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LaMotte vs. Red Sea Fe Test Kits
I saw several posts a while back regarding the Red Sea Fe test kit, so I
thought I'd share my experiences.
I've seen reports that range from *good agreement* all the way to *always
reads 0.10 ppm.* I, too, have had trouble getting a reading of >0.10 ppm
with Red Sea, except when I pour fertilizer directly into the test water in the
vial! I really began to get suspicious when distilled water also tested 0.10
ppm.
I finally decided to get a LaMotte kit after reading what George Booth had to
say about them. My tank water initially registered 0.00 ppm with the
LaMotte test. I then added a known quantity of Fe and tested again (after
allowing a few hours for mixing). The LaMotte test indicated *exactly* the
correct concentration, within the limits of readability. I then added another
known quantity of Fe, and again, the LaMotte test indicated the correct
concentration. At this point, the tank water was 0.40 ppm. When I tested
the water using the Red Sea test, it *barely* registered 0.20 ppm.
My conclusion: The base and slope of the Red Sea test (for my particular
kit, anyway) are *both* out of whack! The Red Sea kits appear to be quite
inconsistent. I can only echo George's words regarding LaMotte: *I have
nothing but praise for their test kits.* They certainly excel in readability --
you compare liquid-filled tube to liquid-filled tube, and there are no silly
colored cardboard charts to mess with. I plan to buy more of their tests in
the future. I'd also like to test them, if possible, if for no other reason than
to satisfy my own curiosity.
Rick