Test kits - Red Sea Pro vs Seachem Reef vs Hanna

[Myka]

How many opinions do you want? Everyone will have a different one on this subject!

Personally, I have heard too many accuracy issues with the Hanna Calcium, Salifert Alkalinity, and Elos Mg to spend money on those particular kits. I have personally experienced more than one Salifert Alkalinity kit to be off by 1-2 dKH.

Kits that I do like include: Elos for calcium and alkalinity, API for alkalinity and total ammonia, Salifert for Mg and nitrate, D-D Merck for phosphate, and SeaChem for toxic ammonia. These are kits I have used personally over many years and find them accurate and consistent. I have heard a lot of good things about the Hanna alkalinity and phosphate kits, and will replace my Elos alkalinity kit when it runs out with the Hanna to give it a try. The D-D phosphate kit is a high sensitivity kit, is very pricey, and is probably more kit than you need when you're first starting off. In saltwater you do not need a nitrite kit as nitrite is not toxic to marine inhabitants except at extremely high levels (like <100 ppm).

Some things you won't test often and if money is an issue you can just buy the ones that are used often, then take a water sample to your LFS for the tests you don't perform often. You will often test calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium. You will test ammonia, nitrate, and phosphate much less often.

[jostafew]

I will throw in my vote for Salifert calcium. In my experience just as accurate as Elos but a little easier to use. I also have a salifert alk test which i picked up to verify the API kit i was using (it did). I like the salifert alk kit but i haven't had a chance to verify it against another higher end kit. I'm currently using a seachem mag kit which i would not recommend. It's a PITA and was out by about 15% against its reference sample. I've come up with a factor to correct for the kit's error so i keep using it but will not buy again. I've also got salifert phosphate, nitrite, ammonia and silica kits as well as API nitrate kit and have no problems with them, but i have not verified those kits against anything so i can't speak for their accuracy.