Testing

finley · Dec 30, 2023

Hi everyone, I am currently testing these things and was just wondering if I should be testing for other things.
- alkalinity
- calcium
- nitrate
- phosphate
- temp
- salinity

Jeremy_d · Dec 30, 2023

calc/alk/salinity is all I test unless I have an issue I can’t figure out with water changes

finley · Dec 30, 2023

Jeremy_d said:
calc/alk/salinity is all I test unless I have an issue I can’t figure out with water changes

Yeh I was only testing them but then my corals started to die and many people said to buy nitrate and phosphate.

gbroadbridge · Dec 30, 2023

finley said:
Hi everyone, I am currently testing these things and was just wondering if I should be testing for other things.
- alkalinity
- calcium
- nitrate
- phosphate
- temp
- salinity

That's all you need.

CasperOe · Dec 30, 2023

How often are you testing for these btw?

I don't test for anything else unless I have issues! Latest ICP said I was low on iodine, so now I test regularly for that - but noting else!

Here's my intervals:
Alkalinity - Weekly (Hanna), continuous (Trident)
Calcium - Monthly (Red Sea), continuous (Trident)
Nitrate - Weekly (Hanna)
Phosphate - Weekly (Hanna), continuous (Smart Tester)
Temp - Continuous (Apex, Heater Controller)
Salinity - Weekly during water change

Magnesium - Monthly (Red Sea), continuous (Trident)

Nonya · Dec 30, 2023

finley said:
Hi everyone, I am currently testing these things and was just wondering if I should be testing for other things.
- alkalinity
- calcium
- nitrate
- phosphate
- temp
- salinity

Depends on what's in your tank.

reef2021 · Dec 30, 2023

Definitely test for magnesium also.

Nonya · Dec 30, 2023

reef2021 said:
Definitely test for magnesium also.

You mean msg?

reef2021 · Dec 30, 2023

crit21 said:
You mean msg?

I’m not sure what MSG is. Unless that was a typo and you mean mag.

I mean magnesium. As in what the neptune trident tests for: alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium.

Nonya · Dec 30, 2023

reef2021 said:
I’m not sure what MSG is. Unless that was a typo and you mean mag.

I mean magnesium. As in what the neptune trident tests for: alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium.

Monosodium glutamate

reef2021 · Dec 30, 2023

crit21 said:
Monosodium glutamate

Ah. Okay. Thanks. I learned something new.

gbroadbridge · Dec 30, 2023

reef2021 said:
Definitely test for magnesium also.

Why?

Nonya · Dec 30, 2023

reef2021 said:
Ah. Okay. Thanks. I learned something new.

It's a flavor enhancer.

finley · Dec 30, 2023

crit21 said:
Depends on what's in your tank.

Clownfish, goby, zoas, toad stall, GSP

Nonya · Dec 30, 2023

finley said:
Clownfish, goby, zoas, toad stall, GSP

Calcium and magnesium aren't a big priority. Iodine is.

gbroadbridge · Dec 30, 2023

crit21 said:
Calcium and magnesium aren't a big priority. Iodine is.

Ca and Mg are macro elements and are essential for coral health, including Soft Coral.

Having said that, Mg is so abundant in seawater that a deficiency is extremely unlikely hence it does not normally need to be tested if you are performing water changes.

Iodine is a trace element that in most cases is added in sufficient quantity simply by adding fish food and so supplementing and measurement of it is not normally necessary.