What test kits do you use to measure PO4 and NO3?

[solitude127]

My test kits are expiring and wanted to get new ones. What test kits do you use to measure PO4 and NO3 and why?
TIA

[drew2007]

I've had good results using Salifert for both. FWIW the nitrate in my Red Sea kit always tested the same as the Salifert.

[tennesseebob]

I'm using Sera, mostly because my nearest lfs stocks them and I wanna support them as much as possible, but reviews are good, and the Aqua Test Box Marin is a really nice kit, but no magnesium kit in it.

[solitude127]

I have the PO4 Hanna checker but never really knew how accurate it was and I've tried the salifert NO3 but never got a result so I don't know if it's the test kit or the user (lol..)

So I ended up ordering the Red Sea Algae control kit. I'll keep the thread up to day when I received the kit.

[Allentown]

When I finish up with the last of my API for NO3 I'm switching to Red Sea.

I use Hanna for PO4 but that's a test I probably only do once a month or so.

[Fish Keeper82]

I use Red Sea for Nitrate, ALK, Mag, and Calcium. For phosphate i use Hanna checker.

I like the Red Sea it gives consistent readings and i test weekly so i can see trends. The Hanna checker has been super accurate for me . My rocks were leaching PO4 and my reading initially was 1.41ppm way high. With GFO and water changes i saw the number gradually decrease to .02ppm during a 2 month span or so. It was nice to actually have a digital readout that reflected what i was doing to the tank to lower PO4.

[xmas_one]

I stopped testing for no3 and po4 once my chaeto became a nice big blob. I just harvest a handful from time to time and watch the algae on the glass to dial in the photoperiod/feedings.

[solitude127]

So I got the Red Sea Algae management kit yesterday and it's pretty neat little kit.
Pros:
-Nice sturdy case
-2 vials so that you can see the color changes a lot easier
-instructions are straight forward

Cons:
- Takes 9 minutes to do the NO3 test
- Takes 6 minutes to do the PO4 test.

[Amatuer21]

I will be getting red sea test kits as well. Ive been using salifert and sometimes i don't feel that i am getting the best results (could just be me). Hopefully there are some black friday deals next month.

[shifty51008]

Ive been using the hanna checker for po4 and salifert for nitrate, however i mostly go by how fast my film algae grows on the glass for po4

[FarmerTy]

Hanna for PO4 and Red Sea for NO3.

[lpsouth1978]

I use the Red Sea for N03, though I have to say that the color difference is hard for me to see. It is too subtle so deciding whether it is 5, 10, or 20 can be tricky. I use the Hanna Checker for P04, but have never had a reading over 0.00, so I'm not sure I am doing it correctly.

[solitude127]

Yeah, finally showing some nitrate. I say it's about 1.5ppm. A little darker than 1 but not as dark as 2

[hobbzz]

Salifert for everything. I'm not a fan of red sea test kits. Colors never match the chart and the process is always much more complicated than salifert.

[d2mini]

NYOS for nitrate is my new favorite. The only thing is the nitrate scale doesn't go below 1 ppm which some people may not like but you should have 1-3 ppm anyway, so if you are below 1 ppm that's all you need to know.
For po4 i use the hanna phosphorous checker.

[david76]

Hanna for po4 and salifert for no3

[Buzz1329]

IME, Salifert, Red Sea, and ELOS PO4 and NO3 kits are useless. They always read zero whenever I used them on my reef tanks. Regarding the PO4 kits, I used each of them on filthy shark and giant grouper tanks at a public aquarium where I volunteer. The ONLY positive result was Red Sea phosphate kit which showed 1.0 ppm on the grouper tank, which was filtered with decades old debris laden bioballs and rags of blue filter pads.

Regarding the NO3 kits, the zero readings rarely matched the API NO3 kit. The latter kit gets awful reviews, but IME testing my tanks and a wide range of public aquarium tanks, it can and does distinguish between 0, 5, 20, 40, 80, and 160 ppm NO3. IOW, it is a worthwhile and useful test of NO3, and far more accurate than Salifert, Red Sea and Elos kits.

Which leads us to the ultimate match-up -- Hach or Hanna low-range PO4 test kits. For years, I was unable to coax consistent results from Hanna checker. I then tried Hach kit and had no problem distinguishing between 0, .02 and .04 PO4 readings.

But each time, I used Hach kit, I also did Hanna checker test. And after dozens of tries, I feel I have finally mastered the technique of the Hanna kit. Unfortunately, I consistently still get 0 PO4 each time I use it. So on the day after tomorrow (Monday's a work day), I am going to use the Hach 1.0 ppm PO4 solution to test one kit against the other.

May god have mercy on their souls.

Mike

Mike

[solitude127]

Originally Posted by d2mini

NYOS for nitrate is my new favorite. The only thing is the nitrate scale doesn't go below 1 ppm which some people may not like but you should have 1-3 ppm anyway, so if you are below 1 ppm that's all you need to know.
For po4 i use the hanna phosphorous checker.

I saw that kit was debating about the NYOS as well. Thanks for the input Denis. Maybe when my Red Sea runs out, I'll switch over.

[McPuff]

Are those parameters we should be testing as reefkeepers?? Honestly though, I don't even bother anymore (just alk, ca, mg). But if I did, I would use Salifert cuz their tests are much better than the other brands I've used.

[DesertReefT4r]

Api Salifert and Hanna