Newbie testing gear. Who to use?

[Unknownpharoah1]

New to the hobby and the board. I'd like to support forum sponsors so, for my first testing kit, what would you recommend and who would you suggest I buy from? 250 gallon reef tank that is just being setup now.

 

[Midrats]

Tunze all the way!

 

[Alex's Nano Reef]

New to the hobby and the board. I'd like to support forum sponsors so, for my first testing kit, what would you recommend and who would you suggest I buy from? 250 gallon reef tank that is just being setup now.

buy some Hanna Checkers they will save you a ton of time especially the PH and Salinity. Salifert is also a very good brand i would try to spend a decent chunk of change on testing equipment since its gonna be such a regular thing you will do aswell as you want to be as accurate as possible. There are tons of options available.

 

[Alex's Nano Reef]

New to the hobby and the board. I'd like to support forum sponsors so, for my first testing kit, what would you recommend and who would you suggest I buy from? 250 gallon reef tank that is just being setup now.

I dont know if they sponsor R2R

 

[homer1475]

Hanna for salinity, alkalinity, phosphates, nitrates.

Salifert for calcium, and magnesium. I could care less what my PH is.

It's not about supporting forum sponsors, but what's best for test kits.

 

[BostonReefer300]

Hanna for salinity, alkalinity, phosphates, nitrates.

Salifert for calcium, and magnesium. I could care less what my PH is.

It's not about supporting forum sponsors, but what's best for test kits.

I second Hanna----no question. I also use Hanna for my calcium. For the Hanna phosphate, make sure you get an ultra-low range one. I prefer HI736 (phosphorus) vs HI774 (phosphate), but both are fine. I like Salifert for Mg. I keep track of pH with my Apex probe which I calibrate once a year. For salinity, it's nice to have a hydrometer like the tropic marin one just for sanity checks. Do NOT waste your money on anything from API

 

[Simon Reefing]

Alk and phosphates Hanna checker

salinity Milwaukee digital

calcium and nitrates Salifert

 

[jassermd]

Trident for alk, Ca and Mg. Given the frequency, makes much more sense to automate.
Hanna all the way for others: alk, salinity, nitrate, phosphate, and copper when you need it.
The LR nitrate is a PITA and the Ca is finicky at best.
pH is part of Apex, so I don't care much about measuring that.
It would also be good to keep a back up salinity, Milwaukee digital is a good option.
I don't trust the color scales on the others, as I can't distinguish the colors well enough to get a good value. Plus, the ease of seeing a number makes it worth the while.
Like others said, testing is critical. I wouldn't limit yourself to just the sponsors here...
Spend your money wisely when it comes to testing. It will make a world of difference!

 

[EricR]

I wish Hanna would let you bundle the testers that you want and discount for 3 or more, especially since price of individuals seem like they just went up another $5 recently.

As another kinda newbie, I want these Hanna checkers:
- Phospate ULR -- don't have ANY phosphate tester yet
- Nitrate HR
- Alkalinity

P.S. I'm satisfied with the Hanna digital salinity (conductivity) tester but I know some people don't like it or just prefer the Milwaukee digital refractometer or something else. (I spot-check mine against a couple of hydrometers periodically)

 

[jassermd]

Just thought of this... another option is the new Hanna complete testing unit... has almost all of the ones needed in one machine. However, adding up the costs, it's about the same as purchasing the "eggs" individually.