test kits what do i need/want

[bluwinghawk]

hi all,
what test kits and/or equiment is needed for water and what ones do you like best say for:
reef,
fish only,
or mixed,
and what ones are xtra not needed but nice to have for future
been scouting around here for info found 1 on potassium didnt even realized needed that 1 lol
thanks, Rick
ps.go steelers

 

[Reefnjunkie]

KH, Ca PO4, NO3, Mg-Those are all I ever use and KH being the most common-but on the KH I use the acid tritration method with sulfuric acid
You can buy 0.1 N Sulfuric acid standard used as the titrant from:

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/4YNA6?cm_mmc=Google%20Base-_-Test%20Instruments-_-Laboratory%20Supplies-_-4YNA6[/url] also sells 0.1 N sulfuric acid standards.

It may be best to calibrate your pH meter using a 4 & 7 standard before you start the test.


Easy part; Testing

Now take a sample of your aquarium water, you can use any volume but I like to use 100ml because my pH meter sits nicely in the cup without me holding it at this level. Stick in your pH meter to your sample. You should get the same reading you do when you stick it directly in your tank. If not start over with a clean sample container. Now draw up some 0.1 N HCl solution in to your 5ml syringe. And start dropping into your sample 0.5 mls at a time and watch your pH meter. You are adding a strong acid so your pH should fall rapidly. Once your pH hits 5 start to slow down and add a drop at a time until your pH hits 4.2 . The reason we are shooting for 4.2 is because this is the point where all available carbonates have been converted to carbonic acid. You would think this would be pH 7 but it's not as carbonic acid is a weak acid and you have to really saturate it etc. Anyway, once you have reached pH 4.2 you are done and now can calculate your total alkalinity.


Alk mg of CaC03 /L = A x N x 50,000 / mL of sample

Where A = ml of acid added

N = normality of your HCL

So if you added 4ml of 0.1 HCL before you hit a pH of 4.2

4*0.1*50,000 / 100 = 200 ppm CaC03 equivalents or your total alkalinity is 4 meg/L (mg/L / 50 = meg/L).


The above information was taken and corrected from this thread:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...ion+alkalinity

Randy provides further details in this article:

What is Alkalinity
Chemistry and the Aquarium: What is Alkalinity? — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

 

[bluwinghawk]

thank you never thought of Grainger tried top link didnt work but looking at secound thanks again

 

[caudill187]

I also only use the test kits he mentioned for my reefs. API and Salifert, with Salifert being a bit better, are the brands I mostly use. A pH tester or monitor of some sort would also be useful, but not necessary if all other parameters and husbandry are in order. I would also recommend a refractometer for measuring specific gravity/salinity. With a fish only tank, one could probably just use a refractometer (and thermometer of course).

 

[Bubbabobobbrain]

I love the "Red Sea" test kits. They are a little cheaper than the salifert kits and just as accurate. Plus you can get them in kits. I have the "Algae Control" kit which comes with nitrate and phosphate tests, and also the "Master Reef" kit which comes with calcium, magnesium, and dkh or alkalinity. Once you get your initial cycle finished on a new tank your ammonia and nitrites should always be at 0, unless you overload your tank with livestock to quickly or use glass cleaner to clean your tank.

I recommend a "Reefkeeper lite" controller because it can control everything on your tank and also comes with a ph probe which will monitor your ph 24/7.

And dont let anyone tell you that a hydrometer is any good because most of them are garbage, spend the extra few bucks and get a refractometer for checking salinty. Good luck with your tank.

 

[bluwinghawk]

thank you all for the responses looking into controllers too i understand that some can contact you through pc and phone
and do they work with ro units ? and i like to accomplish a nice reef set up and make sure i have the right test kits this time
and hoping this info will help others?

 

[bluwinghawk]

tested last nite salt 1.019 ph 8.4 alk 2.8 cal 640 phos 2.0 temp 86 i have to get kit for kh,mag,and i think pot
im using the api brand only one store had

 

[tinkerman]

You should have a refractometer, ca, kh, mag at minamim. You may want a phosphate and nitrate kit, nitrate you will want a better one not the api, the salifert, red sea, elos are good , you need the low range tests. The red sea are nice after you get the kits they sell you can get refills that are cheaper, I used salifert in the past and switch to red sea as the kit is cheaper than buying ca,kh, mag from salifert, and the refills are what you would pay for api tests. Your salinity is kinda low you want it to be 1.024-1.026 for reef. CA is kinda high, what salt are you using? Phosphates are pretty high, should be below 0.08. Temp is on the high side also,bring it down to 77-80 degrees F. Are you using tap water? If so this would explain the high phphosphates.

 

[ReefLEDLights]

love my hanna calcium checker.
[video=youtube;AInIxu9Twj4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AInIxu9Twj4&feature=colike[/video]

I use tropic marin for ALK

-Rick

 

[bluwinghawk]

thanks guys ,like the vidio ill take bets on who wins anybody else wants to watch lol

 

[bluwinghawk]

what a nightmare of a store told me had what i wanted got there wrong brand nutra fin hope i didnt make a mastake picked up copper and kh cop. 0 kh 210 way high whats best way to knock it down or better yet keep it down

 

[bluwinghawk]

ok im confused again whats the diffents between KH and ALK? info says same for salt but why test kits for both? mine says ALK 2.8 normal KH 210 is high CAL 640 also high who and how do i fix this? thanks

 

[tinkerman]

Alk and kh are the same. Which test kit are you using for alk? KH? What is the measurment being used meq/l, dkh, ppm? Salinity will effect your kh, ca, mag readings. What are you using to mesure salinity.

 

[bluwinghawk]

ok im using redsea PH & ALK test kit measured in meg/l 2.8 KH/GH test kit by nutrafin measured in mg/L 210 for salt budget wont allow refractor yet im using a hydrometer from coralife deep six i have @ 1.022 slowly raiseing to about 26 or should i stay low or go higher

 

[tinkerman]

I would use the reading that you got with the red sea test kit as 2.8 meg/l is just under 8 dkh, which is fine. Your ca and KH are not balanced but maynot hurt anything. Hydrometers never read right, they are junk. I would find someone in your area with a refractometer and have them check it or see if your lfs has one they could check your water with. What brand salt are you using? How much salt are you adding when you make new saltwater? Do you have corals in the tank already? Are you dosing anything to the tank?

 

[bluwinghawk]

i been using instant ocean i have nothing in the tank except rock an a couple fish lost everything in a power failure over summer almost gave up on the whole thing was mostly fish but i got a generator because of this and when i decided to get back in i seen alot have changed so im looking @ putting it together with any type of back up system i can think of just wish hit the lottery already dont have many stores in my area with stuff i need and the ones i thought would was really upsetting store went to last nite had alot of dead fish in their tanks so i hope you guys know how much i appreicate the help
come to think of it i had put 2 caps of purple up in it a couple weeks ago to get color back on rocks seems to be helping

 

[tinkerman]

I add a 1/2 cup and 1 Tbsp for every gallon to get reefcrystals to 1.026. I would save and get a refractometer then raise your salinity, so you don't overshoot your salinity. Refractometers should come with a calibration solution so you know if its off and can adjust if it is off can't do that with hydrometers. I would make sure you have your test kits CA, KH, Mag before getting corals granted your lights are up to par. If your going to do sps then I would get your phosphate and nitrate test kits before adding.