whats the best alk test kit in your opinion
- Thread starter LAreefguy
- Start date
After using the Red Sea test kit I wouldn't use anything else. There's nothing more accurate than self-performed tritiation... It's very easy, don't tell yourself it's too much chemistry lol... The whole 15 seconds, and the wait times are exaggerated.
For alkalinity, you simply have 10mL of tank water and you begin tritiation one solution until it turns a color. I typically put in like .6 of my 1mL syringe at first because by now I have a good idea where I'm sitting... No need to tritate with shakes for the first half or so of syringe.
Calcium has some mixing going on. You need 5mL tank water and you have a power, and two bottles that dispense one drop at a time. After you've made your solution with these three items in a specific order. When you shake after each step I think it says like 5 or 15 seconds. Sometimes it even says 30 or 60 seconds.. Just give it a good shake till you've noticed it's all dissolved.
Mag is harder because you need only 2mL... Because it's such a small amount you have to really make sure when you put the drops in the vial that you make sure it'll hit the water and not side of vial. It'll throw your test off...
Anyway..
For alkalinity, you simply have 10mL of tank water and you begin tritiation one solution until it turns a color. I typically put in like .6 of my 1mL syringe at first because by now I have a good idea where I'm sitting... No need to tritate with shakes for the first half or so of syringe.
Calcium has some mixing going on. You need 5mL tank water and you have a power, and two bottles that dispense one drop at a time. After you've made your solution with these three items in a specific order. When you shake after each step I think it says like 5 or 15 seconds. Sometimes it even says 30 or 60 seconds.. Just give it a good shake till you've noticed it's all dissolved.
Mag is harder because you need only 2mL... Because it's such a small amount you have to really make sure when you put the drops in the vial that you make sure it'll hit the water and not side of vial. It'll throw your test off...
Anyway..
I have always used LaMotte for Alk.
http://www.lamotte.com/en/
They are not an aquatics company but a Water Quality and Analytical Testing Equipment Manufacturer (like Hanna). Very accurate compared to hobbyist grade test kits and very easy to use.
http://www.marinedepot.com/LaMotte_...water_Aquariums-LaMotte-LM1111-FITKAL-vi.html
Expensive at first but then you just buy refills.
http://www.marinedepot.com/LaMotte_...water_Aquariums-LaMotte-LM1131-FITKAL-vi.html
http://www.lamotte.com/en/
They are not an aquatics company but a Water Quality and Analytical Testing Equipment Manufacturer (like Hanna). Very accurate compared to hobbyist grade test kits and very easy to use.
http://www.marinedepot.com/LaMotte_...water_Aquariums-LaMotte-LM1111-FITKAL-vi.html
Expensive at first but then you just buy refills.
http://www.marinedepot.com/LaMotte_...water_Aquariums-LaMotte-LM1131-FITKAL-vi.html
I use Red Sea for ALK, CA and Mag, follow the exact instructions for Mag the Alk and CA are easy! I use Salifert for Nitrate and old School Hanna Meter for P04. I test Alk 3 times a week, calcium, P04 and Nitrate once a week and Mag once a month. I also do a Triton test once every three months just to check for everything else. I think Red Sea Alk is the easiest.
