test kits, which ones do i need?

project5k

project5k

Reef enthusiast
Ok, so i've been searching and reading, and at this point, i'm getting tired of reading and reading and not finding the answers i'm looking for...

which test kits do i really need, and which brands are crap?

so what i have right now is a tetra test laborett kit, and it tests a few different things, but its really kinda a generic test kit, and i'm having a really hard time telling the color differences... so... what do you use, and which ones do i really need?

i'm testing my SG with a hydrometer, or however you say that, its this clear plastic thing with a floaty thing inside. i know that there is better, but i'm not looking for better, at this point, i just want something that i can actually see and use.

the parameters that i measured last night were
PH - 8
SG - 1.024
KH - 8.25
Nitrite - <.3
temp - 80

i'm wondering, since i'm wanting to get into some zoanthids, what else do i need to be measuring... seems that some of the more common ones that i've seen are phosphate, calcium, magnesium, and iodine.

I was also currious about a silicate test, a copper test, and maybe one or two others.

Do any of you regularly test your fresh water before mixing in your salt mix? and what salt mix are you using? do you regularly measure your mixed water befreo adding to the tank?

i guess the bottom line is what do i gotta have, and what is just nice to have.
 
All test kits can be difficult to distinguish between the colors, I use the same test kit for my reef and do not seem to have any problems in telling the difference. The color will not always be exact but may fall somewhere in between the two readings, take the higher to be safe, also, verify with a "strip" test or other method.
 
I prefer to use ASI for my basic 5 which is ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, PH

I use a refractometer rather then the hydrometer (when you start keeping more sensitive animals you will want to change this)

I use Salifert for my more advanced tests, such as calcium, ALK, phosphate.

For zoanthid polyps you are probably fine the way it is. The general rule is if you don't test for it don't add it.
 
Copper and silicate tests aren't really useful. They are really only used to diagnose a problem. Like, if all your inverts keep dying, then you'd test for copper. If you can't get rid of diatoms, then you'd test for silicates. But no one regularly tests for those.

The basics that everyone needs are pH, alkalnity, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. If you keep corals, you'll need calcium too.

Magnesium is important to corals as well, but few people test for it regularly (I don't). I wouldn't categorize put in the "must have" category. Iodine is another one that most people don't worry about. With these, as long as you are doing regular water changes, your salt mix should be repleneshing them in correct amounts.

Phosphate tests are useless. They can read zero when you have a major phosphate problem, because algae takes up phosphate from the water as fast as it's produced. You know you have phosphates if you have algae, so there's really no use testing for it.

Also, you should get a refractometer instead of a hydrometer. Hydrometers are very inaccurate and need to be replaced every 6 months. You can get a refractometer online for around $40, so they are not too pricey.
 
The kits I keep on hand,are nitrate,calcium,alkalinity,and magnesium.
I use API for everything except magnesium.But I keep Salifert on hand just in case something comes up out of whack.
I got a PH probe on Aqua Controller for PH.
 
ok, good info, thanks everybody.. so, refractometer.. hmm, been thinking about getting one for my coolant tank on my cnc machine(yes i know different, but operates the same).. but just never did cause i was resisting learning how to operate another gadget... but i guess its getting to be that time where i step up...
 
they are super easy just need a drop of water it an some light it has a scale in it that tells you were the level is at takes about 5 sec to do.
 
maybe i can sneak that in and add it to my skimmer order, (that way when the wife finds out, its forgiveness, not permission. hehehehe
 
lol good luck with that. How comfortable is the couch. :shock: Which skimmer are you getting?
 
my wife still dont know that i bought that monticap she just does not pay attention to the tank and since i used my biolife plasma card she has no idea how much i spent on it either.
 

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