water testing

[kelleyga36]

In your opinions whats the best water test kit for my money? What do you use? What do you test(for a reef tank)for? And how often?

 

[ralph atl]

Elos Calcium, Alk, & Mag
Salifert Nitrates
DD Merck phosphates

testing will depend on how stable your parems are.

I test Alk 1 x a week
calcium 1 x month
phosphates & mag maybe every month or 2.
I really could go with testing alk once a month or so, too.


if you are having issues, or changing dosing, or just a new tank, u need to test more often.

 

[kelleyga36]

Only one opinion? Was the test kit shootout ever completed.( located in the product review area):unsure:

 

[ralph atl]

that test kit shootout was never started. IMHO, I have offered you the best & most accurate test kits for the hobbiest. There are many, many more out there.
API would be ok for alk, calcium. Salifert for mag, calcium, nitrates, & ph. Some of api kits are hard to differentiate the color scale.

 

[tebriel]

I second Ralph's opinions on test kits, I do like the Elos Nitrate kit though, real easy to read, only downside is that you have to shake the vial for 5 minutes .