Hey! I am in the process of setting up my first saltwater tank. I've kept high tech planted tanks for the last 10 years, and this is my first saltwater set up! I know that water is pretty important in the reefing world and I want to know which testing supplies do I need to buy? I am using an RODI unit and reef crystals for my salt. I also have a refractometer. I have 0 test kits. I researched a bit and saw that people used different test kits depending on what they are testing for. I am just setting up a 20 gallon red sea max nano. I don't want to buy the API kit and throw it out and upgrade again. I see a mix of Hanna checkers, salifert, red sea, and NYOS. Thanks for the help!
First Reef, Which Test kits to buy?
- Thread starter chattreef
- Start date
For the first few months, all you really need is the API tests. You're testing for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, and relatively high levels of each. Once those are all near zero (or your nitrates explode), then it's time for other stuff, but again, not much other than testing for nitrates until the corals and coralline start consuming nutrients and the tank matures. You probably just want a baseline when you start adding corals.
If I had to do it all over I'd go with:
Hanna Copper (quarantine tank usage only)
Hanna Alkalinity dkH
Hanna Phosphate ULR
Giesemann Nitrate
Aquaforest Magnesium
Salifert Calcium
I went through a bunnnnnch of different test kits to find these that I like. You may end up doing the same. I think the three Hanna checkers above are amazing. I hate the Calcium one.
After testing nearly daily while trying to dial in my dosing pumps, I've reduced my testing to biweekly (Alk, Phosphate and Nitrate). CA and Magnesium monthly.
If I had to do it all over I'd go with:
Hanna Copper (quarantine tank usage only)
Hanna Alkalinity dkH
Hanna Phosphate ULR
Giesemann Nitrate
Aquaforest Magnesium
Salifert Calcium
I went through a bunnnnnch of different test kits to find these that I like. You may end up doing the same. I think the three Hanna checkers above are amazing. I hate the Calcium one.
After testing nearly daily while trying to dial in my dosing pumps, I've reduced my testing to biweekly (Alk, Phosphate and Nitrate). CA and Magnesium monthly.
I found these work best for me, easy to use and accurate results.
1. Hanna checker for Alk
www.bulkreefsupply.com
2. Hanna checker (Ultra Low Range) for Phosphates
www.bulkreefsupply.com
3. Red Sea for Nitrates
www.bulkreefsupply.com
4. Red Sea for Magnesium
www.bulkreefsupply.com
5. API for Calcium
Hope this helps!
1. Hanna checker for Alk
Alkalinity DKH Colorimeter HI772 Hanna Checker - Marine Water
Why does BRS recommend this? The Hanna Alkalinity checker is an awesome little tool that now will give results in DKH values that are much more common in the aquarium hobby. It will also give you accurate easy to read results with the large LCD display. We like the repeatable results and ability...
www.bulkreefsupply.com
2. Hanna checker (Ultra Low Range) for Phosphates
Phosphate Ultra Low Range PPM Colorimeter HI774 Hanna Checker - Marine Water
The HI774 Ultra Low Range Phosphate Checker® is a cost-effective way to measure phosphate in marine systems, including reef tanks. Excessive phosphate levels can prevent calcification, skeletal formation, and growth of many coral species, particularly those referred to as SPS or small-polyp...
www.bulkreefsupply.com
3. Red Sea for Nitrates
RedSea Nitrate Pro (NO3) Test Kit
Maintaining low nitrate levels will help prevent algae outbreaks, promote coral and fish health as well as bring out the best coral colors. Red Sea Nitrate Pro (NO3) Test Kit accurately measures nitrate levels. Red Sea produces an algae management line of test kits including nitrate and...
www.bulkreefsupply.com
4. Red Sea for Magnesium
RedSea Magnesium Pro Test Kit
Why does BRS recommend this? Our favorite all-around test kits are the red sea kits. With easy to follow directions, and consistent results, the Red Sea Magnesium test kit can always be found in our testing closet. The titration is made even easier with the included syringe holder that makes...
www.bulkreefsupply.com
5. API for Calcium
Hope this helps!
Very similar recommendation here:
For the first several months, all you’ll need is the API Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate. You could use another brand, but API is super cheap and these test kits are mostly temporary. After which, you can just keep them in storage for emergencies.
