Suggestions for Test Kits and Live Sand to go With

R

ReefyCane

SuperNewbie
Hi All,

Thanks for all the help so far. I would like suggestions on test kits and Live Sand to go with. Also, would you suggest a hydrometer or a refractometer for measuring salinity?

Also, do you guys recommend using activated carbon? I am not going to use the sponges and bioballs that came with my tank....just good ole LR rubble.

Thanks in advance!

~Reefy
 
Salifert test kits are the best IMHO.

Use argonite live sand if you want to speed up your cycle.

Activated carbon is essential to use to keep the bad smell down, clear water, and healthy fish. Use it and change it monthly, Use the pellet form instead of the powder.

-Doc
 
For test kits go with at least the basics.Those API master kits are cheap and works well.They have ammonia,pH,nitrite and nitrate.Additional kits will be important if your going with a reef setup.I recommend at least calcium and akalinity.There are others you might want to consider such as magnesium,iodine,phosphate and many more.For the more important calcium/Alk,I prefer the Salifert test kits above all others.

Caribsea Araglive and Caribbean Direct live sand are good.My preference is sugar size and at least a 2-3'' bed.Grain size is up to you.

I prefer refractometers,hydrometers can be inaccurate and needs replacing in some cases.Get two different hydrometers from different companies if you go with them.

Carbon,I run it 2 weeks on and two weeks off.The choice is up to you and sometimes it depends on your bioload and what types of corals you have.For instance a mix reef is better to run carbon,an SPS dominant not so much.BTW,I actually use Chemipure which is a carbon alternative,works better and last much longer than carbon.

good luck
 
reeffreak said:
Caribsea Araglive and Caribbean Direct live sand are good.My preference is sugar size and at least a 2-3'' bed.Grain size is up to you.
Click to expand...

I use that stuff, works great... Just remember to empty the bacteria culture packet if you get the Ocean Direct stuff..
 
Hydrometers cost between $10 and $20. They need to be replaced every 6 months and even brand new ones can be very inaccurate. You can order a refractometer online for between $40 and $50 and it will always be accurate and will never go bad. Definitely buy a refractometer, I have heard stories of people having major problems in their tank, couldn't figure out why, all levels checked out, salinity was 1.024, then they take a water sample to the LFS and their salinity is at 1.045 or something, and it's that their hydrometer was bad and they had no idea.

Salifert test kits are the best, but are so expensive. Red Sea and API test kits are cheap and I have had good results with both of those brands.

I've used both Caribsea and Caribbean Direct aragonite sand too. Both are good.

Using carbon will increase your water quality and clarity, but I wouldn't run it 24/7. Most people run it for one week a month, or a couple days a week, something like that. Not only does it take the bad stuff out of the water, but it takes the good stuff out too (trace elements, etc), so using it in moderation is best unless you are using carbon for a specific reason, like if you have a lot of toxic animals in your tank and need to run it to remove toxins.
 
You've got some great advice here.
For test kits,the API kits do a pretty good job and wont break you.Theit not the best kit out there,but there no where near the worst.
 
I personally wouldn't waste my money on "live sand". I am not convinced that much of anything beneficial can live in a plastic bag for months. Even with it, you are still going to have a cycle, so what did you pay extra for?

As far as test kits, I prefer the Saliferts. Yes, they cost a little more up front, but they last a long time. I think the calcium kit has 60 tests in it, thats over a years tests (1X a week) for around $24?? Plus, if you need support they are they are very helpful.
 
I have the API kits, and find them kind of hard to read. The colours are too close for alot of the tests, and for some reason, my nitrates always come out between 10-20, when my lfs comes out at 2 (last week). All the others I get the right reading, but I find myself going from light to light to get a good look
 
test kits = i would get API only because lately salifert are having problem with bad batch.

sand = get a live sand.

get a refractometer now. it is cheaper down the line.
 
"test kits = i would get API only because lately salifert are having problem with bad batch."

I have not heard this, where did this info come from???

"sand = get a live sand."

Why? What makes it better than dry sand?
 
There's bacteria in live sand.As long as the sand is moist it will live in a bag provided it wasn't frozen or gotten extremely hot.If you have enough live bacteria you can have an instant cycle or a reduce cycle time.Thats what other and including myself was trying to get at.
 
Thats my point...you dont know what kind of conditions the "live sand" was subject to. You might be pouring bags of sterilized wet sand into your tank.

I think it makes more sense to use dry sand and seed it with some sand from a healthy (or several) tank (s).
 
okay let me back up a little, is this a new setup? if it is then if you want the cycle to be shorter, use LS if you are patient enough to wait at least 2 months before you can even think of adding corals to your tank then go with dry sand and seed it with someone's LS.

and for the test kit, there are a lot of complain from another forum about this.
 
Your right,its more economical to use dry sand and seed it with a cupful of live sand from an establish system.Reefycane didn't ask that though,he ask what kind of live sand we liked.In that case,the Caribsea Araglive and Caribbean Direct was my choice.BTW,the Caribbean Direct,I bought online was cheaper than even the dry stuff from the LFS.To make the wait time reasonable than I prefer a 20/80 mix of live and dry.
 
LS is the read deal. I used it and put my corals, fish, and cleaning crew in THE SAME DAY and never had a cycle.

-Doc
 
I also used the bagged live sand when I moved my 55 gallon over to my 240 gallon. I used all new water, and added all my fish and corals on the first day, and did not experience any cycle.
 
Yup. I think I added 15 fish on day 1. No cycle whatsoever. I was paranoid and freaking out that everything would die. But ammonia and nitrite stayed at 0. And only about 100 lbs of the 500 lbs of live rock that I added came from my old tank too. So all new sand, all new water, and just a little bit of old rock, and no cycle. I was really happy.
 

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