Test kits and frequency of tests that should be run?

[Myka]

I don't have a calcium reactor, I dose instead. If I do regular waterchanges then I don't usually have to dose as long as the levels of the waterchange water are good.

I notice you are dosing strontium, but you are not testing for it. Personally, I would never, ever dose anything I can't test for. For having just set up your tank, I think you are wasting your money testing for a lot of the stuff that you are, and you shouldn't bother dosing with anything until your cycle is over.

As far as testing during the cycle, take a peek at this Guide I wrote about cycling tanks: http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=44859

After the cycle I would check calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium and get those correct before adding corals. I would check those levels once a week until your tank matures a bit, and you are getting steady readings week after week, at which point I would then only test every couple weeks, monthly, or after each waterchange. Magnesium isn't used up very quickly, so I only test for it every month or so, or after a waterchange.

Strontium and Potassium are kind of "bonus" tests, and I would treat those like Magnesium as they don't get used up quickly, and therefore don't change quickly, so i would only test monthly after the readings stabilized.

I tend to do most of my testing the day after i do a waterchange just to check that everything is in order. I do monthly 30% waterchanges, but often my tank goes for 2-3 months bewteen waterchanges, at which point I will test for calcium and alkalinity, and dose those accordingly. I can get away with so few waterchanges because my tank is over 2 years old now, and all the corals are well established. Plus, my corals are all LPS, not SPS. I'm not sure SPS would take so kindly to being ignored for so long.

I noticed you didn't list an alkalinity test kit, and that is very important, so you will want to pick one up.

Also, I see that your specific gravity is 1.020?? That is far too low. That level of salinity is considered "hyposalinity", and is only used temporarily as a treatment in place of medication for certain diseases, and issues. Your sg should be 1.025-1.026. When you raise your salinity you will raise your levels of calcium, alkalinity, magnesium, potassium, and strontium. You may need to do a couple waterchanges to get the levels back down.

I don't know if you're interested or not, but the levels I like to keep are:

Ammonia 0 (not accaptable to be anything other than 0)
Nitrite 0 (same as above)
Nitrate 0 (5 ppm at the most, but mine never goes above 0.1 ppm)
Calcium 415-425 ppm
Alkalinity 9-9.5 dKH
Magnesium 1340-1360 ppm

Personally, I think your calcium level of 500 ppm is way overkill, and really just a waste of money. Also, calcium and magnesium need to be in proportion to one another for maximum adsorbtion by corals. Balanced calcium and alkalinity levels:

1.4 dKH to 350 ppm
2.1 dKH to 375 ppm
5.6 dKH to 400 ppm
9.1 dKH to 425 ppm
12.6 dKH to 450 ppm
16.1 dKH to 475 ppm

So by having 500 ppm calcium you would need your alkalinity to be somewhere around 20 dKH to be balanced, and that's just silly. By having your magnesium on the low side, and your calcium definately on the high side you risk the calcium precipitating out. The higher the magnesium the higher you can keep your calcium (and thus alkalinity) without so much risk of precipitation.

[Myka]

Upon double checking...I see you are testing for "KH". What test kit are you using to test for that? I'm assuming you mean dKH, which is degrees or carbonate hardness. At 15 dKH, that is awfully high.

Seeing as your alkalinity and calcium are so high, I'm wondering why you are under the impression that they should be at that level?

[newreefer_59]

I have added live rock about a month ago and just ran these tests for the first time last week. I agree that the alkalinity and calcium are high....is there an immediate method to bring them down? I do not have a skimmer yet and have 2 small corals in there that appear fine. Hope to have a skimmer put in over the weekend. Shopping for one tonight actually.

[naesco]

Originally Posted by newreefer_59

I have added live rock about a month ago and just ran these tests for the first time last week. I agree that the alkalinity and calcium are high....is there an immediate method to bring them down? I do not have a skimmer yet and have 2 small corals in there that appear fine. Hope to have a skimmer put in over the weekend. Shopping for one tonight actually.

Hi Who sold you all that stuff? Put all the chemicals and all the test kits except for nitrite, nitrate and ammonia in the drawer. You wont be needing them for a while.

After you are sure your tank has cycled start adding mushrooms and soft coral frags and a small fish.

Several months down the line test your ca and if it is too low, add. There is nothing complex about a reef tank. The difficulty is rushing it.
Have patience and you will succeed.
Good Luck

[Myka]

Originally Posted by newreefer_59

I have added live rock about a month ago and just ran these tests for the first time last week. I agree that the alkalinity and calcium are high....is there an immediate method to bring them down? I do not have a skimmer yet and have 2 small corals in there that appear fine. Hope to have a skimmer put in over the weekend. Shopping for one tonight actually.

Have patience. You should not have corals in there yet as your cycle is not over. Please read the Guide (link in my signature) about cycling. It will give you correct steps in the cycling process, and help you decide when it's time to add a clean up crew, corals, and fish.

"Nothing good ever happens fast in a reef aquarium."

The only way to get your alkalinity and calcium down are waterchanges (assuming your salt doesn't have abnormally high levels), or time will eventually bring it down.

Originally Posted by newreefer

The additives I have been using:
Corallife Calcium
Magnesium
Marine Trace Elements
Strontium

Hold back on the additives. You're going a bit additive crazy. Many novice aquarists do that at first thinking they are doing the right thing. The right thing in the beginning is to just sit back, relax, and have patience. Personally, I wouldn't be using any of those additives at this point. Especially not the Strontium because for one you aren't testing for it, so you don't know if you're overdosing or not, and two it is likely that your salt has adequate levels, and your tank isn't using it up right now.

Once your cycle is over then you can start testing calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium. Remember to test your waterchange water (at the proper salinity) every time you buy a new bucket and make adjustments as necessary before you add the water to your tank.

I'm working on a Guide for testing and dosing right now. Keep an eye out for it, as I think you will find it informative.