mag, calc. Api both kits. Hannah alk, lr phos, Hr nitrate. I will randomly test alk with 2 or more kits and they always pretty much agree and if they dont I messed up the test. API obviously isnt as much of a precise number as the hannah or even the red sea. I typically run alk at 8.5 api starts to change colors at 8 drops but not fully and at 9 drops it changes to quickly so alk on an api test is somewhere between 8-9. Hannah just says its 8.5 or 8.3 or 8.7 and redsea give about the same info based on the volume left in the syringe
I think we have become so worried about the exact number on a test and sticking to that exact number that api type tests are getting the bad rap. I really dont think its the test and yes you can screw api tests up if your procedure isnt correct. And then its based on color changes and if you can see it or detect the color shift in some of the tests. It can also be a little hard to get the same size drops out of the bottles which can throw off a test. But if done correctly api will give you a range that is perfectly acceptable. Personally I know if I messed up the test with api because its wildly off. I dont know if others would know if they messed up.

Hannah are probably the easiest to use and read which is why I recommend them to especially newbs. Redsea and Salifert are more technical to use and read. Api work just fine for the most part. The one absolute thing all these test have in common is you and did you do the procedure correctly.
 

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