[Mattfish]

New tank, new way of thinking. No more API or Red Sea test kits for me.... someone tell me Salifert's the one? Or is there something better/more accurate worth getting instead?

This is, of course, until I talk myself into an electronic sensor....

[Ganrin]

Not cheap, but the Elos test kits seem to be the most accurate and consistant available.
MBenassiReef » Articles in English

I know Phishy Business carries them, dont know who else does.

[pogodzib]

Based upon cost, the Elos SHOULD be better, but I don't know of anyone that uses them. I'd be more than a little skeptical of the article linked previously for several reasons. I don't see in the article where it talks about how old the solutions were, financial backing, etc...

Based upon other "hobbyists" (and my own) findings, the Salifert kits are the best test kits you can buy without spending a fortune. The article showed Salifert as being one of the worst, which makes me even more skeptical since those finding are the opposite of what "we" find. IMO, it appears that the person it trying to promote the Elos kits and eliminate it's major competitor. Similar to how Seascope magazine promoted IO salts in their test results when Seascope was being produced by the same company that manufactured IO.

BTW - You're also looking at an article that was written by someone that lives in close proximity to where the Elos test kits are made. The other test kits are made from companies far away.

[Mattfish]

Thanks Brian. In view of your points and experience, as well as the popular conception of Salifert, and not having heard of Elos (I'm also of the belief that more expensive isn't necessarily better), I'll go with Salifert since it's more readily available.

And with the controller research underway, this is probably a somewhat temporary step on some of the kits. Plus the lfs uses them, so we can always agree on results, assuming we both keep the kits in good shape.

Thanks David for your info as well.

[rlcline76]

I have Salifert and a few Sera. I like Salifert better.

[Mattfish]

And a final question on the subject: if money wasn't an issue, would you use Salifert test kits or a controller/sensor?

[rlcline76]

A controller/sensor with the complete understanding that they could fail or give an incorrect reading. Really, on a good day, it is a question of how long it takes. I have 2 tanks that I should test regularly. I have to have a good block of time cleared to do it. The kids keep me from having that block of time...they go in 3 different directions and that is bad because I only have 2 kids.

[pogodzib]

A controller/sensor gives you a quick reading, but I'd only really trust an ORP, pH, and temp meters, and even then they need to be cleaned often. The other types of meters just don't remain accurate for very long without calibrating and replacing probes often. You should still double check an electronic meter's accuracy (very) often using calibration fluid or test kits.

[Ganrin]

I like the ph monitors, but that is also one of the easier testkits to use. They do require some upkeep (cleaning,calibration) to keep them accurate though. A ph monitor will be more accurate than a compare the colors ph testkit by quite a bit.

On a side note, I bought an Elos Mg test kit this week and used it last night for the first time. Aside from user error in misreading the amt of water to draw for the test it was very easy to use and very fast. It comes with a test vial, syringe for drawing water, 2 liquid and one dry reagent, and a scoop for the dry. Draw 3ml of tank water with syringe, put it in vial, add drops of liquid 1, mix, add dry scoop, mix, add liquid 2 counting till color change. It probably took me as long to type the directions as it does to do it.
Advantages-- fast, easy, uses colorchange to indicate done
Disadvantages-- cost, hard to get, only measures in 100ppm increments.

[Mattfish]

We keep getting consistently same results between our API and Red Sea pH kits, but consistently VERY different results from our lfs' Salifert Kits.

This worries me as we have a somewhat precarious situation with our new tank, and the loading, etc. I'm convinced that the Salifert is probably more accurate, but it troubles me that two other kits are consistent and different - the API and Red Sea show pH in the 8.0 to 8.2 range, where the Salifert shows a 7.7 or so reading. That's a material difference.

I agree that the controllers that offer Dissolved Oxygen and Conductivity are probably way beyond my current or expected needs, so therefore not needed. My current plan is to go tomorrow and pick up Salifert pH, Nitrate, Magnesium, and Calcium kits, and probably Ammonia and Nitrite as well for now. Chunk o change.

And maybe next week, buy an Aquacontroller III or III Pro unit with temp, ORP and pH probes as well as software. That also means I'll need a wireless access point to beam the results back to my PC, which also means that I'll eventually get a webcam for the tank which will also wirelessly observe the tank, for when I travel etc.

And you wonder why this is an expensive hobby? I have absolutely no self-control.....

[Mattfish]

Quick update for Brian and Becky:

Ran out last night and got Salifert Ammonia and Nitrite test kits. Results match API kits - 0 ammonia, and down to .25 Nitrite. So the tank's progressing back to normal from the onslaught of all the kids coming back home. And the corals are all looking good, so my water's as good as the test are showing.

Going out today to get a Salifert pH, Nitrate, Alkalinity, and Calcium kits, and maybe the Phosphate, Magnesium, Iodine, and Strontium kits. Almost certainly the Phosphate and Magnesium.

That ought to keep me in in good info as the water progresses.

[pogodzib]

Originally Posted by Ganrin

On a side note, I bought an Elos Mg test kit this week and used it last night for the first time. Aside from user error in misreading the amt of water to draw for the test it was very easy to use and very fast. It comes with a test vial, syringe for drawing water, 2 liquid and one dry reagent, and a scoop for the dry. Draw 3ml of tank water with syringe, put it in vial, add drops of liquid 1, mix, add dry scoop, mix, add liquid 2 counting till color change. It probably took me as long to type the directions as it does to do it.
Advantages-- fast, easy, uses colorchange to indicate done
Disadvantages-- cost, hard to get, only measures in 100ppm increments.

Only measuring in 100ppm increments is bad. Salifert goes by 30ppm increments, put that is based upon 2 ml increments, so you can actually break it down to 15ppm.

Originally Posted by Mattfish

Quick update for Brian and Becky:

Ran out last night and got Salifert Ammonia and Nitrite test kits. Results match API kits - 0 ammonia, and down to .25 Nitrite. So the tank's progressing back to normal from the onslaught of all the kids coming back home. And the corals are all looking good, so my water's as good as the test are showing.

Going out today to get a Salifert pH, Nitrate, Alkalinity, and Calcium kits, and maybe the Phosphate, Magnesium, Iodine, and Strontium kits. Almost certainly the Phosphate and Magnesium.

That ought to keep me in in good info as the water progresses.

I wouldn't monitor for dose Iodine or Strontium directly. Yes, both of those chemicals help a select few types of corals, but many additives and salt mixes contain plenty so routine maintenance is enough. Over dosing those chemicals, esp. Iodine, can be very bad. Phosphate and Magnesium test kits are recommended.

[Mattfish]

Thanks Brian - yes on the Magnesium, and getting the Phosphate one today.

One surprising thing about the Saliferts is that they tend to use a very small amount of water and their measuring spoons aren't the highest quality or the most accurate. The small water quantity means you have to be very careful when doing the test, since a small error in prep can mean big error in result.

Having made that minor complaint about them, I can say it's nice to know I'm using an accurate test kit. But still thinking about the AquaController II or II Pro, once I get a better understanding of ORP, so I can work that into my repertoire....

[Ganrin]

I actually had a couple posts with the Elos rep on RC a few days ago. Their kit can be made more accurate by drawing a larger water sample and adjusting the per drop multiplier, but that makes an already expensive kit more so.
If you pull 6cc of water then it will test to 50ppm, but use twice as many drops to get there.
I will probably do that about 1 time per month and just use normal for my weeklys.

[Mattfish]

I would think twice the water and twice the reagents would provide better accuracy, but true - half the tests.....

The real question is: what's accurate enough? For example, I didn't like that the API kits were off .2 to.4 in pH - that was too much....