Test Kits

[Aquattro]

Jeanna, ideally you need calcium, alkalinity, pH and nitrate on an ongoing basis. Salifert is what I use and recommend. For initial startup you'll need ammonia and nitrite. Salifert is preferred, but you could go cheaper. Warning...I used a Hagen ammonia kit when I cured my rock and the NH3 never went down. It also reads NH3 from RO water. Needless to say, I cured my rock longer than I needed to due to a faulty kit.

[BC_Grl]

Thanks Brad. I was planning on getting Salifert, but just wasn't sure exactly which ones I need. The list I originally gave of what I knew I needed came from a ng I often read. I am not sure if I am going to order from J&L or Reef Geek that most in the ng recommended.
I also noticed that you keep a PH probe in your water at all times. Is that how we should go rather than drop tests for PH?

[Aquattro]

Jeanna, I got a pH meter because of the ease when tweaking my Ca reactor. And the price was really good. I would recommend a pH meter be something you add to your XMas wish list, rather than something you buy yourself.
I haven't seen Salifert kits cheaper than at J&L, but if you find some elsewhere, let us know.

[Troy F]

I like Salifert too, but go cheap for the Ammonia and Nitrite. Fast Test will work.

[bcdope]

if I do test, its for calcium, nitrite (don't need ammonia because nitrites should tell you the ammonia levels), and maybe alkaline (I use kalk)....

pH: waste of money, unless you get a digital

any others, are just do dads, and waste of money

Mind you in the end I hardly ever test since my tank is stable....if you're tanks stable, you can usually know by 'eye'ing it

Mature tanks hardly ever need testing...

Peace and good luck

[ 29 June 2002, 18:32: Message edited by: bcdope ]

[BC_Grl]

I have been told that Salifert makes the best test kits around. But which ones do I need?
This is what I think I need:
Alkaline, Calcium, PH, Phosphate, Ammonia, Nitrate

Do I also need: Copper, Nitrite, Iodine? :confused:

[choglund]

Jeanna:

Ok this is my little piece of advice from someone new to the hobby to another.

I just started in this hobby a year and a half ago so I still consider myself a real beginner. I was sooo unbelievably paranoid when I started my tank up, I was so scared of doing something really really bad and killing everything. I must have driven my brother insane with all my questions… ok I still do… hee hee hee. :rolleyes:

Testing the water was the one thing I could do that made me feel like everything was okay. It was something relatively reliable and real that I could look to know how the tank was doing. When I first started I had no clue what “felt” right…..

When I first set up my tank I tested for ammonia, nitrate, nitrite and PH.

When you are new to the hobby there are a lot of things that will happen in the tank that are confusing, surprising and quite frankly weird.

Once you have had your tank for a while, and feel more comfortable with it, you will find that you test less and less. After a year and a half I still test, not as frequenlty but I still do it.

I use the salifert test kits; I have had problems with the nitrate and ammonia test kits of other brands.

I hope this helps. Us newbies need to stick together. :D

Cheers!
Cheryl

[stephane]

PH meter is the only one you realy need IMO
Calcium and alkalinity are good option other are useless cycle your tank well and you will never need to test amonia or nitrite

if you have enought live rock or a DSB you will never have nitrate so why test

silicate,phosphate even if you have in your tank you will praticaly never have a read because algea will consume it in a chain

copper completly useless in a reef

but as Gobygirl said it could made you more confident to test and she made good point so if you have the money go for it but the first to buy is a PH meter.

hope this will help

[ 04 July 2002, 14:28: Message edited by: stephane ]

[Son Of Skyline]

Originally posted by Reef_Raf:
Warning...I used a Hagen ammonia kit when I cured my rock and the NH3 never went down. <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I also started out with a Hagen NH3 test kit and got the same readings. It always read the same high amount of ammonia which I knew couldn't be the case. No more Hagen kits for me.

I switched to Salifert and they're much better.

[Son Of Skyline]

Originally posted by stephane:
PH meter is the only one you realy need IMO
Calcium and alkalinity are good option other are useless cycle your tank well and you will never need to test amonia or nitrite

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I agree. Other than when my tank was first cycling, I've never felt the need to test for ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate. Now I only test for pH, calcium, and alkalinity.

[DJ88]

Stephane,

For the most part I agree with what you have said.

The thing is when it is someone new to the hobby I will and always recommend them to test for Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and pH to start. Once they feel they are comfortable with how those go and interact with each other they can lessen the amount of testing. If they don't tho they won't get an idea once they do have corals in a tank what the different changes in how a tank looks actually means.

In time an experienced reefer can sit back and just look at the tank and get a feel for how it is doing. I know I have my signal corals that tell me what is going on. But you have to remember with someone new they need to learn these things.. It doesn't come magically. smile.gif Tho to some of us it seems like it.. ;)

Give it time Jeanna.. smile.gif start testing and recording everything you see. keep an eye on what happens with the numbers you see. smile.gif

[Doug]

I also would test for ammonia, then nitrite on a new tank. I would not bother with nitrate though. If one has a sandbed or lots of rock, as mentioned by Stephane, then its never going to be a problem, unless the tank is over stocked.

I use Salifert calcium test. Found it to be the best. Now using the Salifert alk test and am impressed with it. My last one was LaMotte. Very good. But, the one I like best is a good ole FasTest alk test. Its cheap and does the job. Same readings as my LaMotte. BUT WHERE DO YOU FUND THEM ANYMORE. :D I also use Salifert to measure my magnesium levels, which I use to add on a regular basis. Found no need when running a reactor. Stayed at 1300ppm.

As most, I also use a Pinpoint PH meter. 3rd one now. Broke one and dropped another in the tank. :eek:

Test kits I threw in the garbage
- nitrate kit.
-phosphate kit.
-any ph kit.
-several major brands calcium kits.