Water testing

[Erin O]

I will be starting my 29g FOWLR tank after the 1st of the year (I will probably be adding corals after about a year or so, to give the tank time to mature). What test kit should I use for a FOWLR tank? Since I won't have any corals yet, do I need to test for calcium, magnesium, phosphate, etc.? I was going to get the API saltwater kit (I use the API FW master kit for my freshwater tanks, so I'm used to this type of kit), but I have read that its not very accurate. I've looked at the Salifert test kit, but it seems that it's more for reef tanks.

 

[Vinman]

I will be starting my 29g FOWLR tank after the 1st of the year (I will probably be adding corals after about a year or so, to give the tank time to mature). What test kit should I use for a FOWLR tank? Since I won't have any corals yet, do I need to test for calcium, magnesium, phosphate, etc.? I was going to get the API saltwater kit (I use the API FW master kit for my freshwater tanks, so I'm used to this type of kit), but I have read that its not very accurate. I've looked at the Salifert test kit, but it seems that it's more for reef tanks.

Start with ammonia nitrite salinity then when the ammonia is gone move into nitrate. A year is a long time to look at an empty tank LOL my guess is you'll get antsy and put something in there

 

[Gareth elliott]

I would skip the api test kit.

only useful test is ammonia in it. I would use a seachem ammonia badge for cycling.

A refractometer for salinity

a nitrate test nyos, red sea or salifert are fine for fowlr

After you are ready to add corals
Add
a hanna ulr phosphate checker
Alkalinity calcium magnesium test kits
slaifert, hanna, red sea, aquaforest
I personally dont care for the red sea magnesium test.

 

[Billdogg]

I use Salifert for all my testing. They are reasonably priced, easy to use with repeatable results, and are more than accurate enough for anything we need to worry about.

Once your cycle is complete, an occasional Nitrate test will do until you start adding corals. At that point, you will need to start testing for Calcium, Alkalinity, and Magnesium.

Although there is nothing at all wrong with using a calibrated swing arm hydrometer, most will use a refractometer for salinity.

 

[Erin O]

Start with ammonia nitrite salinity then when the ammonia is gone move into nitrate. A year is a long time to look at an empty tank LOL my guess is you'll get antsy and put something in there

Lol. I do plan to add fish, just no coral until I'm absolutely sure that the tank is mature enough to handle it.

I would skip the api test kit.

only useful test is ammonia in it. I would use a seachem ammonia badge for cycling.

A refractometer for salinity

a nitrate test nyos, red sea or salifert are fine for fowlr

After you are ready to add corals
Add
a hanna ulr phosphate checker
Alkalinity calcium magnesium test kits
slaifert, hanna, red sea, aquaforest
I personally dont care for the red sea magnesium test.

I had planned on the refractometer because I had read that the hydrometer is inaccurate. The ammonia badge will be sufficient for monitoring ammonia? I won't have to use an actual test for that? If so, awesome! It will be nice to be able to tell what the ammonia is at a glance

 

[MirandaP]

I was going to do the API too and decided to get the Red Sea marine one for now.

 

[Sparkymarc]

Red Sea, Hanna, and Salifert are the best IMO. Tank doesn’t need to mature to handle coral. Once your cycle is done, you can add coral. It may not hurt to wait until you can keep your parameters in check though.