water testing kit

[LittleParr]

if i'm going to get a test kit for my 33gal, what kind of tests should it include?

 

[Fluff]

Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph, phosphate and calcium are the basic tests.

 

[Marc118]

pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate.

There are some other tests like Calcium, Phosphate, Carbonate, and Iron.

 

[LittleParr]

what about hardness?

 

[Marc118]

Thats what carbonate hardness tests for (KH)

 

[LittleParr]

does specific gravity test for salinity, and are calcium, iron, and phosphate necessary for my needs (33gal fowlr)

 

[Marc118]

You will need a hydrometer or a refractometer to test for SG. I wouldnt say those tests are necessary, but better to have then not to have.

 

[jaiden]

refractometer. drsfostersmith has a cheap one that is fine, and well worth it over a hydrometer. ph, amm, ite and ate are your main ones. it depends on what you want to keep

 

[LittleParr]

my 33gal will have:
2 perc clowns, royal gamma, yellow watchman, and a flame or coral beauty
will also have inverts like shrimp, crabs, snails
I'm thinking a test kit for ph, nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia will be enough?

 

[FishFrik]

phosphate and calcium are important too

 

[LittleParr]

how often should you test for all these-weekly, biweekly, monthly or when livestock start croaking?

 

[FishFrik]

U should test the water often if ur tank is newly set up to see if the chemistry is stable. After awhile, u can test less often to check if everything is going fine. That is totally up to u. As for additive tests, test before u dose anything. Also, if u see ur livestocks start acting abnormal, test the water to see if the water is the cause. HTH

 

[LittleParr]

thanks- where should your levels be for a tank my size?

 

[FishFrik]

All levels should be the same for all sizes of tank:

NH3: 0
NO2: 0
NO3: 0 - 20 (the lower the better)
Ca: 350 - 500
SG: 1.019 - 1.027 (1.025 is optimal for a reef tank. lower SG is better for fish only tank)
PO4: this doesn't hurt anything but the lower the better. Higher levels will encourage unwanted algae growth. I would say keep it from 0 - .5 is great

HTH

 

[LittleParr]

sg is salinity and best measured with a refractometer right?

 

[roka64]

Refracto still on sale:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=9957&N=2004+113074

Salinity is the amount of salt to water....SG is specific gravity, I think they have a direct relation.
Some one more chemically inclined might chime in and explain it better.

 

[LittleParr]

how do you lower all those listed?