[BCOrchidGuy]

Well this was a pain for me figuring out which test kit I really needed so I hope this will help new people get the right stuff for testing their water paramaters.

1) Ammonia, get an ammonia test kit for cycling the tank, once it is cycled and stabilized you probably don't need to test for it as often BUT it doesn't hurt to check it regularly.

2) Nitrite, same thing, get a nitrite test kit for the break in period, once the tank is broken in same as ammonia

3) Nitrate, use your nitrate test kit after your nitrite level has spiked and started to fall off, THEN use the nitrate test kit once a week....

4) Calcium, a good calcium test kit will help you to measure the calcium being used in your tank. If you keep hard corals your calcium consumption should be alot more than if you just keep softies.

5)pH a good pH test kit is a cheap insurance policy, it should be checked often. Actually the easiest way to do it is to get a digital pH meter and keep it in your refugium or sump. This way you can quickly look and see if your pH is at an acceptable level, you will also see the differences between your nightime low pH and your daytime high pH.

6)Iron and Phosphate test kits are good if you find you are having problems with algae, always test your water for Phosphates before you mix your salt into it, You may need to get a RO filter or a De Ionizing filter if you have high Phosphates or Iron.

&) Iodide, Magnesium etc test kits are used by some people, they are usually cranky, and labour intensive.... If you find your calcium level is falling off more than it should try a Magnesium test kit to see where your Mg level is. If you have pulsing Xenia, Anthelia etc and it isn't pulsing or if you find you loose shrimp often test for Iodide....

As a edit.... Don't forget a hydrometer for measuring your specific gravity. The little scales on the side for salinity are usually only accurate for a specific temperature so find a good conversion table to figure out your salinity.