Which Master Kit To Buy?

[Prime Ordeal]

I use the API master kit and it's very accurate...........some testing colors are very similar, especially the nitrate colors. For instance the light orange shade for 10ppm & 20ppm is almost exactly the same color & certainly not distinguishable from each other since it always looks a bit different in the tube. Tha same for the 40ppm & 80ppm colors.

Sorry Ruskull but you can't claim that the API kit is 'very accurate', it definitely isn't. You've given one good reason yourself straight after making the claim in that the colour matching can be a nightmare.

The API kit is a good compromise between cost and performance and that's the best that can be said about it. Accurate, in the literal sense, it is not.

 

[onidrase]

I use the API master kit and it's very accurate...........some testing colors are very similar, especially the nitrate colors. For instance the light orange shade for 10ppm & 20ppm is almost exactly the same color & certainly not distinguishable from each other since it always looks a bit different in the tube. Tha same for the 40ppm & 80ppm colors.

Sorry Ruskull but you can't claim that the API kit is 'very accurate', it definitely isn't. You've given one good reason yourself straight after making the claim in that the colour matching can be a nightmare.

The API kit is a good compromise between cost and performance and that's the best that can be said about it. Accurate, in the literal sense, it is not.

Just because API's color chart is a little vague and wide spread doesn't make it inaccurate. If they printed a better color chart that has every percentage from 0.00 to 8.00 ppm with ammonia and nitrite, it wouldn't make it more accurate in terms of its ability to find out if ammonia or nitrite is present. It does that fine.

The chart shows you if it has .25 or more ppm, which is when you know there is a problem. All you need to know is if you have ammonia or nitrite in the water. And if you do, a big water change is at hand if fish are present wit the ammonia/nitrite in the tank. If you want to spend more money or order a kit that has a longer chart, more power to you.

 

[Prime Ordeal]

All you need to know is if you have ammonia or nitrite in the water.

If that's the case then just buy test strips, much easier to use.

Accuracy has a definite scientific meaning and API kits (or any other cheap test kits) are not accurate. It's misleading to claim that they are.

 

[Ruskull]

I use the API master kit and it's very accurate...........some testing colors are very similar, especially the nitrate colors. For instance the light orange shade for 10ppm & 20ppm is almost exactly the same color & certainly not distinguishable from each other since it always looks a bit different in the tube. Tha same for the 40ppm & 80ppm colors.

Sorry Ruskull but you can't claim that the API kit is 'very accurate', it definitely isn't. You've given one good reason yourself straight after making the claim in that the colour matching can be a nightmare.

The API kit is a good compromise between cost and performance and that's the best that can be said about it. Accurate, in the literal sense, it is not.

I beg to differ, the ammonia test & the nitite test are easily the most important tests & they are quite easy to tell the difference. The nitrate colors work well enough because if it's 10 or 20 you're okay & if it's 40 or 80 you should do a water change. Works for me anyway. Besides, here in the States the API kit is just about the only one available & I can buy the whole kit for $16 plus shipping online:

http/www.aquariumguys.com/freshwater-master-test-kit.html

All you need to know is if you have ammonia or nitrite in the water.

If that's the case then just buy test strips, much easier to use.

Accuracy has a definite scientific meaning and API kits (or any other cheap test kits) are not accurate. It's misleading to claim that they are.

So what would you do differently if your nitrate read 10ppm or 20ppm? What if those readings were 40ppm or 80ppm?

 

[Tizer]

All you need to know is if you have ammonia or nitrite in the water.

If that's the case then just buy test strips, much easier to use.

Accuracy has a definite scientific meaning and API kits (or any other cheap test kits) are not accurate. It's misleading to claim that they are.

Shall we say, for arguments sake, its accurate enough for a hobbyist then?

 

[robertsskippyj]

Salifert all the way

Much easier to use and much more reliable!

I've just had a look at the Salifert PH test kit and it states Marine use only.
Don't know how much of a difference that makes?

