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Test.....you are suppose to test?
test kits?
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Here are two posts where other tests indicated phosphates when the Salifert kit did not:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/s...nna#post9999814">http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/s...nna#post9999814</a> (Hanna colorimeter)
[IMG]http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/s...07#post10030278">http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/s...07#post10030278</a> (Elos test kit)
"Randy, at a recent reef club meeting, I tested my tank water back to back with Salifert and Elos PO4 kits. Saliferty was completely clear, no detectable color. Elos read .07, a VERY significant difference. Almost every person who use the salifert kit ended up with a perfectly clear reading, which makes me highly suspicious of its sensitivity."
"haha, didn't think my opinion was going to be used here. But let me clarify what I was trying to get at. I've been using the salifert test kit as a gauge to see where my phosphates might be at. However, after using the salifert, it always came out clear due to my phosban reactor. I've heard of people complaining that the salifert is innaccurate so I bought a hanna to measure against that. Even with the salifert registering 0 under natural daylight and also under daylight bulbs, the hanna still registered .03. i believe the hanna has a margin of error on it as well, however I believe it is more accurate than the salifert with low range measurements."
Habib (Salifert) left RC due to his inaccurate test kits. Salifert is no longer on there. You can forget about contacting Habib anymore.
[IMG]http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/printthread.php?threadid=1117617">http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/printthread.php?threadid=1117617</a>
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/s...nna#post9999814">http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/s...nna#post9999814</a> (Hanna colorimeter)
[IMG]http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/s...07#post10030278">http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/s...07#post10030278</a> (Elos test kit)
"Randy, at a recent reef club meeting, I tested my tank water back to back with Salifert and Elos PO4 kits. Saliferty was completely clear, no detectable color. Elos read .07, a VERY significant difference. Almost every person who use the salifert kit ended up with a perfectly clear reading, which makes me highly suspicious of its sensitivity."
"haha, didn't think my opinion was going to be used here. But let me clarify what I was trying to get at. I've been using the salifert test kit as a gauge to see where my phosphates might be at. However, after using the salifert, it always came out clear due to my phosban reactor. I've heard of people complaining that the salifert is innaccurate so I bought a hanna to measure against that. Even with the salifert registering 0 under natural daylight and also under daylight bulbs, the hanna still registered .03. i believe the hanna has a margin of error on it as well, however I believe it is more accurate than the salifert with low range measurements."
Habib (Salifert) left RC due to his inaccurate test kits. Salifert is no longer on there. You can forget about contacting Habib anymore.
[IMG]http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/printthread.php?threadid=1117617">http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/printthread.php?threadid=1117617</a>
Your first two links don't work... at least not for me.
I am not going to restart old debates. I didn't realize Salifert stopped paying reefcentral their blood money, but a lot of sponsers have pulled from there due to the relatively high prices (MRC being one). It does suck that one of the few companies that actually support their Test Kits online pulled out.
Salifert is still considered top dog in most water tests and a very small set of bad kits isn't going to stop that. Aside from the Alk that started the whole Salifert mess, I haven't heard anythign bad until you just posted about the phosphates... and I consider most chemical tests sans hardware pretty crappy (I haven't used the Elos nor know many that have so I exlude that kit). At the point where a Salifert Phosphate kit actually tests positive for phosphates is about the place where I worry about them. Course I run a lot of Chaeto and some GFO continually.
BTW, you can still contact Salifert via phone. I did so about a month ago to have a conversation about Exit and long term problems with continual dosing. They are in Holland, but they were very nice when I spoke with them.
I am not going to restart old debates. I didn't realize Salifert stopped paying reefcentral their blood money, but a lot of sponsers have pulled from there due to the relatively high prices (MRC being one). It does suck that one of the few companies that actually support their Test Kits online pulled out.
Salifert is still considered top dog in most water tests and a very small set of bad kits isn't going to stop that. Aside from the Alk that started the whole Salifert mess, I haven't heard anythign bad until you just posted about the phosphates... and I consider most chemical tests sans hardware pretty crappy (I haven't used the Elos nor know many that have so I exlude that kit). At the point where a Salifert Phosphate kit actually tests positive for phosphates is about the place where I worry about them. Course I run a lot of Chaeto and some GFO continually.
BTW, you can still contact Salifert via phone. I did so about a month ago to have a conversation about Exit and long term problems with continual dosing. They are in Holland, but they were very nice when I spoke with them.
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I dont even think the cpr is the #1 selling HOB, Id bet that tittle belongs to Seaclone. I dont see any logic in that top ten list.
Maybe top 10 skimmer that is: under $126, less than 24" tall, imported though California on a full moon.:huh:
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Salifert alk & phoshates IMO are the problem test kits. Both caused me a lot of problems. I had 1 alk kit at 6.0 and another stating the same regent at 7 something. Anyway, habit closed up shop after the alk fiasco at RC. Although there are many, many threads about Saliferts phosphate issues, I personally tested api, salifert, de merck, vs HACH. DD Merck was exact everytime. I "suspect" his calcium, also. Other that that, I am pretty happy with his nitrates, & I use his mag. Habit sent me a new kit with a reference solution, which was nice, but than I had 3 kits that were far apart from each other. No argument here, just personal experiences and a Chemist(randy).
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I guess you have to be logged ( or have access) on to RC to be able to get to those links. I did, however, quote from both links. I agree that all "hobby" test kits can have issues from time to time. No big deal! I agree, that I don't want to restart any test kit argument! If someone learns something from my issues that I have incurred with certain test kits;so be it.
if anyone wants further info, just PM me!
ralph
if anyone wants further info, just PM me!
ralph
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I've tested many of the API against many of Tetra and Seachem and achieved very similiar results. All tested within the stated range. Accuracy has a lot more to do with the tester than it does with the test. I'll had a post on this in another thread I'll try to dig up.
