Test Kit comparison

[skriz]

Pretty cool "Article" comparing different test kits and the time each test takes to perform. I thought it was quite interesting to see.

 

[skriz]

ares;281367 wrote: hmmm Ive heard good things about elos, but if a calcium test takes 10min... no thanks.

Ill stick with salifert from that article.

Yep. All of the kits are pretty close in their results too!

 

[theplantman]

I am new to the hobby and have had my tank up and running for about a month and a half now, added my first fish this past weekend and have been testing the heck out of the tank during start up. Currently using coral life reef tests for PH, alkalinity, nitrates, phosphates and calcium. I do not like the granular tests, are the salifert and seachem tests all liquid based? They seemed to test in the middle range of all the examples in the article so without a control test in the article I would assume that they may be the most reliable?

What do you think?

 

[theplantman]

Sorry, brain fart, not coral life, instant ocean test kits

 

[percula]

ares;281367 wrote: hmmm Ive heard good things about elos, but if a calcium test takes 10min... no thanks.

Ill stick with salifert from that article.

You can do the ELOS Test in less than 5 minutes if you know what you are doing. I can run a full 8 Test Kit range of ELOS kits in less than 15 minutes...

 

[percula]

One thing about the article that surprises me is that they use no lab kits or accurate testing fluids to check the results against. The only NIST verified kits in there are the ELOS kits, which they did not use on MG either... should have also verified PO4 kits with water that was more saturated with PO4.

Another article with a little more science behind it:

 

[skriz]

Yeah, definately not the most scientific test ever done. But, all things being equal, it gives a good comparison by a "common" hobbyist. He does state that the test time decreases as he does more tests. So, the long test times for the Elos kits could be much shorter once you have the hang of it.

Also, testing water with 0 PO4 tells you nothing! With the resourced of MD, they could've come up with some phosphates quite easily, not to mention a cholormeter for comparison.