testing water

[seedless reefer]

What methods does everyone use to test water.

I have a refract to test gravity.

I have a PH pen.

And I use a Red Sea kit to test trites, trates, ammonia etc. etc.

Am I missing anything?

 

[reefjunkee]

magnesium and phosphates are important to keep track of too.

 

[jetchris]

I use a fecal test. you put a drop of SW on a piece of crap removed from the skimmer cup and it dissolves that means you have bad water and immediatly give all your corals and rock to me so i can do a complete SW re-juvination. This normally takes about 2 years in the mean time just buy all new stuff. You should be good!

 

[seedless reefer]

If you werent menatally challenged I'd smack ya one!

 

[FutureInterest]

I test Ca and Alk regularly. That's about it...

 

[seedless reefer]

My test kit tests for alk.

But I dont test for calcium so much because I have no hard corals only the inverts

 

[ralph atl]

I test salinity with a refractometer calibrated to Pinpoint salinity solution for probe about 3 times a week.
test alk (api) once every other week
test calcium (elos) once every other week
Mag (salifert) once a month
Nitrates (salifert) once every other month
Phosphates (DD-Merck) once a month

Then I send a sample once a month to a lab for verification on Strontium, Silica, Iodine, Copper, Phosphate, Nitrate, etc. Just for piece of mind.

 

[liverock27]

I test salinity with a refractometer
Temp w/2 different digital Thermometers.
Alk(API) once a week
Cal(Elos) once a week
pH(Elos) once a week
Mag(Elos) every other week
Nitrate(Salifert) every other week
Phosphate(Elos) every other week
Since my Alk, Cal, and Mag have become very stable I will be switching to every other week, probably.
Has anyone ever used an Infrared Thermometer to test temp? I have seen them on the cheap at restraunt wholesalers, but didn't know if it would work.

 

[linda lee]

mysterybox;161982 wrote: I test salinity with a refractometer calibrated to Pinpoint salinity solution for probe about 3 times a week.
test alk (api) once every other week
test calcium (elos) once every other week
Mag (salifert) once a month
Nitrates (salifert) once every other month
Phosphates (DD-Merck) once a month

Then I send a sample once a month to a lab for verification on Strontium, Silica, Iodine, Copper, Phosphate, Nitrate, etc. Just for piece of mind.

This looks like a great routine.

Can you divulge the name of the lab? (Or send PM?) Seems when I take water to an LFS, I end up having to buy something to *fix* the water deficiency. An impartial tester seems like a smart idea.

 

[ralph atl]

The lab is