Red Sea Reef Foundation Pro Test Kit

[phastroh]

When I first started in this "Hobby" I started out with a Red Sea complete test kit. It only took weeks of testing to figure out that the kit was bad and was kindly replaced by Fosters and Smith and again the Red Sea kit was bad.

I swapped over to API which was great an then finally stocked up on Salifert kits.

Since then I have purchased a few Hannah tools that have even furthered the enjoyment of quick and accurate testing which I occasionally back up with my Salifert kits to make sure the machines are still working.

SO I finally decided to go back to Red Sea because I liked the ease of use and the quality of the tools in the new kits. I was once again blown away in disappointment in the Red Sea Product.

It had my Magnesium off the chart of 1600 Max. It had my Alk at over 9.5. The Calcium test was the only normal result at 400.

I redid each test with the same results. I also checked them against my Hannah Meters and Salifert test kits in which those all were very close in results but the Red Sea was still off the charts.

I did read and watch instructions and I did them right 110%.

I am sure there are people out there that have had total success with their Red Sea Kits but this is now 0 for 3 for me. I do use the Red Sea Pro Salt and now I am wondering why. I mean I have seen no advantage of using it, only a lighter wallet.

I am debating on switching back to the old Reef Crystals I can get at half the cost of the Red Sea. Any other brands are a hassle to get for me and paying $70 for the 200Gal Red Sea pro Salt bag is about my limit for salt mix.

Tomorrow afternoon I am driving down to one of my favorite store in Tampa, Marine Warehouse to have a talk with a few guys I know over there. Unrelated to this post I have decided to add some more rock to my tank for more surface area for bacteria. I know I am light on rock and they have this perfect shaped dry rock I have had my eye on for months and I could not ever drop $35 for a rock but I will tomorrow.

I still want to put a huge dead coral skeleton in my open space but I will have to hide it from Dennis since he dogged me for the idea years ago :mrgreen:

Anyhow, I would like to hear from anyone with or without issues with these newer Red Sea Test Kits.

 

[kbuser92]

Thanks for the review. I don't use Red Sea anything, but it's good to know.

P.S. Reff Crystals are, as I'm sure you know, pretty great. I would switch if I were you.

 

[chichimom79]

Thanks for the information. I will stick with Salifert.
As far as the Reef Crystals, the only thing I hate is the residue it leaves on my bucket, powerhead and heater. Thought about switching to Aquavitro Salinity but can't justify the extra money just because i have to clean my equipment more. I dunno.

 

[kbuser92]

Angie: Reef Crystals are $79.99 for 160 gallons and I just found Aquavitro for $74.99 for 225 gallons.

Seachem's Aquavitro Salinity NOW IN STOCK!!! | Corals| Aquatic Plants | Fishes

 

[d2mini]

I love my Red Sea Pro test kits for the most part. That's too bad that you are having problems.
Although, i will be picking up a Hanna Alk checker soon so I'll be able to compare.
Current readings from RSP are all in my sig.

 

[chichimom79]

Angie: Reef Crystals are $79.99 for 160 gallons and I just found Aquavitro for $74.99 for 225 gallons.

Seachem's Aquavitro Salinity NOW IN STOCK!!! | Corals| Aquatic Plants | Fishes

I get the 160 gallon bucket of Reef Crystals for about $42.00

 

[kbuser92]

That's cruel. Where at? Petco is $79.99 and I think my only other LFS (that's worth anything) is roughly the same... A 50 gallon bag is $24.99, I think.

 

[chichimom79]

Through my local reef club :D

 

[kbuser92]

Dang. Drs. Foster & Smith has the buclets at $52.99 and 200 gallon boxes at $53.99 on sale for $48.99.

 

[phastroh]

I love my Red Sea Pro test kits for the most part. That's too bad that you are having problems.
Although, i will be picking up a Hanna Alk checker soon so I'll be able to compare.
Current readings from RSP are all in my sig.

Yeah Dennis I have no explanation except they were bad kits.

I do currently use the Hanna checkers for Alk, Phosphate and I have the Milwaukee MA887 Digital Salinity Refractometer with Automatic Temperature Compensation. It was way cheaper than others I have seen and works perfectly.

I do not double check it off my hand held ever. Bulk Reef says not to use RO water to zero it because you do not use that water in the tank and to use a salinity mixture but guess what.

I had to send back 2 bottle of salinity mixture because they were bad WTF but my R.O. always dials up a 1.000 and my tank is always perfect. I mean yeah dripping it onto the hand held can be a bit quicker because wiping the lense is faster than cleaning the Milwaukee lense but man it read it in digital which is comforting and not much slower plus not leaning around the light source to see it better haha.

Paid $97.42 of Amazon Prime.

Anyway I like having all the digital stuff even if is a bit longer in some cases. It is no different than us having the RKL's with the probes which by the way I have to recalibrate mine this weekend with my water change.

I love the Red Sea Coral Pro Salt anyway. I pay $70 for a 200 gallon bag from my friends store. He said he doesn't buy into all the Red Sea Salt hype but my water has been 10x better than when I had Reef Crystals except for the fact it killed some corals in the beginning. No matter my buddy got a HUGE vase shaped Montipora and gave my a huge piece free because he is sick of fragging it. Haha

 

[phastroh]

Thanks for the information. I will stick with Salifert.
As far as the Reef Crystals, the only thing I hate is the residue it leaves on my bucket, powerhead and heater. Thought about switching to Aquavitro Salinity but can't justify the extra money just because i have to clean my equipment more. I dunno.

I totally agree with the residue of the filler crap in there. Well that is what I read but even the Red Sea Pro leaves residue at the water line over time. It also has that sour smell or whatever it is from the water residue but not as much as the Reef Crystals.

I think after time I like the Red Sea better. My numbers seems to stay better longer and my PH never drops until like the day before my water change and barely. It is always 8.1-8.3. My Alk remains low over time but I have a ton of corals and do not dose haha.

Anyway $70 for 200 Gallons is a good price for the Red Sea. I did the salt change over time. I have 250 gallons total and do 40 gallons a change but I have done a lot of changes since I swapped so it has been all Red Sea for a long time now.