Easy to read test kits?

B

bikerfish

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I have the worst time using those color-coded test kits. They just don't seem to be distinct enough to really know which one is which. 7 shades of light blue just doesn't work for me. :lol:

Does anyone know what kits have REALLY vivid color differences so you can tell what's what? The worst seems to be calcium and alkalinity. Waiting for a change in titration from light pink to light purple "sounds" easy, but a change from pink to black would be a heckuvalot better. As it is, I only know my calcuium is between 420 and 500, because by 500 I'm "sure" it has actually changed.

Even my wife has trouble identifying which color shade is right, and she actually thinks "dusty eggshell before sunset on thursday" or some dang thing is a color, but it isn't "white". :lol:

So I guess my questions are:

1. What are some easy to read test kits?
2. If you go the electronic route, what are the best to use and are they worth the cost?

Thanks!
 
Salifert.

Using the process of titration, the test will change color letting you know that you've reached the end result. Instead of comparing the color, you reference the amount of reagent left in the syringe against a chart of numbers on the instructions to get the total value.
 
I use Salifert for virtually all of my test kits and find them easy to differentiate the color change. The kits that I use make a distinct change from one color to the other.

The only meters I currently own are a "Comm-100 TDS/Conductivity" and a "Hanna PH" meter (not sure of model, but it is the upper end of hand held models). I am very happy with these 2 handheld meters.

I don't currently own a contoller, but from research I have done on them pending a purchase in the near future, I would recommend a "Neptune AquaController III" to monitor Ph, ORP, and temp. It is a little spendy, in the $400-$700 range depending on what options and accessories you get with it, but it will also control a lot of the equipment in a reef tank set-up and allow you to monitor your tank remotely via a web site

Hope this helps.
 
sounds like you are using the hagen calcium kit? I had trouble with it once also, I just couldn't put enough drops in there to get it to turn purple or violet per the booklet. One day it just worked for me, some say the hagen kit is absolute junk, but I don't know because I haven't used any other besides one that gives me a graph with colors between purple and green. The closer to green the mixture in the test tube is, the "higher" your CA level is, now does that make sense? What number is high in according to them? Wasted $8.
 
@iamquockie wrote:
sounds like you are using the hagen calcium kit? said:
Yup, that's the one. The rest are Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, or FastTest. Guess I've got a bunch of crappy test kits? That sucks, the big "master" kit that does PH, NO2, NO3, & Ammonia was expensive. :cry: Though it's about a year old now, so it may be getting inaccurate.
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The Salifert kits ain't cheap, but IMHO they're worth the $$$... No, they're not perfect, some are still kinda difficult to read, but a lot of them are very obvious titration tests...

Best place locally to get 'em IMHO is Fish Gallery, beyond that, mail order...
 
Get salifert kits. They are quite accurate and pretty easy to read for calcium.. goes from pink to blue in 1 or 2 drops at the endpoint.

HTH

Kevin
 
@Serk wrote:
The Salifert kits ain't cheap said:
That's probably why I'd never heard of them. I've only bought kits at the LFS, and normally that was Dallas North or Aquatic Design. Maybe they don't carry them.

Or I could be blind too, that would explain everything! :D
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I think DNA might carry 'em... But yeah, most LFS don't carry 'em, or if they do they're hidden away behind a counter or something...

Here's a listing of 'em from Premium Aquatics just for reference:

http://tinyurl.com/yrmce4
 
Keith, I've been wanting to try the Elos kits but can't find any. Do you know of an online place that sells them?

Thanks,
 
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