Basic Testing Kit for Noob

CMGcarolinas · Dec 11, 2020

Can one of the veterans here tell me exactly what I need to buy, and what works best. Tank is a month old, and it's time to start doing some testing on the regular. Hanna, red sea, API... What do I need and if you suggest the more expensive or least, just let me know so I can order this weekend. Thank you.

PatW · Dec 11, 2020

Salifert has decent low cost tests. For phosphate, the only tests sensitive enough that I know of are Hanna ULR, the phosphorous is a bit more sensitive than the phosphate.

Bridgerdean · Dec 11, 2020

I use a Hanna for my ALK because it is so fast and easy then a red sea for Ca, ALK and MAG.

Billldg · Dec 11, 2020

At the start I feel the Red Sea Marine Care kit is great. Then when you start to add corals the Red Sea Foundation kit is equally great. Both are on the cheaper side and are top notch kits to start out with. If you want to spend 45 dollars plus extra for reagents and powder pouches per unit, then the Hanna Alk and P04 ULR are even better. I started out with the Red Sea kits and still use them except for the 2 Hanna testers I listed above.

CMGcarolinas · Dec 11, 2020

Billldg said:
At the start I feel the Red Sea Marine Care kit is great. Then when you start to add corals the Red Sea Foundation kit is equally great. Both are on the cheaper side and are top notch kits to start out with. If you want to spend 45 dollars plus extra for reagents and powder pouches per unit, then the Hanna Alk and P04 ULR are even better. I started out with the Red Sea kits and still use them except for the 2 Hanna testers I listed above.

This kit? Than a hanna alk and hanna phosphate?

Billldg · Dec 11, 2020

CMGohio said:
This kit? Than a hanna alk and hanna phosphate?

I started with that kit. Then several months later I bought the Hanna checkers. Hanna checkers are great for Alk and P04, but the Cal is subject to way to many possibilities and steps and the Nitrate checker is only ULR as of now. Now if you want to go straight to a Hanna Alk checker, then you still need something to check Cal and Mag. I still periodically check my Hanna checkers against the Red Sea tests. The foundation kit only does Alk, Cal, and Mag.