While Salifert has had a good run for the past several years we are seeing a slow switch to other testing kits. Way back in 2002 the rage if you were a good reef keeper was to purchase the standard tried and true Salifert testing kits. However, fast forward 6 years and more aquarists are trying out an Italian company that goes by the name of Elos. The switchover which we first started to see back in 2006 abit slowly can be defined by Salifert testing quality problems. Another reason that Elos is catching on faster is their test kits are some of the easiest to read in the industry. Along with the newcolorimeterwhich takes the guess work out of finding out if your N03 levels are in fact .01 or .02, we have all been there before. Elos isn’t the only company benefiting from Salifert’s past quality control problems, API which some aquarists are switching to is a good basic test kit. The popular feature set on API is the price, they are generally cheaper then their Salifert and Elos counterparts. Although some reef keepers prefer one brand over another, most have a variety of testing kits in which to choose from and Salifert is on the decline.
Update: This data is based off a Reef Builders market research survey that was conducted in 2008.
