Reagent Color Chart

Color charts by reagent

Each guide covers what that reagent reacts with, the published expected colors, the substances it commonly confuses, and what it misses.

• Marquis: the first-line reagent for MDMA, amphetamines, and opiates. Start here.
• Mecke: confirmation alongside Marquis, and useful on opiates.
• Simon's: the test that separates MDMA from MDA. Two-part reagent.
• Mandelin: confirmation reagent for MDMA and methamphetamine. Historically used for ketamine, but DanceSafe now lists that reaction as inconsistent, and Morris is the current ketamine reagent.
• Froehde: confirmation reagent, helps separate look-alike results.
• Liebermann: confirmation reagent, useful across several classes.
• Ehrlich: the indole test. Reacts to LSD, DMT, and psilocybin material, and importantly does not react to NBOMe.

How long to wait before reading

Timing is one of the most common reasons people misread a result. Reagents are not all on the same clock.

• Most reagents: reactions are accurate for up to about 45 to 60 seconds. Read them promptly.
• Morris: accurate for around 5 minutes.
• Ehrlich's: can take up to 20 minutes to react, and the reaction stays accurate for around an hour. Do not call an Ehrlich test negative early.

Two-part reagents (Simon's, Morris, and Folin) use both bottles on the same sample: sample, then bottle A, then bottle B.

What reagents can and cannot tell you

This is the part most people get wrong, so it is worth being blunt about it.

Reagents cannot:

• Tell you how potent your drugs are
• Tell you if your drugs are pure
• Confirm exactly what is in your drugs
• Tell you if there are multiple substances in your sample
• Detect fentanyl, under any circumstances

Reagents can:

• Tell you that the contents may not be what you were told
• Give you information about the possible general contents
• Inform your decisions around how, or whether, you consume

A reagent test that comes back exactly as expected still leaves dose, purity, and fentanyl unanswered. Those three are what actually kill people, which is why reagent testing pairs with fentanyl strips and with starting low.

Expected vs unexpected reactions

Multiple colors can be "expected" for a single substance. If your result matches any of the published expected colors for what you are testing, it counts as expected. A result matching none of them is unexpected, and means the sample likely is not what you were told, or is not only what you were told.

An unexpected result is a reason not to use. It is not a reason to use a smaller amount, because reagents cannot tell you what the unexpected substance is or how potent it is.

Two reaction updates worth knowing, both from DanceSafe's 2023 revisions: a dark gray or green reaction on Simon's is now an expected reaction for MDA, and cocaine produces a light pink or peach reaction on Marquis.

Technique that changes your result

• Use a clean, dry, white, non-porous surface: ceramic, porcelain, or hard plastic. A ceramic spot plate is the purpose-built version, with wells that keep separate reagent tests from running into each other. Residue from a previous test will corrupt the next one.
• Never touch the bottle tip to the sample. That contaminates the whole bottle.
• Hold the cap upside down in your other hand. Putting a cap down on a surface, or on the wrong bottle, contaminates the reagent.
• Use a "blank": put a drop of reagent by itself next to your test sample so you can compare the reacted color against the unreacted one.
• If a result is unclear, retest with a larger sample. If the liquid is very dark, the reaction may not be readable or accurate.
• Wear gloves and eye protection. Reagents are corrosive. Neutralize with baking soda during cleanup, then wash the surface.

Storage and shelf life

• Most reagents last 1 to 2 years in the fridge, longer in the freezer.
• Mandelin starts light orange and turns cloudy yellow after 3 to 4 weeks. That is normal. Shake the bottle before each use.
• Other reagents gradually darken over time. They are only expired when the liquid becomes too dark for reactions to be read.
• Dispose of reagents at a hazardous waste facility.

Not sure which kit you need?

We built a straight comparison: Which drug test kit do I need? lists what each kit contains, what it costs, and which ones include fentanyl strips.

Where to get reagents

Some links below are affiliate links. We may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. All recommendations are based on harm reduction value, and DanceSafe is a nonprofit that runs free drug checking at events.

DanceSafe is the original and only nonprofit reagent kit manufacturer in the US, and it runs free drug checking at events. You can buy single reagents or sets:

• Marquis, Mecke, Simon's, Mandelin, Froehde, and Liebermann individually
• MDMA testing kit (Marquis, Simon's A and B, Froehde), cocaine testing kit (Morris, Marquis, Liebermann, plus a fentanyl strip), LSD testing kit (Ehrlich's, plus a fentanyl strip), ketamine testing kit (two-part Morris, plus fentanyl strips)
• Complete set of all 9 reagents (the MDMA, cocaine, ketamine and LSD kits, plus Mandelin, Folin and Mecke) if you test a range of substances
• Fentanyl test strips, which you need regardless of which reagents you own

Technique walkthroughs and video demos are on our test kits page. Source for the reaction timing, limitations, and handling guidance above: DanceSafe's published reagent instruction pamphlet.

This is not identification

Reagent testing narrows possibilities. It does not confirm identity, and it never measures dose. Pair it with a fentanyl strip, start with a low dose, and use the interaction checker before combining anything.

From the Blog

Reading a result is one problem. Trusting the bottle it came from is another.