API Test Kits -- expiry date

[quenton]

Anyone know how to figure the expiry date on the API reagents?

Further -- anyone have comments on
API vs Hagen vs Seachem
being the ones I can find locally??

 

[kveeti]

AP test kit shelf life:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63695

Edit... I used Hagen in the past. They were all right, nothing wrong with them. I switched to AP just to keep my life interesting. Actually, on the Hagen ammonia I wasn't impressed. They have 2 kinds of ammonia tests. One with 1 regent (nessler's). I wanted the other kind (Salicylate). They have a fresh/salt water ammonia test with 3 regents. I really liked the very low reading (lower than AP's 2-regent) but it took 20 minutes for a result.

 

[Roan Art]

IMO SeaChem has more accurate tests for basic water readings, but are expensive and have a lot of steps. They can be a pain to use.

Red Sea is just a pain and I don't find their tests any more accurate than APs. They also don't include a nitrates test in their Freshwater Master kit. Major drawback IMO. I have the kit and will use it if I run out of an AP one. Their phosphates kit is better than APs, IMO, and their iron kit better than SeaChem's.

AP, IMO has the best Freshwater Master kit for the price. I keep a SeaChem Total/Free Ammonia test kit handy for non-accountable spikes -- in other words it doesn't read ionized ammonia, but other than that I use the AP kit for my basic readings.

Roan