Easiest ways to test salinity, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, etc...?

[mistergray]

Easiest ways to test salinity, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, etc...? I've seen master test kits, devices and cards that suction to the side of the tank and measure. Which is the best and/or easiest methods for testing my water daily?

 

[brandon429]

Eliminate ammonia and nitrite you don’t have to test for them, even during the cycle and certainly not after.

debate onward with the others

how to cycle without tests:
two ways

1. buy already live rock from a pet store. Take it home and set up. This skips the cycle altogether, no ammonia needed to know.

for dry rock cycling with no testing needed:
2. buy two different brands of common bottle bac for cycling. Add each. The dose on the bottle one time per tank volume. Add a large pinch of fish food to the tank. Circulate it for ten days, change the water you’re cycled and cannot not be cycled, no ammonia needed to measure.

cycled reefs never control of their ammonia it cannot drift out of spec even if a fish dies in the tank. Nitrite is fully neutral in reefing at all times, this is how we can skip ammonia and nitrite testing in reefing, all tanks follow these few rules. The other params are subject to variation, these two aren’t.


of all params in reefing, the top two most not needed to know are nitrite and ammonia, in that order. They’re 100% predictable and never out of spec.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I test only for salinity, no need to test for the other 3 unless your cycling the tank, or unless you have an issue and need to track the nitrate.

 

[mistergray]

Eliminate ammonia and nitrite you don’t have to test for them, even during the cycle and certainly not after.

debate onward with the others

how to cycle without tests:
two ways

1. buy already live rock from a pet store. Take it home and set up. This skips the cycle altogether, no ammonia needed to know.

for dry rock cycling with no testing needed:
2. buy two different brands of common bottle bac for cycling. Add each. The dose on the bottle one time per tank volume. Add a large pinch of fish food to the tank. Circulate it for ten days, change the water you’re cycled and cannot not be cycled, no ammonia needed to measure.

cycled reefs never control of their ammonia it cannot drift out of spec even if a fish dies in the tank. Nitrite is fully neutral in reefing at all times, this is how we can skip ammonia and nitrite testing in reefing, all tanks follow these few rules. The other params are subject to variation, these two aren’t.


of all params in reefing, the top two most not needed to know are nitrite and ammonia, in that order. They’re 100% predictable and never out of spec.

Thank you! So much info flying at me, you'd think this is something you need to do. I do plan on using live rock, knowing I don't have to test those is a relief. I'll stick w/ salinity. Are any of the salinity testers that stick on the side of the tank reliable?

 

[mistergray]

I test only for salinity, no need to test for the other 3 unless your cycling the tank, or unless you have an issue and need to track the nitrate.

This is a big relief! Thank you! What do you do to test your salinity?

 

[Jekyl]

Salinity get a refractometer with calibration liquid.


For testing get salifert tests. If you plan on keeping coral you will need nitrate, phosphate, ph, alk, magnesium and calcium.

 

[Mikosreef]

I suggest you get a API test kit at the minimum... think they are $25
saltwater master test kit.

Get a refractometer to check salt level (specific gravity)

Dont trust the hang in the tank kind....

The whole point of all this is to do it as right as you can the first time... no point in killing fish, corals, then shutting down the tank out of frustration.

 

[TexanCanuck]

Make you life simple and invest in some Hanna Checkers ... don't have to try and interpret colors

 

[mistergray]

Eliminate ammonia and nitrite you don’t have to test for them, even during the cycle and certainly not after.

debate onward with the others

how to cycle without tests:
two ways

1. buy already live rock from a pet store. Take it home and set up. This skips the cycle altogether, no ammonia needed to know.

for dry rock cycling with no testing needed:
2. buy two different brands of common bottle bac for cycling. Add each. The dose on the bottle one time per tank volume. Add a large pinch of fish food to the tank. Circulate it for ten days, change the water you’re cycled and cannot not be cycled, no ammonia needed to measure.

cycled reefs never control of their ammonia it cannot drift out of spec even if a fish dies in the tank. Nitrite is fully neutral in reefing at all times, this is how we can skip ammonia and nitrite testing in reefing, all tanks follow these few rules. The other params are subject to variation, these two aren’t.


of all params in reefing, the top two most not needed to know are nitrite and ammonia, in that order. They’re 100% predictable and never out of spec.

For #1, when you say this skips the cycling process altogether, does that mean fish can go in there safely on day 1 or am I interpreting what you said incorrectly?

My plan tomorrow is to put in the live sand, live rock, and bio-spira.

 

[mistergray]

Eliminate ammonia and nitrite you don’t have to test for them, even during the cycle and certainly not after.

debate onward with the others

how to cycle without tests:
two ways

1. buy already live rock from a pet store. Take it home and set up. This skips the cycle altogether, no ammonia needed to know.

for dry rock cycling with no testing needed:
2. buy two different brands of common bottle bac for cycling. Add each. The dose on the bottle one time per tank volume. Add a large pinch of fish food to the tank. Circulate it for ten days, change the water you’re cycled and cannot not be cycled, no ammonia needed to measure.

cycled reefs never control of their ammonia it cannot drift out of spec even if a fish dies in the tank. Nitrite is fully neutral in reefing at all times, this is how we can skip ammonia and nitrite testing in reefing, all tanks follow these few rules. The other params are subject to variation, these two aren’t.


of all params in reefing, the top two most not needed to know are nitrite and ammonia, in that order. They’re 100% predictable and never out of spec.

On top of live fiji pink sand and live rock, I'm also using imagitariums pacific ocean saltwater.