Reef master test kit?

[jumpinjoker]

Do I need to purchase a reef master test kit if i already have a saltwater master test kit. I am keeping zoas and mushroom corals though

[Mando77]

The only difference in the Reef kit "I think" is Calcium and Phos. I would recommend purchasing thoose seperate. It really depends on what you test for. The critical ones are covered in the master test kit. I would look into getting Mag, Cal, Phos and Iodine because they all worth checking.

 

 

[zygote2k]

Here's a good list of test kits to have on hand:

 

Alkalinity

Phosphate

Calcium

pH

Magnesium

Nitrate

Refractometer

 

You generally don't need Ammonia or Nitrite unless you want to watch the biological process occur in a cycling aquarium. You don't need an Iodine test either- what do use to adjust Iodine?

Salifert, LaMotte, and Hach all make high precision test kits. Hach and LaMotte have refillable reagents so you don't have to buy a whole kit every time you run out of reagent. Salifert is inexpensive enough to just buy another.

Better quality test kits produce more consistent results than the cheaper kits.

A refractometer is a must because swing type hydrometers are unreliable at best. A ph meter is also recommended over a reagent test kit.

[Brian Ward]

While a pH meter is recommended for daily monitoring, you need the chemical test to verify the results of your pH meter every now and then. If you're only keeping mushrooms & zoas, I wouldn't worry about Ca, or Mg at the moment. Alk is optional at this point. Also, I know very few people that monitor Iodine. Regular water changes take care of that. Hobby-grade phosphate test kits are relatively unreliable, so unless you're having major problems, I wouldn't worry about that one either.

[zygote2k]

I have found that stable levels of Mg,Ca,and Alk all play a big part in keeping any king of invertebrate happy and healthy. Start testing and dosing for these 3 as soon as you start kieeping corals regardless of the type you have- SPS, LPS, softies, etc.

If you get a pH meter, it comes with calibration fluid. As far as P04 kits being unreliable, I can only say that between the Tropic Marin and LaMotte kits that I use, both have proven reliable and consistent. Don't skimp on your test kits as they are often the best window when viewing problems associated with your tank.