FAULTY TEST KITS

[flameangel]

Alright, I've gotten my hands on some baaaaad test kits recently. A bad Sera ph test kit caused me to lose some fish. Now I find that I've gotten my hands on not one, but TWO, bad ammonia test kits. One was a Sera, and the other an Aquarium Pharmaceuticals. (The Sera kits were 50% off...gee...maybe that should've been a clue....) After messing with my ammonia levels forever, I finally went to a fellow hobbyist's home and tested a few of his tanks. (He has about 8! <img src="graemlins//eek.gif" border="0" alt="[eek]" /> ) TADA! BOTH ammonia kits were crap. Anyway, my question is this....what kits do you guys use? I have a Red Sea ph/alk kit which is working well, so I'm thinking of just buying their master kit. Has this happened to any of you? I just seem to be a magnet for faulty test kits lately! <img src="graemlins//yell.gif" border="0" alt="[yell]" /> <img src="graemlins//yell.gif" border="0" alt="[yell]" /> <img src="graemlins//angel.gif" border="0" alt="[angel]" />

 

[captained]

I have found the TetraTest Marine Analyset to be the easiest to use- and accurate too. I have a SeaChem Marine Basic that gives me the same results, so I feel pretty confident that I'm getting good readings, I just like the TetraTest beter since it uses more water and more drops, so I don't worry if I got a "little drop" of test liquid instead of a full one, etc.
The Salifert kits are pretty good- I use the calcium one, and I've been entirely underwhelmed by the RedSea stuff. My RedSea phosphate kit reads .1 ppm on absolutely pure RODI water from 2 sources, so....
The AQ Systems aren't high on my list either- I tossed them because I couldn't tell from the directions which line to fill it to, and the tech support people sent me to a page on their site that gave contradictory info.
I pay *choke* $59.99 at my LFS for the TetraTest, but it lasts for a long time, and I'm hoping to find an online source for it that's cheaper.

 

[flameangel]

I appreciate your input, Captain Ed. I'll check out some of my LFS to see if I can find them. Hopefully I won't have to pay *choke* $60 or so, but if that is what it takes to get accurate readings, so be it! Thanks again.....

 

[kris walker]

I agree, the Aquarium Pharm ammonia kit stinks to high heaven. For me, it is so hard to tell the difference between 0-0.5 ppm. I tossed it and now have a SO much better kit from "Kordon". The kit is dry-based, and the color matching is a "look-through" type--a tranparent test chamber and adjacent color bar. It's so much better.
BTW, Aquarium Pharm also makes a crappy pH test kit, impossible to tell between 8.0-8.4. Their nitrite and nitrate test kits however are okay.
sam

 

[flameangel]

Well, I went to one LFS, but all they had were the kits we've given a thumbs down to. I'll have to try a different store tomorrow. I don't know that I've seen a Kordon kit, but then, maybe I just wasn't paying attention. I agree with you Sam. It was really hard to tell a difference in ammonia levels on the AQ kit. It was always really cloudy, too. I'm glad I finally decided to check the kit out. My water parameters are perfect according to a friend's kit...the Tetra. I'll just be happy with whatever works!
.........I did come away from the LFS with a Coral Beauty though!

 

[broomer5]

I like Aquarium Systems test kits.
The chemicals are in individually sealed foil packets.
FasTest for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.
Ph is easy to read
ammonia and nitrite are good too.
nitrate is only 0-100 resolution - but okay
SeaTest - very easy for phosphates Dual Range
0-1.0 & 0-5.0
Has dual low ranges for nitrate 0-1.0 and 0-10
Calcium test stinks
Just another option ...
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