Why do they cost so much ( Test Kits )

[reefrubble]

Why do some test kits cost so much ? I just paid $30. for a calcium test kit , and for what is in it ,chemical wise , I think it is way over priced . Does any one know where to get reagents in bulk , for less money . I test a lot , and I would like to fine a more reasonable way to do it.

 

[bertoni]

I don't know how much the ingredients cost, but developing your own test kit for calcium would be difficult and expensive, and the reagents might not be available to individuals. The same goes for most other kits. Alkalinity can be tested with just a pH meter and a standard acid, but I haven't found a supplier that will ship the acid to an individual.

 

[Billybeau1]

reef, I feel your pain, however, one must at least make a little profit if one is going to sell something. Otherwise what is the point.

For every day testing, try API. Inexpensive and reasonably accurate. I use my Saliferts once a month anymore.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I think it is way over priced .

I don't mean to be harsh, but how did you conclude that?
Do you know what the calcium binding dye is in that kit, and how much it costs when purchased separately?

As Jonathan said, most folks cannot purchase chemicals as an individual, even if you knew what it was and found a place that sells it. That greatly limits our ability to design DIY tests and supplements for folks.

 

[maynardjames]

i use api like billy most of time

 

[sowellj]

Independent of what their profit margin is (it is likely not as great as you may think), they charge $30 because people will pay $30, as you did. One way you can stretch some kits is to cut volumes in half and then correct for this on the back end. Some test kits are more amenable to this than others.

 

[2thdeekay]

Yeah, $30 is actually inexpensive for what it allows hobbyists to do. Any Baxter or Fisher sales rep. would agree. Lab supplies and kits are more expensive than folks realize.

I agree API is a great deal for alk or Ca test. Toss out the test tube and use a small vial instead, for convenience.

 

[Billybeau1]

Independent of what their profit margin is (it is likely not as great as you may think), they charge $30 because people will pay $30, as you did. One way you can stretch some kits is to cut volumes in half and then correct for this on the back end. Some test kits are more amenable to this than others.

From my testing, I have yet to find a hobby grade kit that measures exactly 1/2 when using the double the sample method. Regardless what the manufacturer claims.

 

[mano84]

Really? I have yet to find one that don't, maybe I haven't tested it enough. I have only tested it for alkalinity though and only those with simply one dropper bottle and nothing else.

 

[Billybeau1]

It is true, Alkalinity is one of the simplest.

 

[Chris27]

It's not necessarily the cost of the materials in a test kit, much of the price has to do with the process involved to bring the product to market. Here are a few charges involved with such a product:

1.) Scientist labor for development.
2.) Material costs and associated logistics involved with obtaining raw materials.
3.) Test data review and evaluation.
4.) Technical writers to develop an easy to read and perform procedure.
5.) Lab costs and procedures to ensure uncontaminated reagents reach the consumer.
6.) Logistics to put the product in stores.
7.) Tech support team to answer consumer questions.

Test kits aren't so bad, what burns me are things like additives, skimmers and pumps which are modeled after very basic concepts which have been proven time and time again....most companies still charge an arm and a leg for them even though the non-recurring engineering efforts were paid for 10-15 years ago.

 

[reefrubble]

Sorry , I brought it up , but it ticks me off , when one of the reagents runs out , and the reat of them are two thirds full . You have to buy an entire new kit . You can't replace one of the reagents . I know you can replace the reagents in the Lamotte kits , but that is all the reagents .

 

[robot2222]

a little off topic here . color copiers comes to mind when you say run out of one reagent . one color and the whole cartrige has to be replaced....

 

[2thdeekay]

it ticks me off , when one of the reagents runs out , and the reat of them are two thirds full . You have to buy an entire new kit . You can't replace one of the reagents

Sorry, I can relate with your frustration. However, if the titration reagent runs out, it probably means you were provided an excess of the other reagents.

The titration reagent is easier to make than just DIY'ing your own test kit. You'll need some chemistry background and basic lab equipment (if you don't have access to a lab) where you'll need to do some calculations, and you'll need to be able to confirm the reagent's accuracy. These are things most hobbyists aren't able to do. Perhaps one day, a supplier will be willing to provide reagent refills, but I don't think it'd be worth my time.

As an aside, my 9yr old (with LOTS of help) made rudimentary test kits (Alk, Ca, Mg) for a science project, but he enjoys learning chemistry.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hach kits generally allow replacemment of each individual reagent.

 

[lordofthereef]

I can see where you are coming from with the frustration of running out of a reagent. If they gave less than a full bottle of the reagents that are im excess, people would probably complain about that. Maybe not you, but I am sure SOMEONE would. I think this is a situation where every customer can't be pleased.

 

[balberth]

Personally, I don't mind so much paying $30 or more for a test kit - I'm not just paying for the reagents, but the thought that went into producing something for a very small market that will allow my to do a sort of lab work in my kitchen.

That having been said, I do mind that it is easy to pay your $30 and get a test kit that is essentially a black box, which may or may not do what you want it to. The method and reagents are pretty well never explained, so you have no way to independently determine whether the kit is suitable for your specific situation ... or even exactly which things are important and which don't matter as much. Accuracy of the kit under even ideal conditions is often not listed. Many kits contain obvious sources of variability such as difficult colorimetric matching, inaccurate reagent measuring devices, or vague titration endpoints.

When I see someone post on RC that they have measured X,Y and Z parameters , I don't really hold much hope that their measurements would match mine or yours on the same sample. The best kits feature improvements in not just chemistry but in potential accuracy and correlation, which I am more than willing to pay for ... but I do feel that the capabilities of these kits in the field are overestimated in the hobby, if not in their marketing.

I guess what I'm saying here is that I do believe that I'm getting about $30 worth of kit when I pay my $30. But $30 is not going to get you tens of stunningly accurate measurements of a parameter - it's going to get you the tools to get close enough if you're very careful ... you might have to spend a bunch more to determine if you're really doing it right ... and you have no guarantee that the next guy is getting the same results even if he's using the same kit.

It's far from perfection, but it is worth $30...

 

[tcollins]

Balberth brings up a good point. I can't imagine anyone complaining if the kits we buy were accurate, but thread after thread, people do the same test with different manufacturer's and get different results. They should call them maybe kits, or kinda kits or close to kits.............

 

[bertoni]

The rate of problems reported with measuring is depressing. Sigh!

 

[Billybeau1]

That's why they call them "hobby grade" test kits.

One you use a brand long enough, you learn how to compensate.