Sequential Testing Reference
Filter by substance, carrier, or reagent. Each row is one test. Reliability reflects how much the carrier affects the result. This is a living document — results in unusual carriers should be treated as preliminary.
| Substance | Carrier | Reagent | Color Result | Reaction Time | Reliability in Carrier | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LSD | Alcohol | Ehrlich | Purple |
1–3 min | Medium | Alcohol dilutes reaction — use minimal solvent. May appear slower than blotter test. |
| LSD | Oil (MCT) | Ehrlich | Purple (faint) |
3–10 min | Low | Oil matrix significantly slows reaction. Extraction with methanol first is strongly recommended before testing. |
| LSD | Glycerin | Ehrlich | Purple |
2–5 min | Medium | Glycerin is viscous — mix thoroughly. Result is generally readable but slower than aqueous. |
| Psilocybin | Alcohol | Ehrlich | Blue-Purple |
1–3 min | Medium | Ehrlich reacts to the indole ring. Alcohol tinctures generally work but concentration affects readability. |
| Psilocybin | Oil | Ehrlich | Blue-Purple (slow) |
5–15 min | Low | Oil severely limits reagent contact with analyte. No reaction does not mean substance is absent. |
| DMT | Alcohol | Ehrlich | Purple |
1–2 min | Medium | Strong indole. Alcohol tincture usually gives clear result at reasonable concentration. |
| DMT | Alcohol | Mecke | Blue-Green |
1–3 min | Medium | Use alongside Ehrlich to confirm. Mecke helps differentiate from other indoles. |
| MDMA | Alcohol | Marquis | Purple → Black |
30 sec – 2 min | Medium | Marquis reacts strongly to MDMA. Alcohol dilution may slow initial color shift. |
| MDMA | Alcohol | Simon's | Blue |
1–3 min | Medium | Simon's distinguishes MDMA from MDA (MDA gives no blue). Important for polysubstance samples. |
| MDMA | Oil | Marquis | Purple → Black (slow) |
5–20 min | Low | Oil matrix causes significant delay. A non-reaction within 5 min is not conclusive. Extract before testing if possible. |
| Cocaine | Alcohol | Marquis | No reaction |
— | Medium | Cocaine alone gives no Marquis reaction. Presence of levamisole or other cuts may produce unexpected colors. |
| Cocaine | Alcohol | Mandelin | Yellow |
1–3 min | Medium | Mandelin is more useful for cocaine than Marquis. Cuts like phenacetin may alter result. |
| Heroin | Alcohol | Marquis | Purple |
30 sec – 2 min | Medium | Heroin's purple can mask fentanyl's yellow-brown in a mixed sample. Do not rely on single reagent for polysubstance opioid tinctures. |
| Heroin | Alcohol | Mecke | Blue → Black |
1–2 min | Medium | Mecke + Marquis together improve opioid identification. Alcohol carrier generally workable. |
| Fentanyl | Alcohol | Froehde | Yellow-Brown |
1–3 min | Medium | Froehde is the most useful colorimetric reagent for fentanyl. Still use a fentanyl test strip — reagent alone is not sufficient. |
| Fentanyl | Oil | Froehde | Yellow-Brown (unreliable) |
5–20+ min | Low | Oil matrix makes fentanyl detection critically unreliable by reagent alone. Always use a fentanyl test strip regardless of oil result. |
| Ketamine | Alcohol | Marquis | Orange |
1–3 min | Medium | Ketamine is commonly found in liquid/tincture form. Alcohol carrier generally does not interfere significantly. |
| Ketamine | Water | Marquis | Orange |
1–2 min | High | Aqueous solution gives most reliable reagent result. Water is the easiest carrier to test accurately. |
| Methamphetamine | Alcohol | Marquis | Orange-Brown |
1–2 min | Medium | Use Simon's alongside to distinguish from amphetamine. Alcohol carrier workable at reasonable concentration. |
| Methamphetamine | Alcohol | Simon's | Blue |
1–3 min | Medium | Simon's blue confirms secondary amine (meth). Amphetamine gives no reaction — useful for distinguishing the two. |