What test kit should i buy?

[Notsolostfish]

My budget is like 400-500$?. For test kits. Im absolutely new to saltwater tanks. And im planning to have corals in the future. I wanna fill the tank next week. So what do you guys recommend?

 

[gbru316]

Hanna checkers for No3 (high range), Po4 (phosphorous ULR) and Alk

Salifert for Mg and Ca

Calibratable pH Pen from amazon for pH

Saltwater refractometer with reference standard for salinity.

 

[Miami Reef]

Here’s what I use:

Salinity: handheld refractometer
Alkalinity: Red Sea Alkalinity Pro
Phosphates: Hannah phosphate ULR
Nitrates: Hannah Nitrate HR
Calcium & Magnesium: Red Sea (I don’t frequently use these test kits)

I value precision and accuracy.

 

[Notsolostfish]

Hanna checkers for No3, Po4 and Alk

Salifert for Mg and Ca

Calibratable pH Pen from amazon for pH

Saltwater refractometer with reference standard for salinity.tPH

What about ammonia, nitrite?

 

[reaper93]

I use the Hanna Alk and everything else salifert. I would probably get a Hanna ULR Phosphate since it is very hard to read with salifert

 

[gbru316]

What about ammonia, nitrite?

A seachem ammonia alert if you must, just to get through cycling. To be honest, there's not much need to test either once your tank is established. Every time I've restarted in this hobby I've purchased them, and they (ammonia, nitrite kits) just expire before I use even half. So I skipped them this time. Nitrite isn't even particularly harmful to saltwater fish.

I used to care more about actual numbers than I do these days. Anymore, test repeatability is my #1 concern. Your tank will tell you if your "numbers" are good or not, but a test kit that yields different results each time you test (even back to back) will have you chasing your tail -- to your tank's misery. I'd much rather be confident that things are trending or stable than know that my Alk is exactly 7.856 dKh.

 

[Notsolostfish]

Here’s what I use:

Salinity: handheld refractometer
Alkalinity: Red Sea Alkalinity Pro
Phosphates: Hannah phosphate ULR
Nitrates: Hannah Nitrate HR
Calcium & Magnesium: Red Sea (I don’t frequently use these test kits)

I value precision and accuracy.

Thoughts on that bundle? Only missing is magnesium. https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/matthew-s-beginner-test-kit-bundle-bulk-reef-supply.html and phosphate which i can purchase them seperately

 

[gbru316]

That's a perfectly fine solution -- and it even includes phosphate.

 

[AFHokie]

Thoughts on that bundle? Only missing is magnesium. https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/matthew-s-beginner-test-kit-bundle-bulk-reef-supply.html and phosphate which i can purchase them seperately

You'd be wasting a lot of money on an Ammonia checker. As many have mentioned, once your cycle is over you'll almost never check it again.

I've never used the Ca checker but of all of them it seems to be an unpopular one.

I use Hanna ULR Phosphate and Salifert for everything else. Refractometer for salinity.

 

[gbru316]

You'd be wasting a lot of money on an Ammonia checker. As many have mentioned, once your cycle is over you'll almost never check it again.

I've never used the Ca checker but of all of them it seems to be an unpopular one.

I use Hanna ULR Phosphate and Salifert for everything else. Refractometer for salinity.

That kit doesn't have either ammonia or ca checkers.

It's checkers for No3, Po4, and Alk, salifert for Ca, NH3, and NO2. Refractometer for salinity.

 

[Notsolostfish]

That kit doesn't have either ammonia or ca checkers.

It's checkers for No3, Po4, and Alk, salifert for Ca, NH3, and NO2. Refractometer for salinity.

Yes it does have ammonia and CA

 

[codenfx]

When I started I got the Red Sea master test kit that has ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and I believe pH. I no longer use it after the cycle is done.

Salinity: Veegee refractometer
Akalinity and phosphate ULR: Hanna checkers
Akalinity (to double check), Nitrates, Calcium, Magnesium: Salifert

 

[AFHokie]

Yes it does have ammonia and CA

Sure doesn’t….looked at checker and label of salifert box and combined the two.

 

[polyppal]

My must-haves:

Hanna HI98319 Salinity Tester
Hanna HI782 High Range Nitrate
Hanna HI772 Alkalinity
Hanna HI713 Low Range Phosphate

Salifert or Red Sea for anything else you deem necessary

 

[DE FISH]

Hanna salinity meter
Hanna ulr po4 ppb checker
Hanna alk checker
Salifert nitrate
Salifert cal