Investigating Salifert Water Test Kits for Accuracy – Lab Results

When it comes to your tank, almost every decision is based on personal preference. From its size to its inhabitants, you’re the master of this underwater world. When it comes to tank water test kits, some hobbyists feel their brand is the absolute best.

If you spend any time on aquarium care discussion forums, it’s clear some test kits are more popular than others. Because of the sheer number of kit options, designating one product superior over the rest is pretty subjective. As avid members of several forums, we can’t tell you how many threads were started by someone looking for the best kit.

Although there are some leading brands, in most cases the best comes down to personal preference. To help bring clarity to this often murky discussion, we must consider test accuracy and availability.

Of course, the type of testing you need plays a considerable role. For testing main water parameters home, we’ve found Salifert brand kits offer consistently accurate testing for alkalinity, calcium, magnesium and nitrates. When it comes to phosphorus testing, we’ve used quite a lot of testing kits, but the Hanna Checker Phosphorus Ultra Low Range is preferred by many of our hobbyists.

But what makes these brands and kits the preferred option among hobby aquarists? In short, they satisfy several vital factors when choosing a tank water test kit.

Guiding You to Accuracy - What To Look For In Water Test Kits.

Much like buying anything, there’s several foundational elements that you should look for when browsing kits. These include:

• Accuracy.
• Ease of Use.
• Readability.

We’ve found kits without satisfying these three elements are often a waste of money. Yet, there’s one particular quality that really determines the worth of a kit: accuracy. Even if the kit is super easy to use and delivers results in a beautifully designed LCD screen, unreliable accuracy results make it essentially pointless.

So how can you determine accuracy levels? This is an excellent question, and one we’ve been passionately researching. While the aforementioned brands are trusted by many, how accurate are they? As any true hobbyist would do, we took matters into our own hands.

Our Approach To Accurate Results - Testing the Test Kits.

Sure, any kit can say its results are the best. We wanted to put these statements to the test, so we called upon the accuracy of laboratory testing.

Gathering Water Samples.
We gathered water samples from our system like we always have.

Testing Samples With Salifert and Hanna Checker.
As you can see, we tested samples with both Salifert and Hanna Checker. Both gave us pretty standard results:

• Salifert Alkalinity: 8.9
• Salifert Calcium: 460
• Salifert Magnesium: 1350
• Salifert Nitrate: 5.0
• Hanna Phosphorus ULR : 15 ( 0.05 if converted to Phosphate )

Samples Sent To ATI Lab.

After registering them online. We said goodbye to our samples and mailed them off to ATI Lab in Germany for the advanced ICP-OES water test. The results of this test will offer a clear picture of whether or not these kits are as accurate as some think.

The Results Are In !

After 10 days, ATI Lab posted the results live on their website. 

The Final Comparison.

As you can see, results from our home test kits are strikingly close to the more-advanced laboratory test:

Not only this, but the ICP-OES results give a greater understanding of tank water health. To say we’re pleased is an understatement. It seems we’ve finally uncovered at least two tests that deliver some of the most accurate results out of many at home test kits.

Salifert Test Kits Giveaway!

Why keep our findings to ourselves? We’re so pleased with Salifert Test Kits, we’re practically giving them away! Actually, we are!

Learn more and register to win the same kit we used in our study! Hurry, though! The winner will be announced on December 1, 2017!