Lab and Aquarium Grade Test Kits

[Boomer]

Please add to this list if you are willing to vouch for a particular test kit.

Also possible "best kits" for ancillary parameters Sr, I, Si, B, K etc

Also comments on kits to avoid please don't put one that only one bad kit clouded your opinion and others sing its praises

Kits to Avoid
Red Sea
Hagen

Recommended Kits (mostly Aquarium Grade)

Salinity
Refractometers
ATC (Automatic Temperature Compensation) type
VeeGee
Vital Sines
D-D


Hydrometers
Swing Arms (Swing Arms can be accurate but will require excellent care to remain so)
Instant Ocean Hydrometer/Aquarium systems Seatest (others not wroth a crap)

Glass
Tropic Marin hand made Glass Floating hydrometer

Conductivity
PinPoint Salinity Probe
Hanna meter
Milwaukee meter ( a Hanna meter)


Ca (Calcium)
Hach
Salifert
Seachem
Tropic Marin
Elos
Aquarium Pharmaceuticals (API)


Mg(Magnesium)
Hach
Lamotte
Salifert
Tropic Marin
Elos
SaChem

Alkalinity
Hach
LaMotte
Salifert
Seachem
Elos
API
Hanna (new meter)


PO4 (Phosphate)
D-D from Deltec same as ROWA
Hanna Meter
Elos
Salifert
Hach
LaMotte


Glass thermometer
Miller & Weber (All Thermometers Made in America and Proud of it!)


pH
SeaTest/Fastest/ IO ( the best)
Kordon( the best like IO)
API
Salifert

Strips
EM Science

Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite
LaMotte
SeaTest/Fastest
API Salifert
HACH

Strips (Qualitative)
Mardel (Nitrate, Nitrite)
Jungle Quick Dip (Ammonia)

For the lackadaisical Reefer - dipsticks for qualitative results only (if you get into trouble and ask for help, I will probable politely, beat the crap out of you if the source of your results are dipsticks! ) You might be called a dipstick )


Lab Grade

Merck ( as some of their kits are seen in the hobby)
http://www.merckbiosciences.com/htm...kitresource.htm

Taylor
Welcome to Taylor Technologies

Hf Scientific
HF scientific - A Leader in Water Quality Measurement Solutions.

Lovibond
http://www.tintometer.com/start01.html

Orbeco-Hellige
Orbeco-Hellige Inc. Laboratory and Field Instruments and Reagents for Water Analysis » Home

Chemetrics
CHEMetrics, Inc. Home

HACH
Hach Company - Water quality testing instruments and reagents for laboratory, portable, and on-line applications

LaMotte
Water Quality Testing Products - Instruments, Test Kits, Reagents, Test Strips, Sampling Equipment :: Lamotte Company

Machery-Nagel.
https://www.macherey-nagel.com/web/...eb/framesE?open

EM Science ( now called EMD Chemicals , which Merck is tied in wit. EM is the company that makes the best test strips there are, such as EM Quants and some are realllllly pricey)
EMD Chemicals USA | Industrial and Laboratory Chemicals

 

[tnwillia]

Great, helpful info Boomer, Thanks!

 

[redsea reefer]

Good stuff Boomer, Thanks!

API does not make a Magnesium test kit, I use Salifert for that and API for all others.

 

[Boomer]

Oops' I'll fix that

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Great, helpful thread !!!

 

[Frankie]

Thanks for starting this Boomer! This has been sorely needed.

Are the companies in the order of who's better then who or just randomly listed names?

 

[Boomer]

Nope rhyme or reason to the list But Lovibond and Orbeco-Hellige make really cool kits and have been around for along time, like 125 years, Since 1885 IIRC. They are more or less the same company.

 

[Reefmack]

Great thread! Any idea if any of the Lovibond and Orbeco-Hellige kits are available in the US? All I've found so far are info. with no pricing, or links overseas.

 

[Boomer]

Nope, I have never seen a USA distributor/ seller

 

[Reefmack]

Thanks Boomer. I'll stop searching any further.

