NYfan78 January 17, 2012 January 17, 2012 I am not sure which master test kit I need. I had bough the API saltwater one then saw they have a master reef kit. So which one will I need?
Reefoholic January 17, 2012 January 17, 2012 I advise you to invest in Salifert test kits. They are the best. I would get Ammonia, Phosphate, PH and Alk. If you want to have SPS in your tank, then in addition to those, add Calcium and Magnesium kits. Do you have a reflectometer?
NYfan78 January 17, 2012 Author January 17, 2012 I WONT BEING DOING ANY HARD CORALS. JUST SOFT CORALS. I DONT HAVE A REFRECTOMETER YET BUT WILL BE ORDERING IT SHORTLY.
wvreef January 17, 2012 January 17, 2012 I advise you to invest in Salifert test kits. They are the best. I would get Ammonia, Phosphate, PH and Alk. If you want to have SPS in your tank, then in addition to those, add Calcium and Magnesium kits. Do you have a reflectometer? I woul dget in on the Bulk Reef Supply Group buy and get the Hanna Checkers for Phosphate, Alk and Calcium for the rest go with what reefoholic said to get the Sailfert....now these test kits are more pricy than API but you are getting what you pay for and I have personally checked sailfert to api and I have found some of my api to test wrong...with us as hobbiest we want our prize coral rather it be shrooms or sps to live and grow and enjoy for a long time....so if you can go with the best test kits you can...I am switching over to all Hannas and Sailfert kits....
Cliff Puckstable January 17, 2012 January 17, 2012 I've been using the Red Sea reef kit. It does Ca, kH, and Mg all in one kit.
NYfan78 January 17, 2012 Author January 17, 2012 I looked at the red sea kit but saw it doesnt test for ph, amonia, and all. isnt all that needed? so confused....
BowieReefer84 January 17, 2012 January 17, 2012 I use the elos PH test kit. It is very easy to read, and a simple test.
NYfan78 January 17, 2012 Author January 17, 2012 SO AFTER I GET THE TANK UP AND RUNNING I WONT NEED TO TEST FOR Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite and PH ANYMORE?
Jan January 17, 2012 January 17, 2012 (edited) You will need to test for nitrates and PH every now and then. Once you get your tank up and running you'll get familiar with the inhabitants. You will get to the point when you can actually see that there's something not right. After you check your heater and other equipment you may need to test the water to make sure your params are fine. You don't want to be caught without a test kit. Ammonia and nitrites are deadly. Large die off of cleaners, the death of an anemone, a fish and the like can foul your water quickly. To eliminate the guess work and pinpoint the issue you should have a test kit. You should alwqays have mixed water on hand. I say at least 75% of what your tank holds. PH is also very important. You'll want to test your PH every now and then but especially when you see an algal bloom. So the answer is yes, you will need your kit after you're all set up. Down the line as you stock more you'll may want to test for calcium, dkh and magnesium. Softies need magnesium for good growth. Oh, and as soon as you can invest in a refractometer. Proper salinity is very important. SO AFTER I GET THE TANK UP AND RUNNING I WONT NEED TO TEST FOR Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite and PH ANYMORE? Edited January 17, 2012 by Jan
Origami January 17, 2012 January 17, 2012 While Salifert kits are great, I believe that we often over-test when we first start out in the hobby. Sometimes, in our eagerness, we test several times a day. This can get very expensive using Salifert and other higher-end kits. In addition, at the start, you'll be testing ammonia, nitrite and nitrate as you monitor the cycling of your test. After cycling, unless there's a problem, you'll rarely test the first two and only occasionally test the last. Getting a $20 test kit for each doesn't make sense in most cases if it's largely going to just sit on the shelf unused until expiration. For these reasons, I would tend to recommend that the beginner start out with a lower end test kit and get familiar with testing, which parameters vary quickly and which slowly, and which tests are the ones that you really need for 90% of your testing. API actually makes a very good alk test kit for example, though I have had some that read a little high. Even this problem can be corrected by "calibrating" the kit. I use this as an example because, in my case, alkalinity is my most frequently tested parameter. So, if I were starting out, I would go out and get a pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate test kits to start. Get something like API if you feel like you're going to get excited about testing and burn through the kits. When you start adding corals, add calcium, alkalinity and magnesium test kits. Add higher quality test kits to the regimen as you learn a little about tank chemistry.
rioreef January 17, 2012 January 17, 2012 When starting a tank, resist the urge to want to put fish or corals in it. Take a couple of months and reduce all that testing up front. With the values you want to achieve they should be naturally down at that time. Test once a week during this time just to check on things. Putting live rock in the tank and any decaying material will provide the source for good bacterial growth you want. This is what I did and it will save money with the test kits and wont stress the new tank. Now, if you cant wait then you will be testing daily til your parameters are right and then add inhabitants.
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