 

[Prime Ordeal]

All you need to know is if you have ammonia or nitrite in the water.

If that's the case then just buy test strips, much easier to use.

Accuracy has a definite scientific meaning and API kits (or any other cheap test kits) are not accurate. It's misleading to claim that they are.

Shall we say, for arguments sake, its accurate enough for a hobbyist then?

I can agree on that. It was Ruskull's use of the phrase 'very accurate' that I had issue with.

 

[Ruskull]

All you need to know is if you have ammonia or nitrite in the water.

If that's the case then just buy test strips, much easier to use.

Accuracy has a definite scientific meaning and API kits (or any other cheap test kits) are not accurate. It's misleading to claim that they are.

Shall we say, for arguments sake, its accurate enough for a hobbyist then?

I can agree on that. It was Ruskull's use of the phrase 'very accurate' that I had issue with.

What I meant was that it shows the same results back to back, as in the results don't vary. Of course I have no experience using any other master kit so I'm not comparing the accuracy to that of the Sailfert or Nutrifin, etc. For most users though the API kit should be better than the dip strips and less expensive over the long haul.

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Salifert all the way

Much easier to use and much more reliable!

I've just had a look at the Salifert PH test kit and it states Marine use only.
Don't know how much of a difference that makes?

It has a restricted range suitble for a marine tank, i.e. 7.4 - 8.7, so it has limited use in the freshwater tank.

 

[robertsskippyj]

Salifert all the way

Much easier to use and much more reliable!

I've just had a look at the Salifert PH test kit and it states Marine use only.
Don't know how much of a difference that makes?

It has a restricted range suitble for a marine tank, i.e. 7.4 - 8.7, so it has limited use in the freshwater tank.

Ahhh ok, I thought the much much larger amount of nacl would affect the reaction going on.

 

[hanny93]

No theyre fine for freshwater. They were originally developed for saltwater

 

[StandbySetting]

pH doesn't really matter anyway, just get some Bromothymol blue indicator if you're in the 6-7.6 range.

 

[onidrase]

All you need to know is if you have ammonia or nitrite in the water.

If that's the case then just buy test strips, much easier to use.

Accuracy has a definite scientific meaning and API kits (or any other cheap test kits) are not accurate. It's misleading to claim that they are.

Except test strips sometimes fail to detect any ammonia or nitrite. That's why they fail. API Kits don't fail to detect anything (except nitrate if you do it wrong) the only thing API fails to do is make an extravagant chart that can tell you exactly what number you have, it just says 0, .25, .50, ect ect so there is a little guestimation if the number is between colors, but if you have .25 ammonia, you should be doing a large water change anyway, right?

 

[Ruskull]

All you need to know is if you have ammonia or nitrite in the water.

If that's the case then just buy test strips, much easier to use.

Accuracy has a definite scientific meaning and API kits (or any other cheap test kits) are not accurate. It's misleading to claim that they are.

Except test strips sometimes fail to detect any ammonia or nitrite. That's why they fail. API Kits don't fail to detect anything (except nitrate if you do it wrong) the only thing API fails to do is make an extravagant chart that can tell you exactly what number you have, it just says 0, .25, .50, ect ect so there is a little guestimation if the number is between colors, but if you have .25 ammonia, you should be doing a large water change anyway, right?

That was my point entirely. I think the threadstarter was looking for the simple answer and I told him what I think of the API Master kit that I've been using. I also told him about the annoying colors that are very similar so he wasn't surprised.

Some fish are very sensitive and do require exact pH and no more than a certain amount of nitrate, etc. If you have those types of fish and you can afford it, go for the possibly better, definetly more expensive kit.

 

[StandbySetting]

This is the thing though, over here in the UK Salifert test kits are similarly priced to the API kit, for an extra few pounds you can have a more accurate test kit, I am aware though that Saliferts are expensive in the US, so if you're in the UK, go for Saliferts, if you're in the US, go for the API kit.