Test kits

Tridan

Tridan

Joined
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guy's need some help here, bought two different makes of test kits today
(wont name them just yet) range, nitrates, phosphates, kh, ph and calcium.
Now my problem comes in, i did three test's on each individual kit total of 18 tests.
Now each test gave me a different reading, some nice reading's and some nightmarish readings, so this led to me phoning my brother in laws mother, she is a scientist at our local water treatment works municapal. asked her to pop in at lunch time to check my water. She did a double check with a test strip only thing she did not check was calcium. her test came back the same on both accounts.Her readings were completely different to mine. needles to say my parametres according to her are good.

Now i ask what comercialy available kits are trustworthy?
Secondly what kits are most of you using?

So please help if you can, i cant keep phoning to test mywater, might just get shot.

Thanks in advance.:)
 
difficult to say whats trustwothy.i and alot of reefers that i know use tropic marine.i found that to be more accurate as compared to nutrafin,redsea, sera and other kits that ive tried
 
cough cough, splutter splutter, i have offered:p
 
i see the man often and have offered to test his water
 
his tank is way better in real life :D
 
Tridan said:
... a scientist at our local water treatment works municapal. asked her to pop in at lunch time to check my water. She did a double check with a test strip only thing she did not check was calcium. her test came back the same on both accounts.Her readings were completely different to mine. needles to say my parametres according to her are good.
Click to expand...

What were the resolution of her test strips - in other words, what were the intervals between the various levels? I don't think municipal water tests would have as fine a resulotion as we would be interested in for marines... as an example, if her pH strips were capable of measuring in 0.5pH intervals then everything from 8.25 to 8.75 would read 8.5, or everthing from 7.75 to 8.25 would read 8.0.

Now i ask what comercialy available kits are trustworthy?
Secondly what kits are most of you using?
Click to expand...

I use Tropic Marine to test for calcium and alkalinity - and that's the only tests I do, unless I suspect that something is seriously wrong (I also have ammonia, nitrite and nitrate kits from Sera, but they've probably expired by now...

Apart from the above, I use electronic controllers to continuously monitor pH (resolution 0.01pH), temperature, and ORP. I really would recomment that everyone should at least use an electronic pH meter - it's really an eye opener when dosing additives, and a *must* when using a Ca reactor.

Hennie
 
Thanks guy's, hennie will find out from her, so its tropic marine, for now, till i chat to phat. but fornow my mind is set strip the tank and start over, might want to get rid of a few specimens. but still thinking. phat compared to your tank i run a toilet bowl dude. but all will change.:p
 
Glad to see common sense does exist, Reef maniac you took the words out of my mouth. Tropic marin tests are accurate across the range, cost a little more but are value for money

Adam
 
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