Going to buy test kits, check my list!

[jamal-188]

Ok, I have the basics, nitrate, nitrite, PH, ammonia carbonate hardness

Read a bunch of post and it seems most recommend salifert or seachem so what I think I'll need to keep corals and help my coraline grow are:

Magnesium
Alkalinity
Calcium
and I'll probably get the Seachem reef special that includes
phosphate
silicate
iodine/iodide

any additions or ones I won't need right now let me know as I probably won't add corals for a little while, at least until my RO gets here and can do a decent amount of water changes over a month or so.

 

[Biggen]

Carbonate hardness (KH) and alkalinity are *roughly* the same thing, so you only need to by a KH kit and not an alkalinity as well.

A TDS meter would be nice as well so that you can measure the number of dissolved solids coming out of your RO unit. But that is not mandatory as long as you replace the filters in a timely matter.

Everything else looks good!!

 

[jamal-188]

Thanks Biggen, I have a Carbonate Hardness test already but it's made by tetratest so maybe I should get a better one? I tested with this kit and I got a result of 9 German Hardness, not sure what that mean?

Oh and I did get a TDS meter with my RO unit! Hoping it will be here any day

 

[Biggen]

I use a Tetra laborett test kit for my KH as well. I think they are fine for that kind of test. But it never hurts to have backups on hand.

I got a result of 9 German Hardness, not sure what that mean?

If you are planning on getting into corals, which by your first post I can tell you are, you will get very familiar with alkalinity as you dive further into this hobby.

Trust me...

 

[reefrunner69]

Alkalinity

 

[jackdp]

I have the seachem iodine test kit and if you have a skimmer, it will never show any iodine...I don't think iodine is worth testing for if you do regular water changes. Also, I've never tested for silicate and I'm not sure why I would ever want to. You may want to save the money on the reef kit and just get a phosphate kit.