Test Kits

[RJDENNIS]

My tank has been up and running for over 3 years now with no major issues other than the dreaded Dyno's, I cleared it up by dosing Vodka and doing a major water change and lights out for a week.
Problem I am having now is every time I introduce a cleaner shrimp to the tank it dies with in hours of acclimation (I do the drip method). I just wasted $30 yesterday to have my hermit crabs eat it for dinner. Pretty pissed off about now.

I tested my water this morning and everything reads as zero with the crappy API test kit I have so I'm beginning to wonder if the kit is any good or not.

I have been looking to upgrade the test kits but don't really know what is a better kit to buy, one that test a multitude of parameters or singly. I don't test for Alkalinity yet nor Magnesium, so I have been looking at the Red Sea Marine Care Test Kit to replace the API I currently have and either going with the Hanna Digital for the Alkalinity and Salifert for the Magnesium. I do see that Red Sea also sells a kit that checks for CA, ALK and MG in one kit.
I really need a good test kit because I would like to start introducing corals to my tank.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[98silverado]

I have heard good things about the red sea, the Hanna checkers and salifert. I guess it really all depends on how much you want to spend lol

 

[RJDENNIS]

Not really looking to break the bank but still want accurate kits. As of right now I have a Hanna Alkalinity test kit and a Salifert Magnesium test kit in my shopping cart with Bulk Reef Supplies, wondering if I should add the Red Sea Marine Care kit to the cart also to replace the Garbage API kit I have!!

 

[jrpark22000]

For MG, it's hard to beat salifert for cost, accuracy and repeatability.

 

[eric85]

I use API mostly, Red sea has the best Magnesium in my opinion.

 

[eric85]

and the API PH makes me go cross eyed! I really dislike that one!

lol

I tried to post 5 times so I can post a link, but it still wont let me. So lets try this.....

Go to the 3reef website and search for "test kit comparison". It has info on all the different test kits out there and I found it very helpful. If you search in google it might come up also.


Sorry I can post the link

 

[fredfish13]

been using salifert for Alk, Ca, and Mg for 4 years and no complaints. straightforward and cheap.

use the api SW kits-ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite.

 

[A Reef Scene]

I do not trust API kits. I use Red Sea, salifert, and Hanna. I also have two or three of the most important test to cross reference against.

 

[tmb22]

In the past, I've used API, Hanna, Salifert, and Red Sea. Right now, I just use Red Sea test kits (which are great) and Hanna digital checkers occasionally to double check alkalinity and salinity. I use the Hanna digital checker to exclusively check phosphate. My vote is Red Sea! I've used a lot of brands and Red Sea is my favorite by far.