Do Not Buy A.P.I. !

A caveat for newcomers to the hobby: Stay away from the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals brand test kits, they give false readings and cannot be trusted. I just had a brand new ammonia test kit of theirs to read .25+ ppm on a sample of pure bottled water. Those cheaper tests just aren't worth the savings versus quality kits such as Salifert.....

 

A.P.I. test kits are very reliable for a test kit. i recommend them if you dont have the funds for a sailfert, or a more expensive kit....

 

It's pretty well known that the API ammonia test kits commonly give a false reading of .25 ammonia. If you are aware of that going in, then they are actually really good test kits for the money. The ammonia one is the only one that I'm aware of that isn't accurate most of the time, and again, that's only at very low levels. A test kit giving a false positive is better than one giving a false negative, IMO. I have always used API test kits with Salifert test kits for certain parameters as back up. If the API test kit reads funny, I'll double check it with a Salifert test. If it reads good, I trust it, because they are not known to give false negatives.

 

Guess I'm a purist. Bad data is useless and misleading to me, and if one type of test gives false readings, then none of that mfr's tests can be trusted.

 

Great! I just purchased the API Reef Master Tedt Kit with Nitrate, Calcium, Phosphate and Carbonate Hardness tests.

I was replacing test strips and figured it was a step up.

 

I have always had good luck with API. I use both their SW and FW kits and have never gotten bad results. I have seen the .25 reading but most of the time, if you re-test, you will get a 0. My guess is residual water from the previous weeks test will get stale in there over that week and give you that false +.

 

I'll throw my hat in the "yay API" ring as well.

I've always had good luck with them.

 

Bahahaha, api is the only brand I can get without driving for 2 hrs or ordering online...

 

Phew, just bought API test kit to replace my ageing tests and pretty glad to see all these responses.

 

I've been using API many years as well and have never had a false positive. However Im looking at the Red Sea brand for my next replacement.

 

I agree I have been using api for years and never had any trouble with them either...
Red sea I also have used and once and awhile get a false with ammonia with it also.. I used saifert for awhile as a backup to the API but after a couple years of doing it decided it was a huge waste of money, API was more then reliable for me..

 

Ditto, no issues so far with API

 

I've never had an issue with the freshwater kits. Been using them for years.

 

ok I been getting the .25 for 3 days now, u should i just take that as a 0? I did the other test and they are all 0.

 

You should test it against another kit. Never assume it's zero.

 

ok will get another brand too

 

Have you checked the date to make sure it's a fresh kit. I order one online and it was over 2 years old. Can't remember how to tell Google it.

 

ahh good idea will check that too

 

I've been using my API kit for a year and have never gotten a false amm reading.
To the OP, I don't know if you should be going on multiple sites and bad mouthing API. Lots of people have had success with these kits for years.