Api Master Test Kits

[Miller2009]

How good are these kits or there any better ones on the market?

 

[TwoTankAmin]

In terms of the aquarium hobby, they are as good or as bad as most. In terms of the world of testing in general, aquarium kits are bottom level. But understand that is when compared to kits that cost at least 20 times as much and the best can run into the $1,000s. These kits are used for laboratory class research.
 
For most hobbyists they suffice.

 

[NeonBlueLeon]

I like the API test kits actually.  The ones I use most are ammonia and nitrites.  As said, they are accurate enough for a fish-owner, and they even satisfy me, a mad chemist.

 

[Mamashack]

I use the API master test kit and it's seen me through fishless cycling and loads of maintenance! The only thing to be aware of is that some of the bottles need shaking vigorously to mix the contents or you can get false low results. I'm thinking particularly of nitrAte test bottle no.2. If you are prepared to spend a minute beating it into submission then it's a brilliant kit and I would definitely get another one.

 

[the_lock_man]

Compared with some others, even hobby-level ones, the API isn't that great. It is exceptionally difficult to tell a 0ppm from a 0.25ppm in the ammonia test, whilst as Mamashack says, the nitrate one is notoriously unreliable.
 
I think it's telling that Maidenhead Aquatics don't use it to test water with (I think they use the JBL, but MBOU can confirm or deny that).
 
I personally use Salifert.

 

[Zikofski]

i can confirm that MA do use JBL as they are the sponsor, but funny you say that mamashack and TLM, but i can get two results from my API nitrate, if i don't shake it i get around 20ppm, if i beat the living hell out of the bottle's i get 80 to 160+ PPM, now when i take it down to MA they use there JBL they get 20ppm? i was shocked, at the time i only beated my bottles badly and was always getting the 80 to 160+ range, so i did a test of shake and no barely shake thats how i came about with the two readings i would love a more accurate test even if it means paying that little bit more, but ye not sure how accurate JBL are? how do you find salifert TLM?

 

[the_lock_man]

Salifert are great. What I particularly like about the ammonia test, is that a 0ppm is clear, and a non-zero is a colour - so much easier than the API.

 

[Zikofski]

sorry to hijack but what you make of the nitrate one? thats the only one i need and api is just annoying me

 

[snazy]

The JBL are easier to read than API in my opinion but how accurate they are I've no idea.

 

[Mamashack]

I thought Salifert tests were for marine tanks - would they be useful and/or accurate for freshwater tanks?

 

[the_lock_man]

sorry to hijack but what you make of the nitrate one? thats the only one i need and api is just annoying me

 
Again, far easier to use, and more accurate than the API one (when it works), certainly in terms of hobbyist use.

 

[Mamashack]

Just found the answer to my own question - http/www.ultimatereef.net/forums/showthread.php?t=531779

 

[dgwebster]

it is a bit concerning that Salifert state on their own website:
 

...can detect 0.5ppm of total ammonia easily

 
This suggests that between 0 and 0.5 their tests are questionable anyway so I would have to ask if there is any actual accuracy benefit provided as you may be getting false zeros.
 
API offers 130 tests for (my lowest price found) £7.42 vs Salifert £6.89 for 50 tests, resulting in a cost per test of 5.7p and 13.9p respectively and given this question about the sensitivity of the test kit I question value for money.
 
At best, when its not zero that has been detected, at least you know its not zero more easily. Doesn't mean its not giving false zero though.

 

[snazy]

JBL ammonia test starts from 0.05ppm.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Aquarium grade nitrate kits are almost worthless. They work by converting the nitrate to nitrite and measuring that. In order to know you are getting an accurate reading you also need to test nitrite. If you get a ppm reading for nitrite, you subtract that reading from the one you got for nitrate to get the true number.
 
If the ppms of nitrite in a tank are higher than the those for nitrate, its is a waste of time and money to test the nitrate.
 
In doing some research I found a thread on another site on this. Since I am afraid linking to it may violate the rules here I am just going to quote the entire original post: And before folks complain this is a sw tank, the API nitrate kit uses the same test for fw and sw but uses cards with slightly different colors.
 
Forum     Saltwater     Saltwater General Discussion     API nitrate test kit VERY INTRESTING
02-22-2011, 07:04 PM
 
I have a challenge for anyone using api nitrate test kit First ill explain how i discovered this then you go and try it and tell us your results
I have three different test kits for redundancy purposes 2 are API and 1 is Nutrafin. Now I test my salt water and it shows 80 yes 80 ppm ( not to good ) So I went to the pets store and they tested my water with a nutrafin kit and it showed to be about 15PPM ( acceptable ) That's actually when i bought a NEW nutrafin kit and threw out the old BUT i did the test again and sure enough it read 80 ppm.So then i was confused. I tested with all three kits and the same around 80 PPM I went to a third store and got it tested she used a nutrafin and a API and it was about 10 by this time. So I told her my delema and i asked politely if i can do the same test with her api and watch me do it so i know whats different. I did it again and it showed up as 80 We both laughed and say this is not normal. NOW There was only ONE thing that i did different from what ALL the pet stores in my area are doing When I shake the bottle number 2 for 60 seconds I SHAKE THE CRAP OUT OF IT they just shake it gently from side to side for 60 seconds I pointed this out and they did the same with THERE water and it measure about 80 ppm BUT there reef system is THRIVING very very VERY well ( the water they tested ) Now I know that 80PPM is not going to house a healthy arrangement of corals and annenamies. OK So all of you who are testing 10 to 20 ppm using api AND HAVE A HEALTHY REEF TANK please try shaking the second bottle like your life depends on it for 60 sec and tell me what results you get from a test after that.
My suspicion is that shaking the bottle TO MUCH give you a way off the charts inaccurate reading and it actually did the same when i shake the third bottle like that in my nutrafin test kit. Also This leaves me totally unable to TRUST the accuracy of the kits because simply of the level of SHAKE you put into it changes the readings Please let me know your results and a opinion of HOW MUCH SHAKE would be more likely to be acurate and if there is any other advice you can give to get acurate reading Thank you all
 

The interesting thing is this reply:
 
ok I shake the bottles both like you do and my reefs show up as 0 nitrates, so i'll guess that it may be your test or your water. i notice too that the stores, when testing with API or something rather, do not shake vigorously, but do so gently. that definitely gives a lesser reading than there is.

no idea on their water, if their tanks were primarily soft corals i can buy that but SPS would not likely take 80ppm of anything o_o