Ro Bow
Valuable Member
Im new to saltwater aquariums and read in a book that you have to check your aquariums water daily. I found some aquarium test strips, but was wondering what to check, and how. Any help would be appreciated.
Checking Water Daily???
- Thread starter Ro Bow
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JosephM
Valuable Member
I would NOT recommend test strips. Even API is better then test strips and API isn’t even recommended. I would at least pick up some salifert test kits as they’re affordable and a lot more reliable and accurate then API. I only test daily if I’m trying to dial in a certain element.
JosephM
Valuable Member
Get a liquid test kit and follow the instructions. If you’re cycling you really only have to monitor ammonia and nitrates. I’d say every 3-4 days for ammonia and test for nitrates about the same. Once nitrates start registering then your close to the end of cycle
davidcalgary29
2500 Club Member
You'll certainly be testing your water daily during its initial cycle (for ammonia and, later, nitrates), and you should certainly do the same for salinity, but this need lessens once your tank becomes established and you become more aware of your tank and its inhabitants.
DO get a refractometer for salinity and DO get calibration solution for it. Test once per day.
DO get a decent test for ammonia and test once per day.
Nitrates can be tested once a day as well.
You can leave most of the other tests for now.
DO get a refractometer for salinity and DO get calibration solution for it. Test once per day.
DO get a decent test for ammonia and test once per day.
Nitrates can be tested once a day as well.
You can leave most of the other tests for now.
ehealy13
Active Member
Testing is important early on, when cycling. After the tank is cycled the parameters shouldn't change too much, as long as you are doing water changes and not overfeeding. I tested every 3 days for the first few months and saw pretty much no fluctuation in levels after my first month with the tank. Really comes down to peace of mind. The only thing over testing hurts is your wallet.
Ippyroy
Defeater of Dinos
In the beginning test NO3 and PO4 weekly. Before and right after adding your first corals Test Alk, Ca, and Mg. Test Alk and PO4 once a week, test the others once a month. After the tank starts consuming Alk faster than water changes can compensate for, test the Alk, then wait 3 days and test again at the same time. This will tell you the daily consumption rate. You can then start to dose equal amounts of Alk and Ca. Continue testing weekly on the same day and at the same time.
I use the Hanna checker for PO4 and Alk. They cost a bit up front, but the refills for them are only 9 bucks, cheaper than anything else.
I use the Hanna checker for PO4 and Alk. They cost a bit up front, but the refills for them are only 9 bucks, cheaper than anything else.
ehealy13
Active Member
Note, there are more elements in a reef system. When I read the original post I didn't look at your screen name.
davidcalgary29
2500 Club Member
No. The only type of hydrometer I'd recommend are the glass, sealed systems like this which tend to be fragile and awkward to use, but very reliable and precise.
OP
OP
Ro Bow
Valuable Member
ok ill get a refractometer. Thanks!
OP
OP
Ro Bow
Valuable Member
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davidcalgary29
2500 Club Member
I'll add this: try not to overtest for anything but ammonia during initial cycling. Your parameters can get really out of whack and you can drive yourself insane chasing numbers when all you need is time and water changes. Water changes will take care of almost all of your trace elements unless you have a very heavy coral load. And you won't, of course, during your cycle.
davidcalgary29
2500 Club Member
"Good" is a measure of accuracy here. If you're going with that, get some calibration solution and test it every time you use it. The only tester that doesn't need to be calibrated is the sealed glass hydrometer.
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Jekyl
GSP is the devil and clowns are bad pets
Pretty sure I have the same one. Just make sure it comes with the calibration liquid and you use it before every test. I also second getting the salifert test kits
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Azedenkae
Valuable Member
Everyone will have different opinions on when to test, but that's alright! The hobby has evolved to have many approaches and practices, and at the end of the day so long as it works out for the live stock you want to keep and for you, then well I think that's fine.
Personally, I test all parameters at the start after you have set it up with water and so on, but before cycling. Just to see what the baseline is like re: pH, kH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, calcium, etc. Then, depending on how you cycle (and what you even envision 'cycling' to mean, yes there are many different viewpoints on that too) determines when and what you test.
For me, 'cycling' is just the first step, establishing the microbes associated with the nitrogen cycle you are after to a point where they can handle the amount of nitrogen compounds produced by a full tank stock that I want them to handle. So for my latest aquarium, it is ammonia and nitrite. I measure ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate everyday to see how everything progress. While some say testing nitrite is not necessary until ammonia starts to decrease, and nitrate not necessary until nitrite starts to decrease (or even necessary at all until the end of the cycle), I personally always just want to know. If anything goes wrong, I think it's great to just have all the information on hand to base judgments upon.
But yeah, again, everyone has their own approaches. And that's (generally) fine. ^_^
Tldr; ammonia, nitrite, nitrate everyday.
