Test Kit Product Reviews

GuideReviews Index

Mini-Lab Series Test Kits by Red Sea
There are mixed reports on these test kits by Red Sea, from being great in all aspects, to the total opposite of being of poor quality and notoriously inaccurate. So are they a good choice, or bad?

Dry-Tab Test Kits by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals
By Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, these dry tablet reagent test kits are a top choice of many aquarists that maintain a fish-only or FOWLR system, but are also favorable amongst reef keepers as well.

Kordon AquaTru Test Kits by Novalek
With all the standard water tests available, this line from Novalek seems to be overlooked by many aquarists, but in our opinion can be considered comparable in almost every way with Aquarium Systems' test kits.

fasTest® / Instant Ocean® Test Kits
Aquarium Systems has taken their ever-popular fasTesT Saltwater and SeaTest Reef lines of water testing kits and grouped them into one line, now named Instant Ocean® Test Kits. Nothing has changed about these products, except that rather than having to buy separate Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, and Phosphate tests, these are now simply combined as two-in-one Ammonia-Nitrite and Nitrate-Phosphate kits. As before you can buy individual pH, Alkalinity, Calcium, and Copper tests, and multi-test kits.

Hagen Test Kits
This line of test kits by the Rolf C. Hagen Corp. have simple to use liquid solutions and a full line of both basic saltwater and reef testing kits available to choose from. They are said to be easy to use and fairly accurate, but some may find it hard to read the color comparisons.

TetraTest Kits
This line of liquid solution reagent test kits by Tetra are simple to use, said to provide accurate readings, and the contrasting and differing color comparisons make them extremely easy to to read.

Liquid Test Kits by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals
Just as popular with aquarists as the Dry-Tab® line above, this line of test kits by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals uses liquid solution testing reagents.

Salifert Pro-Test Kits
Made in Holland, Salifert test kits are said to be a little more complex and costly to use than other brands. However, they are touted by many aquarists, particularly reef keepers, as being the best choice on the market because of the wide range of both basic and reef water tests available, and their precisioned accuracy.

SeaTesT® Reef / Instant Ocean® Test Kits
Aquarium Systems has taken their ever-popular SeaTest Reef and fasTesT Saltwater lines of testing kits and grouped them into one line, now named Instant Ocean Test Kits. Nothing has changed about these products, except that rather than having to buy separate Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, and Phosphate tests, these are now simply combined as two-in-one Ammonia-Nitrite and Nitrate-Phosphate kits. As before you can buy individual pH, Alkalinity, Calcium, and Copper tests, and combination multi-kits.

MultiTest & Reef Status Series Test Kits
Both the MultiTest and Reef Status Series test kits by Sea Chem are a little more complex to use, and are not recommended for the beginner. However, if you are looking for advanced, well precisioned water tests, these may be for you.