What should I be testing for?

[Kostas]

Turning my 90g into a reef tank, so far I just got some GSP, Frog spawn, Kenya, xenia, galaxy corals in my tank…( added all yesterday )
I only have a test kit for the basic nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, and ph.
Today I bought a reef kit test kit that has calcium, carbonate hardness, phosphate and nitrate.
Was that a good buy or should have I gotten something else? Ex. Iodine? Or Alkalinity?
I’m curious what do you guys test for??

Oh I only use prime and stability to perp my water, and in my tank I use ‘purple up’ every other day. ‘ agagamilk’ everyother day and something called ‘cotal vital’ also for my live rock.

[xtreme]

Carbonate hardness and alkalinity are the same thing. And it is a good idea to know where your alk is at. I don't think iodine is all that important. I would get a magnesium test kit before iodine as Mg is needed at proper levels to help maintain calcium and alk.

[Mikee]

Calcium, Alk, Mag, these are the 3 big ones that are a must. Nitrate, Phos, and PH are also a good thing to get. Do you use RO/DI water? if not it would be a good idea to start using that. Best thing to maintain these levels are a 2 part Calcium/ALK additive such as E.S.V B-Ionic or C-Balance. The rest IMO is a waste of money.

HTH.

[Marlin65]

So what are the test results?:razz:

[Kostas]

So what are the test results?:razz:

well my nitrate tested out 0ppm

phosphate was 0.0 or 0.5 it came out this pale light brown colour (which could have been either 0.0 or the 0.5) oddly 0.25 is a yellow colour on the colour card

my Alkalinity was 8dkh - ppmKH 143.2

Calcium test took 18drops to turn it blue, so 360-380.