Test Kit Showdown!!!
- Thread starter mikellini
- Start date
five.five-six
Well-known member
how about salifert?
isn't Aquarium Pharmaceuticals the pills in the pack? junk
I have used red sea with good results.. but not much
isn't Aquarium Pharmaceuticals the pills in the pack? junk
I have used red sea with good results.. but not much
Billybeau1
Premium Member
Red Sea kits are not very reliable.
And no, API kits are not the packets.
If those are your choices, API (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals) hands down.
And no, API kits are not the packets.
If those are your choices, API (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals) hands down.
psimitry
New member
Salifert have a reputation for being the most accurate test kits, and most likely, it's deserved. My issue with them (especially in the case of Phosphate, Nitrate and Iodine) is that they're NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO READ. Seriously - it's next to impossible for me to tell the difference between zero, low and high phosphates using their kit.
Their calcium and magnesium kits however? Love 'em. Use, em. I'll never give them up.
psimitry
New member
I like seachem test kits a lot. I especially like their ALK test, in addition to their nitrite/nitrate test.
However, I hate. HATE their ammonia test. It's so annoyingly overcomplicated. Even though I had bought their "marine basic" kit, I went out and bought a red sea ammonia test just so I could test for it.
Edit: on the plus side, I was able to use the tweezers that came with the ammonia test kit to remove zoanthid eating nudibranch eggs from my zoos when I was infested with them. So good times in that case!
Seachem test kit is one of the few that allows you to determine free ammonia (toxic) independent from total ammonia. Suspect the instructions are different and perhaps more confusing because of that.
In my case I only use the ammonia test kit when I am in stocking mode. During the QT process I find that use of an ammonia conversion product is sometime required and some of those products simply convert free ammonia into less toxic ammonium .. in those cases being able to distinguish between the two becomes very important.
OK, so it's about 50/50 with Aquarium Pharmaceuticals and Seachem? Anyone else want to weigh in? I have heard good things about Salifert as well, but I don't have access to it and I'm not going to order a test kit online.
I think I'm going to buy whichever of the above two that is cheaper
I think I'm going to buy whichever of the above two that is cheaper
What Test Kit do you recommend for Alk Test? I have had issues with both Salifert and AP. I decided to test same water using both kits, and performed several tests each.
Salifert showed my dkh to be 11.8, and the AP test read a dkh of 8....So which test do you believe??
I have seen numerous posts on RC saying that there are known issues with Salifert Alk Test Kits, but is AP correct with the level of 8?
What kits do you use for Alk test and find to be reliable, and where do you get them from??
Thanks !
Salifert showed my dkh to be 11.8, and the AP test read a dkh of 8....So which test do you believe??
I have seen numerous posts on RC saying that there are known issues with Salifert Alk Test Kits, but is AP correct with the level of 8?
What kits do you use for Alk test and find to be reliable, and where do you get them from??
Thanks !
Billybeau1
Premium Member
Outside of a contamination issue and user error, the API delivers consistent results. The ONLY draw back with the API is it will only get you in 1 dkh increments. Not bad for most hobbyists. There have been a few bad Salifert alk kits out there but aside from that, Salifert gets you zero'd in.
I do a lot of testing, and I have been very fortunate not to have acquired any of the bad Salifert test kits.
My API and Saliferts match to a tee. I recommend both.
I doubt your tanks inhabitants care whether you are at say 10 dkh or 10.4.
I do a lot of testing, and I have been very fortunate not to have acquired any of the bad Salifert test kits.
My API and Saliferts match to a tee. I recommend both.
I doubt your tanks inhabitants care whether you are at say 10 dkh or 10.4.
crazy_reefing
In Memoriam
Those of you using API - Do you use the liquid test kits with test tubes or do you just use the testing strips?
Kevin
Seachem test kit is one of the few that allows you to determine free ammonia (toxic) independent from total ammonia. Suspect the instructions are different and perhaps more confusing because of that.
