What do you test for and which brand of kits?

for ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, ph, phosphate i like aquarium farms, but for magnesium, alk, and all the other fun ones i found seachem's are nice, kind of expesive but work good

 

I'm using salifert, I might give ELOS a try when I run out.  So far they are doing a good job for me.

 

I have been using Salifert for everything I test for a couple years. However, I have noticed issues in the last couple nitrate test kits that I have bought. I test for nitrate, nitrite (after any major change), ammonia (if a change or death occurs), silicate, phosphates, calcium, alk, and magenesium. I test my RO for silicates, phosphates, and ammonia (chloramine may be used where I live, cant get a straight answer).

I started using the Salifert kits when I was having inconsistent reading with the other brands, but I may look at the Elos brand. Where do you get them from Sone?

 

I usually test for Ca, Mg, and Alk using Salifert test kits. I just ran out of Mg so i am thinking about giving Elos a try, how are there prices compared to Salifert?

 

sorry mis spell it aquarium pharmaceuticals, gots a little fish dressed up as a doctor

 

i havent really got any bad readings from aquarium pharms but i am going to try more of the seachem i know they are more expensive but most times you get what you pay for

 

I think i will try the Elos kits, spending a few dollars more per kit is worth it if it is gonna save a person from nuking corals.
Where do you buy them at???

 

Posted By slovan on 12/15/2007 7:54 PM
Phishy Business has them now and Marine Depot should have them any day. I can bring my test kits to the next meeting, you can test it to see how you like them.Their prices are not to bad for them.  I wouldnt mind running the test side by side to see what we get on the different kits.

 

I usually only test for calcium, mag, po4, alk, and ph at home using seachem tests. The po4 is kinda a bunk test though knowing that the salt and mag will cause the test to be off.

 

ca,mg,n,ph,po4 and conductivity

 

edit to add elos chemistry is probably the purest commercial grade [>79%] that is not prohibitivly expensive.

most of the other widely available test kits contain chemistry that is only >49% purity

the red sea [nh4nh3, no2, and no3] i tested averaged out to 52.3% ...note this was from a small sample from unique lot numbers with a sample size of 15 [5 from each test kit].

 

Interesting news on those test kits. So you don't always get what you pay for?

 

I just ordered a Red Sea Magnesium test...we will see how it does...

eins

 

i have been using a Nutrafin CA test. My CA levels are in the 500's and have been wondering if this is correct. It just strikes me as a little higher than what i have been expecting. I dose two part and top off with lime water. But this is the first tank i have dosed two part on also. anyone else ever used the Nutrafin test? One of the guys at Iowa Pet foods and Aquatics recomended this test over the Instant ocean CA test that they stock on their shelves.