Can Anyone Recommend An Excellent Test Kit?

yeahitsgotahemi · #1 06-22-2009, 08:08 PM

Okay Well i have a probe setup for PH and Temperature, so that stuff is going to be constantly monitored thru my aqua controller jr. I plan on doing roughly 10% water changes weekly. I think Marine Environment salt is what im going to use or Bio-Sea, Ive heard they have very nicely regulated trace elements.

so i think ill get cheap ones for
Ammonia
Nitrate
Phosphate

Should i test for Alk having a controller? I think after the tanks running for a bit ill get a kalk dose pump hooked up to the jr aswell

Myka · #2 06-23-2009, 07:18 AM

Nitrite should be the cheap one, not nitrate.

Canadian · #3 06-23-2009, 02:29 PM

Save some more money and don't bother with a nitrite test kit. It's totally useless in a saltwater aquarium - nitrite does not have the toxicity that it does in fresh water aquaria and concerns about it in salt water aquaria are just a carry-over of the fresh water mentality of yesteryear.

banditpowdercoat · #4 06-23-2009, 02:38 PM

I havent done a nitrate/nitrite test on my tanks in a LONG time

Myka · #5 06-23-2009, 03:48 PM

Nitrite and the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes Farley

As much as Randy Holmes Farley explains how there has to be several hundred ppm nitrite to be toxic to saltwater fish (unlike freshwater fish who are very sensitive), nitrite is still important to test for at times. If you have nitrite chances are you have or recently had some ammonia in the tank (as Randy also states), and you may have missed this with your ammonia kit. If there is nitrite showing up in your tank after the cycle has finished there may be some serious problems brewing. Nitrite is also a good indicator that something is amiss in the tank, often a more sensitive indicator than ammonia. Another thing to note is that there has been little study on the effects of nitrite toxicity on invertebrates.

I test for nitrite when cycling the tank, and at any time there is something amiss in the tank; corals fading or bleaching, fish panting, algae blooms, etc. Once the tank has matured these types of issues are rarely seen, so the warrant for a test kit later on is likely not very large. You can always get your LFS to test it for you. I do think it is a handy, and important kit to have in the first year or so of your reef's existence. I think I get my money's worth since the API kit costs less than $10.

yeahitsgotahemi · #6 06-23-2009, 11:00 PM

Great info! I must say, i lacked confidence going into this hobby. You guys here on this site are fantastic. I was thinking of doing a tank build and just showing everyone what ive been up to, and look for other idea contributions for the build from other fellow reefers. Anyways enough of my ranting. Im gonna order a kit i think it will be the API or the SeaChem off JL. Maybe both just to be safe.

midgetwaiter · #7 06-23-2009, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yeahitsgotahemi

Im gonna order a kit i think it will be the API or the SeaChem off JL. Maybe both just to be safe.

A man with two watches never knows what time it is.

Navarchus · #8 06-24-2009, 07:26 AM

I have a good experience with Elos, Salifert and Red-sea.
I think every brand has some kits that are good and other that are not that good.

For example red sea test kits that are rated as pro are very nice, but the other test kit are very armature.
I had a very bad experience with Salifert alk and iodine, and a very good experience with Elos alk and RedSea iodine.
Salifert CA and MG are excellent buy the strontium not that good, Seachem strontium is very good.

I would recommend:
No2, no3, nh3= JBL
Alk, ph, po4= Elos
Ca, mg = Salifart
Str = Seachem
Iodine -= red-sea pro (also good for alk and ca)

mseepman · #9 06-23-2009, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yeahitsgotahemi

Okay Well i have a probe setup for PH and Temperature, so that stuff is going to be constantly monitored thru my aqua controller jr. I plan on doing roughly 10% water changes weekly. I think Marine Environment salt is what im going to use or Bio-Sea, Ive heard they have very nicely regulated trace elements.

so i think ill get cheap ones for
Ammonia
Nitrate
Phosphate

Should i test for Alk having a controller? I think after the tanks running for a bit ill get a kalk dose pump hooked up to the jr aswell

I think you will be really happy with Marine Environment Salt, I've never found better. I ended up using Bio-sea more often because it was easier for me to mix with a smaller tank (not two part).