Best Saltwater Aquarium Test Kits
In order to create and maintain a healthy environment for your saltwater inhabitants, it’s important to perform water tests on a regular basis. Your water levels and parameters have to be within a recommended range and remain consistent.
To ensure the proper levels are achieved, you will need proper test kit that is reliable and accurate. This will give you have the right information about the health of your aquarium water and prevent you from making unnecessary changes based on faulty information.
Having a good quality saltwater aquarium test kit is crucial to the success of your tank. Some kits on the market are cheap and unreliable. You want to avoid those. Saving a few dollars on a cheap test kit can cost you way more in the end due to an unhealthy tank.
In this article, I will show you 5 best saltwater aquarium test kits that will help you test your water properly with accurate results.
Our top pick for Saltwater Test kit is:
- Easier to use and more accurate than chemical test kits, less expensive than professional testing
- Accuracy +/-6 % of reading at 25 degree C / 77 degree F
- Large LCD screen for readability
1. Hanna Instruments Checkers
The Hanna Instruments checkers are my top choice for saltwater test kits. Not only are they reliable, but they will give you an accurate and precise reading. The advantage Hanna has over the others is the fact you will have a digital readout. You will get a professional readout without the high cost of water testing.
There are many different tests you can perform using the Hanna Checkers including calcium, alkalinity, phosphate, and more. They are sold individually or you can purchase a complete set known as the professional checker kit. This includes everything you need to test right away. They even include a digital temperature meter.
The Hanna checkers are easy to use and you will get quick and accurate results. They are trusted by many saltwater hobbyists and I personally wouldn’t have a tank without them!
- Easier to use and more accurate than chemical test kits, less expensive than professional testing
- Accuracy +/-6 % of reading at 25 degree C / 77 degree F
- Large LCD screen for readability
2. Red Sea Test Kits
The Red Sea test kits are available to purchase individually for specific tests or as a complete kit. This includes the Red Sea Foundation Pro Test Kit and the Marine Care Test Kit. Both of these kits are accurate and reliable.
The Red Sea test kits are a bit challenging at first to use. Once you get used to the instructions and perform a few tests, they become easy to use. The color charts can be difficult to read but most test kits that are not digital and refer to color charts can be hard to match the test sample to the chart. Overall these test kits are high quality and trusted by many.
Red Sea Foundation Pro Test Kit includes:
- Calcium Pro
- KH/Alkalinity Pro
- Magnesium Pro
This kit will allow you to complete 75 tests and includes everything you will need.
Marine Care Test Kit includes:
- Nitrate
- Nitrite
- Ammonia
- KH
- PH
This kit allows you to perform 100 tests NO3, 60 tests NO2, 100 tests NH3, 100 tests PH, 55 tests KH.
You can visit the Redseafish.com for more info on their test kits.
- Marine care test kit includes all of the main kits you need to run a healthy marine aquarium
- Allowing you to easily monitor the nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, pH and alkalinity levels
- The easy-to-use tests come with simple instructions and color charts
3. Salifert Test Kits
Salifert test kits have been a trusted source for checking aquarium water levels for many years. You can purchase each test individually at a great price or buy a complete set and save even more. The complete set includes Calcium, Nitrate, Phosphate, pH, Alkalinity & Magnesium.
TheThese kits include everything you need to test the most important water parameters for saltwater and reef tanks. Here are the number of tests you can complete with each kit.
Salifert Nitrate Test Kit – 50 Tests, Salifert Calcium Test Kit – 50-100 Tests, Salifert Magnesium Test Kit – 25-50 Tests, Salifert Kh/alk Test Kit 100-200 Tests, Salifert Phosphate Test Kit 60 Tests, Salifert PH Test Kit – 50 Tests.
A great feature of the Salifert test kits is they are easy to use and read the results. They are reliable, accurate, and affordable. The one negative about these test kits is the numbers on the syringes can rub off easily making it difficult to read. Just take care when handling them to prevent this.
- Six Salifert Professional Test Kits
- Includes Calcium, Nitrate, Phosphate, pH, Alkalinity & Magnesium
- Includes all the Core parameters of any Saltwater Aquarium/Marine Reef Tank
4. Nyos Reefer Test Kits
Nyos test kits are sold individually for saltwater tanks. Available tests are Nitrate, Phosphate, Alkalinity, Calcium, and Magnesium. Also available as a complete kit of all 5 Nyos Test Kits in one Combo Package. A complete testing kit for any saltwater aquarium.
TheAll of the Nyos test kits are good quality and reliable. The accuracy of the tests are good as well. Not perfect but good.
The Nyos test kits are affordable and although not as commonly used as some other brands, they are still very popular. Nyos kits are made in Germany and the company is known for quality aquarium equipment.
For each kit, you can expect to get 50 tests. They are easy to use and include detailed instructions.
- See Description
5. Seachem test kits
The last test kit on our list is the Seachem test kits. These kits are available in individual tests or as a complete kit. Seachem offers the following tests for saltwater tanks:
- Ammonia
- Copper
- Iodine/Iodide
- Phosphate
- Nitrite/Nitrate
- PH/Alkalinity
- Silicate
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Strontium
- Multitest Marine basic
- Multitest Reef special
So as you can see there are a variety of test kits available for you. Not only are the basic tests covered, but you can test less common items like Iodine. The Seachem test kits are very easy to use and the instructions are easy to follow. They are reliable and accurate and used by many saltwater hobbyists.
All of the Seachem test kits will allow you to perform 75 tests. This is great as they are not expensive to purchase so you get great value for your money. There are 2 things I don’t like about the Seachem test kits. I wouldn’t call them deal breakers but wanted to point them out.
First is they don’t include a storage case or anything to keep the items in the kit after use. Basically everything just goes back in the box unorganized. Second is the color scales are on paper cards which most likely won’t last over time.
If you can deal with these two minor flaws, then the Seachem test kits are a great choice and I do recommend them.
- Combines the Phosphate, Silicate, and Iodine/Iodide kits
- Multi-cavity plate for simultaneous testing of up to 6 tests at the same time
- Includes reference for test validation
How often should I test my saltwater fish tank?
There is no specific set amount of times you need to test your water parameters. You can perform tests whenever you like. On average you should set a maintenance routine where you test the levels once per week.
What is the best saltwater aquarium test kit?
The Hanna Checkers are considered to be one of the best test kits on the market.
What are the most important water parameters to test for?
There are many different water parameters you can test for in a saltwater tank. Here are 10 of the most common ones.
- Alkalinity
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Nitrate
- Nitrite
- PH
- Phosphate
- Salinity
- Temperature
- Ammonia