huskerreefatl
Community Member
An earlier post discussed different testing which made me think about doing a comprehensive test of my tank using all of my test kits so I thought that I would share the results and thoughts about the tests.
Background:
I have a 75 gallon mixed reef tank that has been up since August 2014. I have the Trigger Emerald 34 sump with a fug that has chaeto, Red Octopus 150 INT skimmer, Dual BRS reactors running Phosban and Carbon, Coralife 6 watt UV, Eheim 1262 return, Coralife T5 with 2 10K and 2 actinics plus the Current Orbit LED, and Reefkeeper Elite. I keep the temp at 80 + or - 0.5 since it is on the RKE controller.
Test kits used:
Red Sea: Reef Foundation Pro for Ca, Mg, and KH, Algae Control Test Kit for Nitrate and Phosphate
Salifert: Mg and KH
API: PH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Ca, Phosphate, and Nitrate
Hanna: KH and Phosphate
EcoTestr: PH
ReefKeeper Elite: Temp and PH
Coralife digital temp backup: Temp
I tested the tank this afternoon and here are the results:
Red Sea:
Nitrate - 4
KH - 8.1
Ca - 420
Mg - 1240
Phosphate - 0
Salifert:
KH - 8.6
Mg - 1365
API:
PH - between 8 and 8.2
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5
KH - 9
Ca - 460
Phosphate - 0.25 (I have never had a 0 for phosphate using API)
Hanna:
KH - 8.344
Phosphate - 0.11
EcoTestr:
PH - 8.2
Reefkeeper Elite:
Temp - 80.4
PH - 8.11
Coralife Digital Temp Gauge:
Temp - 80.5
Okay, so what have I learned from this? I would say that the Salifert tests are easier to run and clearer color differences. I do like the color wheel used in the Red Sea Algae Control Test kit for Nitrate and Phosphate but there are more steps needed to test than API. Plus, you can get more specific numbers than what API will give you but I am not sure how accurate, into the decimals, that you really need to be. I do like the titration device that is included in the Red Sea Foundation Pro Test Kit though. It makes it much easier to swirl and drip. I just wish that the Red Sea KH test had better color changes to know the end point better.
For PH, I usually just use the RKE reading and as I look at the API and EcoTestr results, they are close to the RKE so I will continue to mainly use it.
For Nitrite and Ammonia, the API works very easily. Nitrate from API basically matched the much more expensive and more steps of the Red Sea so I may just use the API.
For Phosphate, Hanna is probably the most accurate but all three were very similar. For quick testing, the API is probably the best even though I have never had a 0 on it but show a 0 on Red Sea.
For KH, all four were between 8 and 9 so they are all probably close enough. I think that the API is probably the easiest. My gut tells me that the Hanna tester is the most accurate but it also takes longer. If I had to chose between the Salifert and the Red Sea, I would chose the Salifert. The color change is much easier to read.
For Mg, this is where I seen the biggest discrepancy. Red Sea showed 1240 and Salifert is 1365. I feel, based on where the tank normally sits, that the Salifert is more accurate but I would need to a third test to confirm which is the closest.
For CA, API and Red Sea are close. API would probably get you close enough and it is cheaper. The higher your Ca in the tank though, you really go though bottle #2 of the drops.
Based on these tests, here are the test kits that I will use for my weekly tests and then I can use others when I want more specific data:
API - Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate
Salifert - KH and Mg
RKE - Temp and PH
Red Sea - Phosphate ( but then when I really want to know, Hanna) and Ca.
Would like to hear the thoughts of others.
Thanks,
Carl
Background:
I have a 75 gallon mixed reef tank that has been up since August 2014. I have the Trigger Emerald 34 sump with a fug that has chaeto, Red Octopus 150 INT skimmer, Dual BRS reactors running Phosban and Carbon, Coralife 6 watt UV, Eheim 1262 return, Coralife T5 with 2 10K and 2 actinics plus the Current Orbit LED, and Reefkeeper Elite. I keep the temp at 80 + or - 0.5 since it is on the RKE controller.
Test kits used:
Red Sea: Reef Foundation Pro for Ca, Mg, and KH, Algae Control Test Kit for Nitrate and Phosphate
Salifert: Mg and KH
API: PH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Ca, Phosphate, and Nitrate
Hanna: KH and Phosphate
EcoTestr: PH
ReefKeeper Elite: Temp and PH
Coralife digital temp backup: Temp
I tested the tank this afternoon and here are the results:
Red Sea:
Nitrate - 4
KH - 8.1
Ca - 420
Mg - 1240
Phosphate - 0
Salifert:
KH - 8.6
Mg - 1365
API:
PH - between 8 and 8.2
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5
KH - 9
Ca - 460
Phosphate - 0.25 (I have never had a 0 for phosphate using API)
Hanna:
KH - 8.344
Phosphate - 0.11
EcoTestr:
PH - 8.2
Reefkeeper Elite:
Temp - 80.4
PH - 8.11
Coralife Digital Temp Gauge:
Temp - 80.5
Okay, so what have I learned from this? I would say that the Salifert tests are easier to run and clearer color differences. I do like the color wheel used in the Red Sea Algae Control Test kit for Nitrate and Phosphate but there are more steps needed to test than API. Plus, you can get more specific numbers than what API will give you but I am not sure how accurate, into the decimals, that you really need to be. I do like the titration device that is included in the Red Sea Foundation Pro Test Kit though. It makes it much easier to swirl and drip. I just wish that the Red Sea KH test had better color changes to know the end point better.
For PH, I usually just use the RKE reading and as I look at the API and EcoTestr results, they are close to the RKE so I will continue to mainly use it.
For Nitrite and Ammonia, the API works very easily. Nitrate from API basically matched the much more expensive and more steps of the Red Sea so I may just use the API.
For Phosphate, Hanna is probably the most accurate but all three were very similar. For quick testing, the API is probably the best even though I have never had a 0 on it but show a 0 on Red Sea.
For KH, all four were between 8 and 9 so they are all probably close enough. I think that the API is probably the easiest. My gut tells me that the Hanna tester is the most accurate but it also takes longer. If I had to chose between the Salifert and the Red Sea, I would chose the Salifert. The color change is much easier to read.
For Mg, this is where I seen the biggest discrepancy. Red Sea showed 1240 and Salifert is 1365. I feel, based on where the tank normally sits, that the Salifert is more accurate but I would need to a third test to confirm which is the closest.
For CA, API and Red Sea are close. API would probably get you close enough and it is cheaper. The higher your Ca in the tank though, you really go though bottle #2 of the drops.
Based on these tests, here are the test kits that I will use for my weekly tests and then I can use others when I want more specific data:
API - Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate
Salifert - KH and Mg
RKE - Temp and PH
Red Sea - Phosphate ( but then when I really want to know, Hanna) and Ca.
Would like to hear the thoughts of others.
Thanks,
Carl