You may want a Copper test kit, for quarantining and medicating new fish. For that, I also stand by the Hanna Copper.
After that, your main concerns are just going to be solely Nitrate and Phosphate for a while. I also recommend the Hanna Phos ULR, and I like the Red Sea Nitrate test kit for its resolution.
Then sometime around 6-12 months, you ‘may’ want to begin considering Calcium, Alk, and Magnesium. I would not recommend getting them too early, as these kits will expire... this is especially true as 20g is small, so you are less likely to even need them. However, I like Red Sea for Calcium and Magnesium... unfortunately Red Sea’s Alk test is terrible. I recommend using the Hanna Alk, and keeping the Res Sea Alk tests simply to double check your Hanna. .... Alk can be very important; and you will feel much more confident in yourself when you have 2 completely different test kits telling you the same number.
For the first several months, all you’ll need is the API Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate. You could use another brand, but API is super cheap and these test kits are mostly temporary. After which, you can just keep them in storage for emergencies.
You may want a Copper test kit, for quarantining and medicating new fish. For that, I also stand by the Hanna Copper.
After that, your main concerns are just going to be solely Nitrate and Phosphate for a while. I also recommend the Hanna Phos ULR, and I like the Red Sea Nitrate test kit for its resolution.
Then sometime around 6-12 months, you ‘may’ want to begin considering Calcium, Alk, and Magnesium. I would not recommend getting them too early, as these kits will expire... this is especially true as 20g is small, so you are less likely to even need them. However, I like Red Sea for Calcium and Magnesium... unfortunately Red Sea’s Alk test is terrible. I recommend using the Hanna Alk, and keeping the Res Sea Alk tests simply to double check your Hanna. .... Alk can be very important; and you will feel much more confident in yourself when you have 2 completely different test kits telling you the same number.
Thank you so much for the recommendations! A lot of people were telling me to just get the salifert test kit and it seems like no one recommended it. I was just going to buy them all a once and I appreciate the advice not to do that since they do expire. I have a nano, but I am planning an automated doser. It seems like keeping a reef is more about keeping water right, and everything else will flourish,
I would recommend you invest in an ATO if you have that luxury. Because nanos have less water, when water does evaporate everything swings harder and faster. Nothing wrong with topping off manually but if you're like me you will definitely forget every now and again lol
You're absolutely right, 80% of reef keeping is caring for water!
+1 on the ATO suggestion. Huge upside to stability.
Haha... I agree with both of those statements 100%.
As for dosers, you don’t really need to get any until you’re dosing calc and alk... which may not be for the next 6-12 months, especially with a nano which may be even longer. But Jebao makes cheap ones ($50-65) that are user friendly and very durable. ...but who knows, by then you may have upgraded to a 200g reef and want an Apex control system. Lol
I am looking at getting a ATO container and pump. I'm shocked at how expensive those acrylic containers are. Looking for a 5 gallon one, preferably black. I was just going to grab a Jebao dosing pump. I'll be using Voss glass bottles for a DIY little project. I'm on the fence about making a journal ha! I can't go bigger that this 20 gallon for at least a year. I'm planning on getting married next year and getting a house. I had a 150 gallon planted with Radions for lighting and I injected co2.
I use Salifert test kits for CA, Alk, Mg and nitrate. I use the Hanna checker (low range) for phosphates and I do have one for Alkalinity too. I've always had good luck with this combo and if I wanted to change one it would be the nitrate. The Salifert test kit is fine for detecting nitrates and getting a pretty good idea where the are but the color change is so slight, it's hard to actually dial it in within about 10 ppm. I've been considering trying out the Red Sea nitrate kits since I've heard they're pretty good.
For ATO reservoirs, you can get a storage container from Walmart, or even the Container Store if you’re looking for something specific, in the range of $5-20.
A ato reservoir can be anything that can hold water, for human consumption. Just got to find something that the ato pump will fit down in. I'm using a 5 gallon water jug you get at the lfs for transporting water.
Here’s one of my containers. I like to use transparent containers, place some painters tape to make a vertical stripe, then paint the outside so it is opaque. This leaves me with a small vertical slit of transparency, so that I can see the water level.
It’s a super cheap setup, but it’s worked for me for years.
It’s a super cheap setup, but it’s worked for me for years.
