Lazy Testing

[Daddy-o]

Feeling extremely lazy when it comes to testing my water with all the chemicals a d mixing... Are there any kits that do not require any work?

 

[Pawtrekker]

You could try test strips. You just dip them in the water and then check the colors. The problem is, they are not very accurate most of the time.

 

[saltcreep1025]

If you wanna drop some cash you can get digital testers for a lot of them. Other than that you are out of luck, unless you want to sacrifice accuracy like pawtrekker said.

 

[Daddy-o]

Any digital testers you can recommend?

 

[furrymurray]

The digital hanna phosphate checker is really good and accurate! I really like it.

 

[Bray84]

Had a look at them other day and do they do sw as one I looked at said not for sw

 

[furrymurray]

The one i have does well with sw. It was recommended to me by members on this board and bulk reef supply also did a very good review on it. Its the bright green tester shaped sort of like an egg

 

[Bray84]

Cool will look into it more, think it was nitrate one that didn't do sw as looking for something other than drip kit as can never get it right with nitrate test

 

[furrymurray]

I use the red sea nitrate pro kit. A lot easier IMO to read the results than API. Only down side is it take 9 minutes to test. I am not sure but I dont think they have come out with a digital nitrate sw test yet. Hanna has been saying they are going to come up with one FOREVER and its still not out!

 

[Bray84]

I'm using Red Sea marine care and all test are good but can't do the nitrate right as always off the radar but when shop test there good plus have just upgraded and done transfar few days ago so would of thought something else would spike first

 

[saltcreep1025]

I have a milawaukee (sp?) ph tester im quite fond of

 

[begginersluck]

I agree testing does suck they need to come up with a controller with a digital readout for everything that's on constantly. Pretty pricey piece of kit I would guess.

The way I do it is dependant on what's in my tank. For example I have 4 or 5 corals so they're not really going to take up much calcium and magnesium etc so I just do weekly water changes with a decent salt mix and RODI water that I know is 0 TDS or very close to. This rules out a lot of testing.

Leaving nitrate and phosphate. I use D&D. They are timely but very accurate.

If anything happens in my tank like a dead fish or something out of the blue I use the simple API test kit for ammo and trites. Rarely these get used except when I'm QT'ing.

 

[jeffaquarius]

I hope this link would help.

Hanna Instruments Checker HC

 

[carey]

I use the hanna phosphate and the alkalinity checkers. Excellent to use and very simple. I had the calcium one but it was waaay to inaccurate and was a pain to do.

You could look into the salifert test kits, little pricey but if you just need the niotrate one then its not so bad