What are the next tests?

[liljohn]

Hello all, my tank has been going well. The livestock is doing well, and the cleaning crew is happy(except the hermits keep killing the snails, need to get more snails). The water is doing well but, the amonia is almost .025, I will do a water change and keep a eye on the levels.

I have some soft corals(shrooms,xenia,toadstool,and a couple of others I can't remember the names)that are doing well.

My question is what water test should I start looking into next? My levels are
amonia .025 slightly less
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
KH/alk 7.3

In time I would like to get an anemone for the snowflake clowns (I Know my parameters need to be stable for quite a while longer possibly 6 months). Sps and clams are a possibility.

I did not know I was going back to school for chemistry again.

Thanks again Liljohn

 

[ErinCahir]

I hate to break it to you, but any reading of ammonia is not good for your tank.

How did you cycle?

 

[Bifferwine]

You should be testing for pH. The basics you need to be testing are:

pH
alkalinity
ammonia
nitrite
nitrate

If you are testing for those, you really don't need to be testing for anything else (I assume you are also testing salinity and temperature too?).

Once you get more difficult corals, calcium and magnesium can be added to the list, but that's not necessary with your current stock.

Do you happen to be using an API test kit for ammonia? The API test kits in particular frequently give you a very low false positive when the reading is in fact zero. You might want to have your LFS double check your ammonia for you to ensure you don't really have any -- ammonia, even at low levels, is harmful to your livestock.

 

[little_fish]

+1 Everyone

 

[liljohn]

Good evening, yes the test kit is API. The salinity is 1.026 and I am not testing for ph(but I will be very soon). What brand of test kits are good? The main three are API and my alk is Salifert. I check the salinity with a refractometer and the temp is digital(from 75 to 80 degrees).

 

[little_fish]

API pH test kit is a good one :)

 

[liljohn]

Good evening, would another brand kit work better for ammonia? Everone and everything in the tank is doing very well.

 

[cvcdrk]

Salifert are really good test kits with solid reviews. If they make an ammonia it's probably a good bet.
I've heard good and ok things about Red Sea too.