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I agree that it is the tester a lot of times, however, the owner of salifert was working with me and about 100 other people that had bad batches of test kits that he acknowlegded himself. Also, those quotes above are with Randy Holmes-farley (chemist). If I have a test kit that 10 times in a row says that my regent of 6.5 is actually 6.00 and another one is 7.3 (I'm at work, so I don't have all info) and another is 8, all done as the owner instructed, than it's them. Sorry.....
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There can be errors in production in any product, but for the most part they're reliable enough. Unfortunetly it's up to the consumer to verify the accuracy of the products.
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FYI on Salifert's removal from RC (from moderator):
The Salifert Forum was removed, since the company was no longer responding to any inquiries there, and hadn't been for an extended period.
The posts in that forum had degenerated to simple bashing of the company and its customer service.
We have no way of contacting the company, and see no point in having an entire forum dedicated to fighting about whether an individual and his company has good customer service/bad customer service, is a good guy/bad guy, must have had something bad happen in his life/doesn't matter what happened he should answer questions, etc.
No one has any real info. It was all speculation. It was upsetting a large number of RC Members (some were even resorting to threats of violence) for no reason. So, we took the subject of all the angst off the table to allow RC to return to its mission of exchanging hobby-related info, rather than exchanging insults.
Kevin
The Salifert Forum was removed, since the company was no longer responding to any inquiries there, and hadn't been for an extended period.
The posts in that forum had degenerated to simple bashing of the company and its customer service.
We have no way of contacting the company, and see no point in having an entire forum dedicated to fighting about whether an individual and his company has good customer service/bad customer service, is a good guy/bad guy, must have had something bad happen in his life/doesn't matter what happened he should answer questions, etc.
No one has any real info. It was all speculation. It was upsetting a large number of RC Members (some were even resorting to threats of violence) for no reason. So, we took the subject of all the angst off the table to allow RC to return to its mission of exchanging hobby-related info, rather than exchanging insults.
Kevin
Your frist two links weren't valid links. Something got messed up in the cut and paste.
The moderator probably left out the part where they stopped paying. Nothing against the people at reefcentral more the policy, but I think they would sell their mother if it landed them a new sponser and they will boot you fast if they don't get their check.
The new Salifert Kits cause me more concern than the old ones. It appears they are copying other kits that aren't as reliable when reading them. The old Alk was clear cut (assuming you weren't one of the few people that got a bad kit) but the new ones seem to be multi-colored same for the Mag.
I plan on testing the Elos kits, but they aren't as accurate from my understading. 100ppm accuracy on the Mag kit is a little absurd. Course you could always double it I guess and get it down to 50ppm.
The moderator probably left out the part where they stopped paying. Nothing against the people at reefcentral more the policy, but I think they would sell their mother if it landed them a new sponser and they will boot you fast if they don't get their check.
The new Salifert Kits cause me more concern than the old ones. It appears they are copying other kits that aren't as reliable when reading them. The old Alk was clear cut (assuming you weren't one of the few people that got a bad kit) but the new ones seem to be multi-colored same for the Mag.
I plan on testing the Elos kits, but they aren't as accurate from my understading. 100ppm accuracy on the Mag kit is a little absurd. Course you could always double it I guess and get it down to 50ppm.
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actually, Habib stopped returning messages. After his ALK fiasco, he had responded at first, trying to help, but then, he just disappeared. Habib & I had numerous contacts, until the last one which I was asking about how long his reference solution was good for. That was about 3 months ago, and I have not heard anything since. The moderator was not lying, but was correct. Any financials would be anybodies guess. I was obviously one of the people that got 3 bad Salifert test kits.
From other posts it sounded like Salifert was getting beat up pretty bad with people blaming the kits for all kinds of stuff and slamming his PM box full on more than one occasion. Not defending bad kits, but this is a common problem with all manus and was really only caught by a handful and some beat Salifert like a drum which is common on RC. For the most part when someone brings up Salifert over at RC, they are still considered a good product and for many people with the Alk problem they tried to make it right. I think if they ignored the problem out of the gate, it wouldn't have been as bad for them which is a bit sad.
To my knowledge few have a product that is easier to use and read with their level of accuracy. Elos sounds like they are the next in line for the throne, but that Mag test is kinda a joke and some of their other tests aren't particularly accurate.
Maybe that new import Sera might have something. Haven't heard anything about them yet, but don't really stay on top of RC chat these days either.
To my knowledge few have a product that is easier to use and read with their level of accuracy. Elos sounds like they are the next in line for the throne, but that Mag test is kinda a joke and some of their other tests aren't particularly accurate.
Maybe that new import Sera might have something. Haven't heard anything about them yet, but don't really stay on top of RC chat these days either.
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agreed, too many people went waaay too far over at RC with salifert. I had a very cordial relationship with him, and he did help me. He sent me a new kit with a reference solution, but disappeared after that. However, when you think your all is 9.5, but it's really 6.5 to 7, that can really impact your tank.
I don't think it effected me directly, but indirectly! I thought I had found my problem (alk), but it wasnt, it was phosphates. So I was devoting all my direction to alk issues with my corals when I should have spent it with phates! But, that's the way it goes, tank is thriving well now! Later!
I don't think it effected me directly, but indirectly! I thought I had found my problem (alk), but it wasnt, it was phosphates. So I was devoting all my direction to alk issues with my corals when I should have spent it with phates! But, that's the way it goes, tank is thriving well now! Later!
