Water tests need help

[Jcagle09]

Is Salifert or api better for the beginning of testing alk, phosphate, calcium and stuff. Tank is cycled and have corals. It just kinda happened. Lol. Everything is doing fine just want to start testing. Is it better to buy a kit in the beginning or individual test like hanna?

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Depends on what you can afford and how often you plan to test. A lot of people start off with the API kit due to low cost and widespread availability.

 

[Jcagle09]

Depends on what you can afford and how often you plan to test. A lot of people start off with the API kit due to low cost and widespread availability.

Well it's not really cheaper if you buy something in the beginning that's not what you will end up with. Then you are really spending more money. So what do you suggest? Buy better tests? If so what kind?

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Well it's not really cheaper if you buy something in the beginning that's not what you will end up with. Then you are really spending more money. So what do you suggest? Buy better tests? If so what kind?

That's not really true if you start off with API tests and stick with them until you use them up. I feel like the API tests are easy to use but lack some of the resolution I like to see in testing. I use Red Sea products, but other people like Salifert or Nyos. In the beginning of a reef tank journey, you're not trying to fine-tune parameters, only to keep them relatively stable. To that end, API works fine.

 

[Jcagle09]

That's not really true if you start off with API tests and stick with them until you use them up. I feel like the API tests are easy to use but lack some of the resolution I like to see in testing. I use Red Sea products, but other people like Salifert or Nyos. In the beginning of a reef tank journey, you're not trying to fine-tune parameters, only to keep them relatively stable. To that end, API works fine.

Good point thank you.

 

[lapin]

For fish only its not as important as for a tank with coral.
Its my thought you will be in this for the long run.
I would get good kits and get used to using them.

 

[LisaMarie]

BRSTV did a side by side comparison of many of the major testing kits in their "best of 2019" series. I found it very helpful in choosing mine. Great to see the pros and cons they point out.

 

[stanleo]

I feel like test kits are a personal trial and error kind of thing. Watch some vids, do some research and try one out. Hopefully the first thing you buy works for you but it didn't for me. I started with API everything and ended up using API for pH, Red Sea for alk, mag, and calc, and Salifert for NO3 and PO4. And I am happy with this because they are easy enough to read and close enough in accuracy to give me peace of mind. Plus I just can't afford Hanna or the other more expensive options out there.

 

[Jcagle09]

Thank you all. I am going to order something today hopefully.

 

[BeejReef]

Yeah, no great experience here, but I also use RS for the major elements (alk, calc, mag) and love Salifert for Nitrate. Still searching for my forever phosphate test