TestKits-ease vs accuracy

So what are the best test kits? Now that Im experimenting with bacteria dosing, I have been testing my Alk, Cal, and Mg levels daily and its such a pain! I have salifert kits and to be quite honest, I dont really like them. Its very time consuming and then there is always that question of when exactly has the color offically changed? It seems like there is about a 4-5 drop range from when the color starts to change to when is has definatly changed, which i think is a pretty huge range. So my question is, what test kits do you all use, and how accurate do you think they are, and most importantly, how hard is it to get your results?

Edited by Jeffs_little_ocean - November 12 2010 at 10:46am

You could try those Hanna Instrument test kit more accurate, or go all of the way and purchase the electronic Test that will show you right on the spot.

You could save yourself half the work by testing every other day. One days difference in those three levels is no big deal.
Really.
Consider two facts:
1 - The wide range of those levels that a reef can handle and
2 - The amount of increase of those components that a reef can handle.

In fact why not just take it all a lot slower and only test weekly?

When a tanks filtration system becomes that time consuming I lose interest.
Isn't there an easier way?
Seems to me that this type of filtration system is too sensitive to leave any time for enjoyment.

Back on topic

What kind of changes are you seeing?

Jeffs_little_ocean wrote: And mark im not sure if there is an easier way, but ive done it your way for a long time, and all I can say is that the eighties are over and its time to try something new

I'm happy you are trying this new method. In fact I'm a little jealous. You don't know me very well and I have been essentially out of the hobby since Feb 07 when I stopped coral farming, sold all my stuff, got married and moved to St. George. Yeah, my wife started seeing how cool it was and we had some ordinary tanks, but for several reasons I have not been able to do the hobby like I wanted. Believe me, if I was not on this "hiatus", I would be the one telling you about my experience with the ULNS/carbon dosing high bacterial system. I wasn't dubbed the "brave mountain pioneer" for nothing.

I also know the history of this hobby. There are so many new methods that have come and gone, and come again - and gone again. It's dizzying. It just seems to me right now, looking in from the outside, that this system is a lot of work, and for what? What can it do that we can't already do with a less time consuming setup? Ryan claims that his experiences with other methods were all dismal. I understand that, but for me, I had excellent results. As I'm thinking about it right now, in all honesty, maybe I'm really sad that I cannot show you the results of my tanks in the sun, etc., and that I am missing out on the opportunity to try this new system.

Oh and about your question below, it's the latter.

Jeffs_little_ocean wrote: Is the final result you should go with when you see it start to change color, or when it has definatly changed color?

Edited by Mark Peterson - November 13 2010 at 9:35pm

I've tested the water of hundreds of tanks. The color is a slightly different hue for some tanks. I think they hope that  we will do enough tests that we figure it out for ourself.

Mark Peterson wrote: When a tanks filtration system becomes that time consuming I lose interest. Isn't there an easier way? Seems to me that this type of filtration system is too sensitive to leave any time for enjoyment.

Mark, for someone who is so dedicated to the hobby I don't understand why spending a little extra time to try something new would make you loose interest.  Being closed-minded never helps us learn anything.  Alot of my enjoyment and interest in the hobby comes from learning new things and messing around with my tank trying to improve things.  Just because someone doesn't have a display of Utah rock, full of macro algae in direct sunlight, and pc lighting, does not mean they are doing it wrong.

Anyways.. back on topic.  I have been using the API test kits because they are cheap, easy to use,  and have been accurate for me. (I have compared the alk and calcium to some salifert kits on more than one occasion and they have been right on) I have heard good things about the elos kits as well and will probably give them a try.


Edited by kellerexpress - November 14 2010 at 1:22am

Thanks guys. Here is the current situation. Thanks to my daughter, for the past 6 months we have a small reef tank in the sun. It has Utah and Hawaiian rock and sand, donated coral and an RBTA(thanks Danh), but no fish. Thanks to Dion, I have one of my previous 40 gal shallow acrylic frag tanks sitting here waiting to be set up and thanks to my brother, there's a 75 gal sitting in storage. We are currently looking for a new place to live. One with south/east facing large windows where coral farming could start providing an income. I have a dream of a large thriving coral farming business right here in the valley. 

Back on topic, all the good test kits are going to use the titration process which means chemicals and droppers. There's just no other good way right now.