TUNZE Laboratory water tests.........??

[searoyalwulf]

Recently I was searching for water testing kits and came across some made by "Tunze". I was wondering if anyone has had experience using their products.

http://www.tunze.com/index.php?id=149&L=1&C=US&user_tunzeprod_pi1[predid]=-infoxunter034

It looked as though they have several kits for each parameter allowing for more precise analysis of the sample tested.

I'm very interested in purchasing some good quality testing kits and would appreciate any suggestions/advice you might have on the subject.

 

[BoomerD]

No experience with them, but being Tunze, they're likely to be pretty good...If you're looking for good test kits, try Salifert. One of the best "hobbyist grade" kits we can buy at a reasonable price. If you want to spend a bit more, then by all means, LaMotte makes the BEST "Hobbyist" kits you can buy. To get any better than LaMotte, you have to buy "professional grade", with the associated "thru-the-roof" prices.

 

[Boomer]

First, Tunze does not make test kits. That is also evident by the link you posted, where you see Merck or Machery-Nagel. These are German water analysis test kit companies, that make kits on the order of HACH or LaMotte. None of these companies are labeled "Hobbyist Grade" and are "Professional Grade, where they make kits that some in his hobby buy/use. They all have a range of price depending on what kit you buy. All of them have some "hobby prices" all the way to very expensive more lab or professional/analytical grade prices. There are other water analysis companies that also do the same, i.e., Taylor, CHEMetrics, Orgeco-Hellige, Hf Scientific, Lovibond. All of these rarely show up in this hobby.

There are quite a few kits in this hobby made by professional water analysis companies, where the kits are just re-packaged/ relabeled, i.e., FasTest/SeaTest, Kordon, Tunze, others. Same can be said for some meters and all probes for meters, usually 99% made by Sensorex or Broadly-James.

"True" hobby kits are actually made by aquarium companies, i.e, Salifert, SeaChem, AP, Red Sea, Hagen, others. Salifert and SeaChem are the best but there are couple of others just as good popping-up.

So yes, the Tunze kits are/should be very good.

 

[billyr98]

great info boomer, thanks...

 

[searoyalwulf]

Thanks for the great info everyone. It really helps in my decision making process to have all this new information.

 

[down and outman]

I'm spoiled. I take a sample to work and use the Hach DR/4000 photospectrometer, ph probe, and other tests we have at the water plant. Can't seem to talk them into calcium test reagents. Hach stuff is so expensive so I can't really buy my own.

 

[Boomer]

It wont' do Ca++ or Mg++. Seawater is to high in Mg++ and will interfer if above 200 ppm Mg++ when testing Ca++. Mg++ is 1300 ppm in seawater. It can also only measure Ca++ to 250 ppm Ca++ and Mg++ to 75 ppm. You also can not measure NO3- unless you have a std for seawater or go through a special procedure.