Good test kit

[HairlessPotter]

What one should I buy and what all do I need to be able to test for? I want to keep fish and corals and I already have the API master saltwater kit

[KAhner]

Get the reef master kit. Then maybe magnesium and iodine tests. Some people bash API. I think it's mostly cause the nitrate test can be hard to read. But does it really matter if you can't tell the differnce between 40 and 160? Either way its too high.

[HairlessPotter]

K cool, ill see if the lfs has it

[KAhner]

If you can, buy online. It will probably be about half price. I think amazon has them fir under $20.

[KAhner]

Just looked it up. $22.39

[HairlessPotter]

I probably will go with that

[Greenturtle]

I don't like my Instant Ocean ones very much. I'm getting the reef master ones when the packets run out. IO ones take forever, and water testing takes like 30 - 45 minutes per tank. plus you have to be very precise with them.

[KAhner]

Oh yea. One thing about the "nicer" kits is a lot of them come with a little syringe thing. Just get a a baby medicine dispenser. Prob not really a problem since u of course rinse your tubes. But I don't that crap in my tank.

[HairlessPotter]

So I got the reef master. Tomorrow morning I'll test phosphates, carbonate hardness, and calcium.

Just so I know, what do I want all those to be at?

[KAhner]

Phosphate-0
Calcium-420
dKH-8-12

[HairlessPotter]

K thanks

[HairlessPotter]

I just tested. Calcium 360, dkh 11 or 196.9ppm, and phosphates I can't really tell its practically clear

[KAhner]

Sounds pretty good. Do a partial water change and see what happens. If ur using good salt hopefully your calcium will go up to over 400. Once you start stocking corals it will start dropping faster. If your water changes can't kepp up you'll need to start dosing calcium or kalk washer. Kalk wash will also help with dkh and stabalize your ph.

[HairlessPotter]

I've been using pre mixed water from the lfs. Should I just start mixing my own?

[FireRAT3]

If your lfs is using quality salt stick with it, there probably mixing using RO water which will eliminate most of your phosphates right there. depending on how many sps and lps you have will determine how fast your calcium and magnesium are being depleted. Anther good dosing is oceans blend part 1&2.

[carey]

I just started dosing recently and I pretty much have a full tank of corals, including some sps. It took months of stocking them to finally see a decrease in my calcium and alkalinity on a daily basis.

I would just stock as you want and test occasionally to see if there is any depletion. You for sure dont want to start messing with dosing if it's not actually needed right off.

Find out what salt mix your lfs uses for their water, I'm sure they will tell you. I just use I/O reef crystals right now but have been thinking of switching to Red sea as I hear it has more calcium, kh and magnesium in it and those are the elements that go down with corals using them.

Hope that helps some.

[HairlessPotter]

Well his SG is low, like 1.022 usually in his pre mixed and his display tanks but I like to keep mine similar to his because I buy all my fish from him so acclimation is easier. Could that be why its low? But I'll ask what mix he uses and just keep an eye on it

But for phosphates how i said it came out practically clear, does that mean its low? It didn't seem to match any color on the card

[carey]

Yep, if its a clear result then youre good, clear usually means 0 and you want as close to 0 as you can get.

[KAhner]

Yea your phosphates r probably zero. And the lower sg could definately be the cause of the lower calcium, cause it's not really that low. And he's probably not using the best salts.

[HairlessPotter]

Should I just leave SG how it is or slowly raise it a little