Test Kits

[Joe Fish]

What test kit would you guys recommend to get? I want one that will fix most of the common water treatment problems.

 

[S.Reef]

well...test kits wont treat the problem, they will help determine water quality which will lead to treatment...umm, personal recommendation is the Red Sea Marine Lab Kit.

 

[Joe Fish]

I see...

So would some regular test strips work? Then I could see what the water needs then get the "ingredient".

 

[exhumed07]

I don't like test strips. they cost just a lil less then the drops but you get less tests worth. buy the drops they will last u longer I use "Tetra Test" test kits. They seem pretty good to me.

 

[Pure]

The drops (any brand) are more accurate than the strips.

 

[Joe Fish]

Thanks for the info

 

[cinlnk]

I have had it with "ALLEGEDLY" accurate Test kits, and I will use the word accurate very loosely. I have been testing my SW tank with AP Master test kit for FW/SW. The AM were ALWAYS thru the roof. So I was doing water changes every other day,every day AND even twice a day to see if I could rectify the problem. I could NEVER figure out why I was constantly getting AM readings of 2.0 ppm all the time. The fish were acting fine, eating, swimming around. Well anywho, I took 3 water samples to different LFS. They all came back ... Perfect water parameters. I took my test kits to the LFS and tested their water along with my water....To make a long story short... My test kit was ALWAYS giving me false readings. I sit here and think about .. all those trips to the store carrying 15 gallons of RO water at least 4 to 5 times a week. The time and money I wasted just to find out that my test kit was off. Well all I can say is dont rely on just one test kit.... could save you alot of time and effort in the long run.

The one good thing that did come out of this ... is that I have one of cleanest tanks in the area.

 

[Sebastiandacrab]

i use the tetra test kit too

 

[cinlnk]

I just bought that one. The one I was using is Aquarium Pharm. Brand...*thumbsdow

 

[Lotus]

By the way, Joe Fish, the usual "cure" for a problem with your water is to do water changes.

Remember that the companies that make test kits also make products that will do all kinds of things to your water, so sometimes they're just trying to sell you stuff. Feel free to ask here on MFT about your readings for some impartial advice

 

[KahluaZzZ]

i use Salifert PH and Nitrate tests. Great for nitrate, sucks for PH. The best PH test i used is the Seatest, but it's $$$ . For a couple of bucks, the Dr wellfish SW ph test is great. For KH, Ca, Ammonia and nitrite the Hagen brand is ok. Avoid Hagen to test PH. It's a joke.

 

[Joe Fish]

So would the tetra one be an ok choice? I know i'm a few steps away from getting salt in my tank, but I want to make sure I'm ready when I do. Would improper water conditions affect live rock? My LFS has already cured rock that says I can just put right in my tank...Can I just add this to my tank then? Or would you suggest I put it in a Q tank for a little bit?

 

[KahluaZzZ]

depends on what...seriously. Some friends and i, we all got different test kits and we all agree that even if you take the bunch ( all tests ) from a specific brand, not all test results will be accurate. Maybe we should stard a poll for each important parameter. It's hard to get good readings sometimes and buying a lot of test kits can be expensive and frustrating.

Cured live rock means it's ready to go...but since i doubt about the honesty of many LFS, there can be some die off. Anyways if it's curing you'll know it. take a rock out of the water and if it's smells bad like a rotten egg...well it's not cured...and you'll have to wait a bit before you add some other stuff.
I assume you already have some livestock so just check if the rock smells or if you read some ammonia on the future test kit you get. BTW ammonia test kits i tested were all okay. Easy to read.

 

[wayne]

In the only scientific testing I've seen all the test kits normally used by hobbyists were, frankly, rubbish. The drops were no more accurate than strips in picking up trends, though it is near impossible to get 'numbers' from strips, and near impossible to get accurate numbers form most drops until you're spending 70 dollars plus per single test kit.
So, FWIW, I use tetra and hagen pH and kH kits, salifert for ammonia nad nitrate and a Merck/Deltec phosphate kit and a salifert copper kit for emergencies. By their very nature pH and kH are the most reliable kits.

So buyer beware!