What are the best reef test kits?

[Shawnfish1122]

I was just using the basic API chemical tests do I just stick with them or go for a better brand?

 

[Tompickles]

I’d recommend salifert test kits. They’re easy to use and more accurate than api

 

[painter1982]

Kinda depends what you are testing. Each brand has ones that are more recommended than others. I like Hanna checkers for alkalinity, phosphate, nitrate and copper. Hanna calcium isn’t very good. Other people might have different opinions on these. I use tridents for my automated testing. API is probably the least accurate imo

 

[141918]

I do the below which is based solely on personal opinion.

No3 - salifert
Calcium - salifert
Mag - salifert
Alk - Hanna
Po4 - Hanna

I have an easy time with these. Especially Hanna for po4 if you ever need to battle dinos lol

 

[56longroof]

I use Salifert for everything except ph and phosphate. I have a Milwaukee ph meter and use Hanna for phosphate.

 

[Fish Fan]

The API test kits don't get a lot of love here on R2R, but they are not as bad as many people make them out to be

To answer your question, I think it depends on where you are in the life of your tank, and what you're trying to keep. To clarify, if you're just starting your tank and going through the initial nitrogen cycle, API kits are more than fine. You're looking for trends like the ammonia was high, and now is low rather than hard numbers. Likewise, if you're only keeping very easy going soft corals or Zoas, then again I think API kits are sufficient. I know some softy tank keepers that hardly test at all, relying instead on regular partial water changes and judging how their corals are looking.

That said, API is not the best, and I believe "the best" is subjective, but I like a combination of Hanna Checkers and Salifert kits. If you're on a budget, just go with Salifert all around, they are reliable, inexpensive, and mostly very easy to use and read. Some of the Hanna Checkers have real value, like the nitrate and phosphate checkers, but they are more expensive to purchase and the reagents are more expensive. Other like the RedSea kits, but I had a bad experience with a RedSea kit, and in general don't recommend RedSea anything based on their tank failures and how they've treated people who were affected by the failures, but I digress. Nyos I believe was quite popular for their nitrate kit, it was supposed to be very easy to read.

Out of everything, salinity is the most important parameter because if your salinity fluctuates, every other parameter fluctuates with it. So get a good salinity measurement tool, like the Tropic Marin glass hydrometer or a decent refractometer. Calibrate your refractometer with an easily made Randy Homes-Farley DIY calibration fluid, not with calibration fluid you buy:
https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/reef-aquarium-salinity-diy-calibration-standards.956/
Good luck whichever way you go!

 

[BZOFIQ]

Salifert with that thingamagiggy from a red sea test kit. I'll see if I can snap a pic tomorrow.

Hanna is great for Alk, Nitrates and Phosphates.

 

[dedragon]

salifert for most, i dont like their nitrate test kit though. red sea pro for alk as it is one step, hanna for phosphate

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I was just using the basic API chemical tests do I just stick with them or go for a better brand?

What to get and test depends a lot on your husbandry techniques,

Alk is the big one. I test it by DIY titration which is cheaper and more accurate, IMO, but Hanna and Salifert are good choices.

I do not test calcium or mangesium. I rely on alk and my husbandry techniques to keep them in line. I do not recommend Hanna calcium (Salifert is a decent choice), or any magnesium kits.

I use Hanna for nitrate and phosphate.

 

[wcharon]

What to get and test depends a lot on your husbandry techniques,

Alk is the big one. I test it by DIY titration which is cheaper and more accurate, IMO, but Hanna and Salifert are good choices.

I do not test calcium or mangesium. I rely on alk and my husbandry techniques to keep them in line. I do not recommend Hanna calcium (Salifert is a decent choice), or any magnesium kits.

I use Hanna for nitrate and phosphate.

@Randy Holmes-Farley can you share your DIY titration receipt for Alkalinity?

Seems that this link is broken A DIY Alkalinity Test: By Randy Holmes-Farley - REEFEDITION

Thanks.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

@Randy Holmes-Farley can you share your DIY titration receipt for Alkalinity?

Seems that this link is broken A DIY Alkalinity Test: By Randy Holmes-Farley - REEFEDITION

Thanks.

Sure.

Reef Edition is getting a replacement to fix these issues, but for any article, mine or others, that is not working, the wayback machine/internet archive is often a good choice.

https://web.archive.org/
Here's that version:

https://web.archive.org/web/2015010...a-diy-alkalinity-test-by-randy-holmes-farley/

 

[wcharon]

Sure.

Reef Edition is getting a replacement to fix these issues, but for any article, mine or others, that is not working, the wayback machine/internet archive is often a good choice.

https://web.archive.org/
Here's that version:

https://web.archive.org/web/2015010...a-diy-alkalinity-test-by-randy-holmes-farley/

Thanks My Friend. Appreciated....

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You’re welcome

Happy Reefing