Next best Magnessium test kit

[masonicman]

I normally use Salifert mag. test kit. As everyone knows they are on back order. What the next best thing? Red sea?

[Nanz]

www.Aquabuys.com sells Salifert Mg Test kits. I just bought mine from there last week.

I would say the next best Testkit I have used is Seachem's but its kinda extensive.

I have used the following Mg Testikits
Salifert
Seachem
Red Sea

I would rate them in that order.

[zooloo]

elos has a good mg kit.

[mg426]

Red Sea test kits are BADDDDD !!!!!!

[stingythingy45]

Do not buy Red Sea!!!!
Complete piece of junk!
Elos is getting good reviews.

[masonicman]

Just ordered saliferts from Aqubuys

[MalHavoc]

Agreed - Elos test kits are great.

[Nanz]

Originally posted by MalHavoc
Agreed - Elos test kits are great.

I don't know...

Standard sensibility:
Ca - 25ppm
Mg - 100ppm

They have similar sensitivity to the API kits in fact they are less sensitive yet cost 5x as much. API does not make a Mg testkit though and 100ppm with Mg may be accurate enough. You might have to dilute it by 1/2 so you can get a 50ppm sensibilty but then your splitting the number of tests you run in half. Way overpriced for the level of sensitivity IMO.

[stingythingy45]

Personally I wont buy any Salifert test kits.
WAY overpriced and never available.
(back ordered)......

[Mr James]

by stingythingy45
Personally I wont buy any Salifert test kits.

What other choice do you have that is as efficient?? I don't use anything else.

by stingythingy45
WAY overpriced

Define "WAY" please?? Here's a link for when you finally decide to purchase this "WAY" cool product: Click me to save $$$...

by stingythingy45
and never available.
(back ordered)......

That's a good reason not to order I guess. But they will come in.

[stingythingy45]

Here's the first place on that link you provided.

http://www.saltwaterfish.com/site_11...ifert&x=12&y=6

***Notice........NO MG. test kits********

I don't have time to fool with a company that shuts down production when they feel like it.
For that reason they will NOT get any of my money.
It's as simple as that.If you can't provide the product promply,it really doesn't matter how good it is.

[MalHavoc]

Originally posted by Nanz
I don't know...

Standard sensibility:
Ca - 25ppm
Mg - 100ppm

They have similar sensitivity to the API kits in fact they are less sensitive yet cost 5x as much. API does not make a Mg testkit though and 100ppm with Mg may be accurate enough. You might have to dilute it by 1/2 so you can get a 50ppm sensibilty but then your splitting the number of tests you run in half. Way overpriced for the level of sensitivity IMO.

I think they're just being realistic. Hobby test kits depend on things like drop size consistency, little scoops of powder, and subjective colour changes for end points. How could that be accurate? I used to do industrial water treatment for a living, and we used to give our sales people colourimetric test kits for "in the field" work to give our customers a ball park of how well their water was doing. Anything we needed serious numbers for, we collected water samples and did chromatography tests instead.

[Nanz]

Originally posted by MalHavoc
I think they're just being realistic. Hobby test kits depend on things like drop size consistency, little scoops of powder, and subjective colour changes for end points. How could that be accurate? I used to do industrial water treatment for a living, and we used to give our sales people colourimetric test kits for "in the field" work to give our customers a ball park of how well their water was doing. Anything we needed serious numbers for, we collected water samples and did chromatography tests instead.

I agree with you that hobby test kits are not as accurate but why are these two kits so different in price when their detection limits are almost the same?

API
-----
Ca, 20ppm, $8
ALK, 1dKH, $4

ELOS
------
Ca, 25ppm, $30
Alk, 1dKH, $17

The numbers speak for themselves, why pay more?

[bdare]

Reefgeek also has Salifert Mg kits. I just got mine this week.

[MalHavoc]

Originally posted by Nanz
I agree with you that hobby test kits are not as accurate but why are these two kits so different in price when their detection limits are almost the same?

API
-----
Ca, 20ppm, $8
ALK, 1dKH, $4

ELOS
------
Ca, 25ppm, $30
Alk, 1dKH, $17

The numbers speak for themselves, why pay more?

How do you know the numbers speak for themselves? Have you tested the API test kits to see that, indeed, they really are as accurate (or as inaccurate) as they claim?

