Test kits

[That one guy]

What's the most important things to test for in a reef besides ca,kh,&mg? What are the best brands you guys recommend?

 

[pugcrush]

Some would say phosphate.
Hanna checkers - for phosphate/ alk
Salifert - Mag
Calcium kits seem to be across the board. Any of the big names seem to do the job. I use the Elos kit.

 

[ReefBuzz]

Elos kits are awesome +1 for those

 

[ReefBuzz]

Double post. Stupid phone...

 

[Dtackett]

the big three are alk, mag, and cal like you said, however you should test for nitrates and phosphates before each water change.

 

[AdamNC]

I use Red Sea for all testing.
Seawater Refractomer
Alk Pro
Ca Pro
Mg Pro
No3 Pro
Po4 Pro

The kits take a little getting used to but I like them a lot. Not to mention they sell reagent refills which are half the cost of the initial kit.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What's the most important things to test for in a reef besides ca,kh,&mg? What are the best brands you guys recommend?

Aside from salinity and temperature, nothing else beyond your list is especially critical, but nitrate and phosphate are reasonable kits to have. Ammonia and nitrite are not very useful in an established tank. I wouldn't measure pH with a kit, and it is usually not critical to measure.