In my case I only use the ammonia test kit when I am in stocking mode. During the QT process I find that use of an ammonia conversion product is sometime required and some of those products simply convert free ammonia into less toxic ammonium .. in those cases being able to distiguish between the two becomes very important
You have been misled kinda
Any kit that measures T-Ammonia can do the same thing. The kit being able to test the two means nothing as NH3 or NH4+ is a purely a function of pH and temp. The higher the pH the more NH3 there is. It is not an issue of how much, there should always be none before you start adding something like fish. An ammonia spike for a day or so is usually not an issue if it is not to high. When it gets to T-NH3 - NH4+ 0.2 ppm (often incorrectly expressed as NH3) you need to start to worry. 0.4 will kill fish in a matter of a 2-4 days. The next thing to know is the kit expressing it as NH3-N or as NH3 (either are actually total ammonia and not really NH3)
1 ppm NH3-N = 1.2 ppm NH3
Most kits and I go by NH3-N, as it is more of std in water chemistry
Free Ammonia-Nitrogen Calculator
http://cobweb.ecn.purdue.edu/~piwc/w3-research/free-ammonia/nh3.html
Seachem test kit is one of the few that allows you to determine free ammonia (toxic) independent from total ammonia. Suspect the instructions are different and perhaps more confusing because of that.
In my case I only use the ammonia test kit when I am in stocking mode. During the QT process I find that use of an ammonia conversion product is sometime required and some of those products simply convert free ammonia into less toxic ammonium .. in those cases being able to distiguish between the two becomes very important
You have been misled kinda
Any kit that measures T-Ammonia can do the same thing. The kit being able to test the two means nothing as NH3 or NH4+ is a purely a function of pH and temp. The higher the pH the more NH3 there is. It is not an issue of how much, there should always be none before you start adding something like fish. An ammonia spike for a day or so is usually not an issue if it is not to high. When it gets to T-NH3 - NH4+ 0.2 ppm (often incorrectly expressed as NH3) you need to start to worry. 0.4 will kill fish in a matter of a 2-4 days. The next thing to know is the kit expressing it as NH3-N or as NH3 (either are actually total ammonia and not really NH3)1 ppm NH3-N = 1.2 ppm NH3
Most kits and I go by NH3-N, as it is more of std in water chemistry
Free Ammonia-Nitrogen Calculator
http://cobweb.ecn.purdue.edu/~piwc/w3-research/free-ammonia/nh3.html
Boomer
I understand the relationship between free ammonia and PH.
However it is my understanding that a nessler based test kit won't accurately read ammonia in the presence of certain ammonia conversion products ... including Prime & Amquel.
I believe Seachem has something on point in their Prime FAQ and I believe a google search using nessler based ammonia test kits will also have a number of "hits" discussing this problem.
I understand the relationship between free ammonia and PH.
However it is my understanding that a nessler based test kit won't accurately read ammonia in the presence of certain ammonia conversion products ... including Prime & Amquel.
I believe Seachem has something on point in their Prime FAQ and I believe a google search using nessler based ammonia test kits will also have a number of "hits" discussing this problem.
I think I'm gonna go for the API. I have used my ammonia test kit maybe 3 times in the last year, so I'm not too concerned. Thanks for the feedback. I'm really just looking for a test kit that's easy to use, fairly accurate, and simple to interpret results from. Sounds like API is the one!
Kevin
I'm quite aware of the issues with Prime and Amquel and have had a number of post on them. These were not brought up in this post. These products have been on market for many years and it is well known that they interfere with Nessler's test kits. This is the reason behind using test kits based on the Salicylate method, such as SeaChem and IO/SeaTest and others. As Jon also pointed out it will not measure bound ammonia such as those from Amquel. It is hard for a ammonia kit to measure something like H<sub>2</sub>NCH<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>3</sub>- a bound ammonia compound from Amquel and Prime is similar, all of which are Amines.
The best Ammonia kit I have seen is the IO/Seatest, a Salicylate kit. I might add that API's SW kit is also a Salicylate kit. I have a great dislike for Nesslers' kits as they also use Rochelle salt and there are issues with both of these of the salt diffusing out through the threads of the bottle, "Salt Creep" diluting the reagents.
I'm quite aware of the issues with Prime and Amquel and have had a number of post on them. These were not brought up in this post. These products have been on market for many years and it is well known that they interfere with Nessler's test kits. This is the reason behind using test kits based on the Salicylate method, such as SeaChem and IO/SeaTest and others. As Jon also pointed out it will not measure bound ammonia such as those from Amquel. It is hard for a ammonia kit to measure something like H<sub>2</sub>NCH<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>3</sub>- a bound ammonia compound from Amquel and Prime is similar, all of which are Amines.
The best Ammonia kit I have seen is the IO/Seatest, a Salicylate kit. I might add that API's SW kit is also a Salicylate kit. I have a great dislike for Nesslers' kits as they also use Rochelle salt and there are issues with both of these of the salt diffusing out through the threads of the bottle, "Salt Creep" diluting the reagents.
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