Other factors weigh in here, too. The method used, ease of testing, and so on.

[elosusa]

Originally posted by Nanz
I agree with you that hobby test kits are not as accurate but why are these two kits so different in price when their detection limits are almost the same?

API
-----
Ca, 20ppm, $8
ALK, 1dKH, $4

ELOS
------
Ca, 25ppm, $30
Alk, 1dKH, $17

The numbers speak for themselves, why pay more?

This is a good question Nanz and one that has been brought up a few times before and is often misunderstood. To give you an idea what Elos goes through in order to offer our kits here are a few things to look at:
- NIST validated reagents
- lab droppers, syringes, glass vials (with childproof locks)
- we use separate climate controlled areas for our test kits in Italy and here
- independently "blind test" test kit batches from a lab in the US to assure they have reached
us in good condition.
As with anything you can get more for less but in the end you will sacrifice something. Of course there are companies that are not reasonable and overcharge and we all have to be cautious about this but I don't believe this is the case. If we decided to take away the NIST validated reagents, re-testing with a US lab, go to plastic vials, use cheaper syringes, use cheaper droppers with no childproof locks, cheaper instructions, storing them in a standard warehouse, etc, then of course we could offer a cheaper kit at a cheaper price but it is not a compromise we are willing to make. Now about the resolution. As we continue to sell more in the US and around the world I am sure you will see improvements on all of our products and while most prefer to have accuracy and reasonable resolution for a given parameter, I have certainly mentioned to Italy that a few customers wish for higher resolution in some of our test kits. Hope that helps and let me know if you have any other questions.

[bdare]

Hey Jessie,

I will say I'm a Salifert Mg test user. The primary reason I chose Salifert over Elios is because of the resolution...

Ben

[sjfishguy]

I agree with Nanz. I have switched from Salifert to API and I am very happy with them. Much better value and seem accurate. Everyone in the chem forum seems to agree they are pretty precise and accurate. I do not need to get less than 1dkh, mine changes more than that in a day. If API made an Mg kit, I would go with that too.

[Chibils]

Makes me feel better about not springing for the Salifert kits for ammo, nitri, nitra, pH...

[wrasseguy2]

i have been using elos for some time now and really like the kits alot..i would recommend them

[snorvich]

Well having used most of them, I prefer Elos from a consistency perspective. If you run a test twice you expect the same results. Try running your tests twice with different brands so see if they are totally reproducible.

After all, it is the trend of your measurements that is most important, not the specific values of a given test. Let's say you run calcium and it shows 400. You don't really know if that is accurate but you do know that if the same test is run again, and it reads 400 that the test is consistent.

Greater resolution may or may not give you better results.

[Nanz]

Originally posted by snorvich
Well having used most of them, I prefer Elos from a consistency perspective. If you run a test twice you expect the same results. Try running your tests twice with different brands so see if they are totally reproducible.

After all, it is the trend of your measurements that is most important, not the specific values of a given test. Let's say you run calcium and it shows 400. You don't really know if that is accurate but you do know that if the same test is run again, and it reads 400 that the test is consistent.

Greater resolution may or may not give you better results.

When I did my testing to compare with the tests ran at our Soil Lab I ran all the API tests in triplicate. All three results came out the same. Its not that difficult to get a similar result though on a test that has a wide detection range. I use a different procedure though than what is in the instructions. Here is what I use on the API kits.

• I use a 5ml syringe to collect the sample and instert it into the test tube.
• I always clean my test tubes with a brush and di water between tests.
• Always shake the reagents to make sure they are mixed well.

Personally you can't beat API for the cost. I feel comfortable that the results from the API test are accurate after running my test through our soil lab. I won't pay extra for a test that has the same or worse detection limit. Even if they provide glass tubes, syringes, etc... I dont care if the reagents are harmful. I'm not going to eat them or store them with food. What I care about is precision, consistancy and accuracy.

I do like Salifert test kits the best and that is NOT because they have reagents that are harmless but because they offer a more precise reading or a smaller detection limit. Aquarist use some of the most poisonous chemicals to dose our tanks. Cough.. Kalkwasser? Yea, that stuff is pretty poisonous and not so great for the skin either. My point being that I think making reagents that are harmless is a waste of money and time on the company and the aquarist buying them. We already have lots of poisonous chemicals in our supply cabinet.