testing equipment.

[PGriff]

I'm starting a 40 AIO breeder. At the moment I have everything to get started. I'm currently in the hospital and should be released soon. The only thing I have left to buy is a spare heater, return pump and an extra wave maker, all of which will be purchased on the 1st.

I am hoping to have around five fish and a hand full of coral, give or take. I was wondering if you all could recommend a water testing kit. Something simple. I read about people testing for a lot of different things, I was wondering if you all knew of a simple testing kit?

Thanks.

 

[SomethingfishyPKNY]

I'm starting a 40 AIO breeder. At the moment I have everything to get started. I'm currently in the hospital and should be released soon. The only thing I have left to buy is a spare heater, return pump and an extra wave maker, all of which will be purchased on the 1st.

I am hoping to have around five fish and a hand full of coral, give or take. I was wondering if you all could recommend a water testing kit. Something simple. I read about people testing for a lot of different things, I was wondering if you all knew of a simple testing kit?

Thanks.

I use hannah for phosphate and alk. Eveverything red sea

 

[PGriff]

I use hannah for phosphate and alk. Eveverything red sea

What else are you testing for?

 

[SomethingfishyPKNY]

What else are you testing for?

At least 2x week I check alk, calc, mag, phosphate ultra low
Nitrates once a week along with trace elements

 

[SomethingfishyPKNY]

At least 2x week I check alk, calc, mag, phosphate ultra low
Nitrates once a week along with trace elements

I hope everything is ok with your health btw

 

[Flippers4pups]

You need at the start a kit for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, calcium, alkalinity and magnesium. That's a start.

Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate during cycling. Nitrate, calcium, magnesium, phosphate and alkalinity later.

 

[SomethingfishyPKNY]

You need at the start a kit for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, calcium, alkalinity and magnesium. That's a start.

Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate during cycling. Nitrate, calcium, magnesium, phosphate and alkalinity later.

100%! I should have mentioned that my apex checks salinity, and ph in my display tank and my calc reactor

 

[SomethingfishyPKNY]

I started with a cheap api kit to test those things on my first tank as it was cycling

 

[dugthefish]

Salifert test kits at a minimum, API are junk.

 

[DesertReefT4r]

API are junk but have their place. The Saltwater Master kit will got you ph, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate which you should have for the cycle. The Reef Master kit is ok for softy tanks and will work for lps as well, any tank with lower demand for cal and alk and they are imo the easies kits to use. Granted they are not very accurate and the ranges of the tests are not as fine as we need. I second Hanna for alk and PO4 and Red Sea for the rest. Salifert has been great and very similar to Red Sea.