 

[Wayne23uk]

i use JBL kits for phosphates and PH never had a problem and easy to use and tetra kits for nitrite and ammonia very easy to read

 

[Rhodes19]

Hi Boomer,

Thanks for the info and for sharing. Frankie pointed me to this post (after he slapped me around for using Tetra. LOL!!) and said I need to use better test kits if I want to make a big difference to my system.

 

[Boomer]

Thanks guys

I have been on the road and in Texas now for a month so I have not been around much.

 

[Rhodes19]

I just saw the Hanna Checker for phos and alk at BRS. Would these be worth the investment in the long run or would the other kits be just as good. I'm thinking in terms of accuracy, ease of use, time it takes to do run the test and resupply costs.

 

[Frankie]

Yeah Chris, The Hanna is well worth the money IMO.

 

[Reefmack]

I had a lot of problems with the original Hanna alkalinity tester, getting readings that were not even close to those with my Salifert test. After Hanna upgraded to a liquid reagent I got readings very close to Salifert. I'm not sure about the other Hanna checkers as I only have the alk tester. Before the upgrade to the liquid reagent I found the little powder reagent packets difficult to use, and I think powders are still used for the other Hanna Checkers.

 

[Frankie]

Good to know Terry. I myself have not used Hanna. I am going off of what I see in results from aquariums that I follow. Trust me there not average hobbyists either.
I too have been a long term Salifert user and have become acclimated to there use. I have used the Elos kits and a few others that were cool but always wanted to upgrade my Phos test kit to the Hanna because of the results I see some zeo users getting by trusting them.
I hated the powder kits!! Always stressed out about the residues left in the packet! LOL

 

[Rhodes19]

Yeah Chris, The Hanna is well worth the money IMO.

I'll have you know that when I was talking to my wife last night about them she made sure to ask me if they test for nitrates, phosphates and Ca because that's what Frankie told her. Thanks Frank! If you keep talking with my wife she is going to want her own set up! LOL

 

[Rhodes19]

I had a lot of problems with the original Hanna alkalinity tester, getting readings that were not even close to those with my Salifert test. After Hanna upgraded to a liquid reagent I got readings very close to Salifert. I'm not sure about the other Hanna checkers as I only have the alk tester. Before the upgrade to the liquid reagent I found the little powder reagent packets difficult to use, and I think powders are still used for the other Hanna Checkers.

Hi Terry,

Thanks for the info. From what I have seen on youtube, you fill a vial with tank water, empty a packet of powder into the vial, gently shake, place into the tester, push a button and wait for the read out. I would prefer an accurate digital read out over colors. I've been using Tetra tests and trying to match the colors drive me nuts. Frankie has been after me for a while now to get better test kits and now he has my wife on his side, so, I'm looking for some good test kits. Elos and Salifert have been recommended and I'm leaning more toward the Saliferts. But if the Hanna kits are decent and accurate, I may go that way. I would think it would cost less in the long run as well.

 

[Reefmack]

Hi Terry,

Thanks for the info. From what I have seen on youtube, you fill a vial with tank water, empty a packet of powder into the vial, gently shake, place into the tester, push a button and wait for the read out. I would prefer an accurate digital read out over colors. I've been using Tetra tests and trying to match the colors drive me nuts. Frankie has been after me for a while now to get better test kits and now he has my wife on his side, so, I'm looking for some good test kits. Elos and Salifert have been recommended and I'm leaning more toward the Saliferts. But if the Hanna kits are decent and accurate, I may go that way. I would think it would cost less in the long run as well.

That's correct for the other non-alk Hanna tests. You first calibrate on the vial with tank water only, then add the reagent, shake a bit, and then insert it and take a reading (with a few button pushes involved). The Hanna alk checker seems to be very accurate with the new liquid reagent. After all the problems I (and others) initially had with it I still tend to trust Salifert though. Before they came out with the liquid reagent I was always concerned about the residue of powder reagent that remained on the inside of the little packet, but I would guess Hanna accounted for that. It can be a bit tricky holding the vial in one hand and trying to add the powder packet with the other hand, but it got easier after doing it a few times.