Testing. The waters.

ImGood · Apr 16, 2016

Which test kit/kits, gives me the best bang for the buck?Which are most reliable? Which test kits am I going to use most?am I better off buying individual kits,or complete test kits ?how frequently should I be testing and for what?

ImGood · Apr 16, 2016

It is a 400g tank With 150g sump a RO 250 int skimmer as well as a 900 gphr canister filter .Also a couple gyre 150 power heads. There are a few leather corals, flowerpot,carnation,bubble coral, hammerhead,frogspawn,couple of coulifliwer/tree corals & gorgonian zoanthids , paly's and green star polyp 3 2 cleaner shrimp,a pincushion urchin,and 8 snails.coco worms and feather duster, The fish are in qt , till early May& every 30/35 days will be adding more livestock.curently test ca ar salinity ph mg daily test po4 & ammonia every 3-4 days

redfishbluefish · Apr 16, 2016

For me, the bare minimum is Alk, Calc and Mag. I think Red Sea Pro makes a nice kit that includes all three of these tests.

Nitrate and Phosphate would be my second tier test kits. Once you get to know your tank and you are into a normal maintenance routine, you'll find that you no longer need to test for these guys....unless you suddenly have an unexplained issue.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 16, 2016

These threads should be useful:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/what-test-kit-s-should-i-buy.238251/

The Nitrate Kit shoot out:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/nitrate-test-kit-shoot-out-nyos-salifert-redsea-api.221323/

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/p...s-pro-salifert-hanna-checkers-seachem.222628/

ImGood · Apr 16, 2016

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
These threads should be useful:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/what-test-kit-s-should-i-buy.238251/

The Nitrate Kit shoot out:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/nitrate-test-kit-shoot-out-nyos-salifert-redsea-api.221323/

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/p...s-pro-salifert-hanna-checkers-seachem.222628/

Thanks I'm checking those out now, should I be checking the trace minerals/elements as well?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 16, 2016

Imdammgood said:
Thanks I'm checking those out now, should I be checking the trace minerals/elements as well?

If you really mean trace elements (copper, iron, etc.), none are readily tested by kit.

If you mean calcium and alkalinity (not trace elements), a definite yes on those, and possibly magnesium.

PatW · Apr 17, 2016

It seems to me that many people really like the Salifert tests. I have not tried them.

For ALK and Ca, API tests are quick and dirty. I use them.

I use Red Sea Pro for magnesium.

I use Red Sea Pro for nitrates. I can detect about .1 ppm.

Phosphates are tricky. Hanna ultra low level is the best regarded. When I set up my tank, I got a high phosphate reading. It was almost certainly caused by phosphates leaching out of the dry rock. Then I got a succession of algae blooms. Through those, the phosphates have been 0. I guess all of the phosphates were locked up in the algae. I got the algae under control with water changes, macro algae in the sump and running GFO.