Water testing and results

[dakotanut]

What do yall use to test water conditions? I have some test strips that I use. They tell me the
General Hardiness in ppm
Carbonate Hardiness in ppm
pH in ppm
NO2 in ppm
NO3 in ppm
My General Hardiness is 180
Carbonate Hardiness is close to 80
pH is 7.5 to 8.0
NO2 is 0.5
No3 is 20 to 40
Is this acceptable? If not, then what is and what do I do to make it acceptable.

 

[Best Fish-Jake]

I would stay away from strip testing as they tend to be a bit inaccurate. Depending on what livestock you are/plan on keeping, you could get anything ranging from the API reef drip test kits to Hannah Checkers. API kits tend do well at getting approximations, whereas hannah checkers are likely to bring you closest to the exact parameter at home. Salifert and Red Sea drip test kits are also very accurate, and i'd recommend them over API if you're willing to spend the extra money.

Regarding your current water parameters; GH generally isn't tested in saltwater aquariums, and carbonate hardness is often measured in dKH instead of ppm. An alkalinity (carbonate hardness) of 80ppm roughly translates to 4.5dKH which is very low for most coral. This can be brought up by using a salt with higher calcium/alkalinity or by dosing two-part
You're currently reading Nitrite (NO2) in the tank, so i'm guessing your tank hasn't been up for very long and is likely still cycling. You'll want to monitor your ammonia (NH3) levels along with your nitrite levels and ensure they're both reading 0ppm before adding livestock to the tank.
Your nitrate (NO3) levels aren't terrible, but most people aim for less than 10ppm. This can be achieved through nutrient export such as: skimming, water changes, removal of algae, addition of a refugium dedicated to macro algaes, etc.

 

[dakotanut]

So, what all besides pH, nitrite, and nitrate do I test for? I have a kit for my freshwater tanks that does everything but not sure if it will do saltwater. All I have in it is clean up crew, 1 damsel, and 1 emerald crab. And some tiny starfish I can' find but have to get rid of or it will hurt my live rock.

 

[GoVols]

What do yall use to test water conditions? I have some test strips that I use. They tell me the
General Hardiness in ppm
Carbonate Hardiness in ppm
pH in ppm
NO2 in ppm
NO3 in ppm
My General Hardiness is 180
Carbonate Hardiness is close to 80
pH is 7.5 to 8.0
NO2 is 0.5
No3 is 20 to 40
Is this acceptable? If not, then what is and what do I do to make it acceptable.

dakotanut,

Welcome to our Reef 2 Reef family

These are the kits that I use:
Cal = Salifert or API
Alk = Hanna Alk Checker
Mag = Salifert
Nitrates = Salifert
Phosphates = Hanna ULR Checker

Like the others said, you can't trust those strips.

Freddie

 

[PatW]

I use Red Sea Pro for nitrate, but I keep my nitrates at 1 ppm which is for an SPS tank.
I use Hanna ultra low range for phosphate.
I use Red Sea Pro for calcium. I shoot for about 450 ppm.
I use Red Sea Pro for alkalinity and shoot for 8.
I run salinity at 1.026.
I run magnesium at about 1250. I use Salifert for this. Salifert is good for calcium and alkalinity too.

 

[mjlash22]

Hanna, Red Sea or Salifert or any combination of the 3.

 

[dakotanut]

Ok. Got it. Will check into these asap.

 

[dakotanut]

Looking at some kits online and trying to decide what to use atm. Have an idea. How about the multi kits? Do they work well of do yall piece them together?

 

[mjlash22]

The Red Sea multi pack kits work very well. I believe there is a marine care and foundation kit that I purchased for my 250 a few years back. Marine care kit will give you everyhting you need to check ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and PH, where the foundation kit will give you everything you need to test KH/Alk, Calc and Mag. I also believe the KH/Alk test comes in both kits but the one that comes in the foundation kit is a better test kit (called their "Pro" line).

I'm not a fan of Red Sea's phosphate test so I use the Hanna checker. I also switched to the Hanna checker for KH/Alk. Red Sea's version isnt bad, I just liked the Hanna checker better.

 

[NY_Caveman]

In the beginnings of a new marine aquarium, the most important tests are Ammonia and Nitrate to test your cycle. A refractometer for salinity is also a must. pH and alkalinity are also useful. Calcium and Magnesium tests are more useful down the line as you add corals and need to learn how much Calcium they are pulling from the water column. Magnesium is less important as something that is used, than it provides optimum conditions for corals to use Calcium and Alkalinity.

This is a good read from Dr. Holmes-Farley
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/

 

[dakotanut]

Excellent. Thank you very much. This group hasn't let me down yet. Just one maybe 2 more questions. Sorry. The Hanna checkers, what is this reagent stuff they talk about? Is it the same as my cichlid tank test kit? How is it used with the Hanna's?

 

[mjlash22]

It comes with the Hanna checkers and is what you use to actually test the water in the curvettes they provide. Each bottle lasts about 25 tests. Some of the Hanna checkers use a powder, others use a liquid. They give you everything you need to do the tests. I would recommend looking up some youtube videos to see how they actually work. If done correctly, they are probably the most accurate tests on the market IMO.

 

[NY_Caveman]

It comes with the Hanna checkers and is what you use to actually test the water in the curvettes they provide. Each bottle lasts about 25 tests. Some of the Hanna checkers use a powder, others use a liquid. They give you everything you need to do the tests. I would recommend looking up some youtube videos to see how they actually work. If done correctly, they are probably the most accurate tests on the market IMO.

The digital displays are quite useful as the unit reads the colors and you do not have to guess where they fall compared to a picture with a broad range.

 

[Jesterrace]

The Red Sea multi pack kits work very well. I believe there is a marine care and foundation kit that I purchased for my 250 a few years back. Marine care kit will give you everyhting you need to check ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and PH, where the foundation kit will give you everything you need to test KH/Alk, Calc and Mag. I also believe the KH/Alk test comes in both kits but the one that comes in the foundation kit is a better test kit (called their "Pro" line).

I'm not a fan of Red Sea's phosphate test so I use the Hanna checker. I also switched to the Hanna checker for KH/Alk. Red Sea's version isnt bad, I just liked the Hanna checker better.

Agreed, in terms of bang for buck the Red Sea Kit does a great job. I would definitely pick it over API any day of the week.

 

[dakotanut]

Outstanding! Thank you very much. Now to find them for a good price.

 

[mjlash22]

Outstanding! Thank you very much. Now to find them for a good price.

From time to time, BRS runs sales on the Red Sea test kits. Just keep your eyes open for it. Last sale they had I picked up a bunch of refills.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

And some tiny starfish I can' find but have to get rid of or it will hurt my live rock.

In most cases, starfish won't hurt rocks at all and can be very beneficial in helping to keep your tank clean. I would not get rid of them unless you can confirm they are obligate corallivores.