Testing Kits vial/paper?

[karoly0829]

Hi everyone,

Thanks to a fellow reefer, I am now a proud owner of a 34 gallon tank. One question in which some opinion would be helpful is whether people tend to rely more on paper test kits or bottles when testing the tank for ammonia,nitrite,nitrate, etc...?

Joe

 

[grecoreefer]

I have been very happy with the red sea test kits. They are bottles btw

Hi everyone,

Thanks to a fellow reefer, I am now a proud owner of a 34 gallon tank. One question in which some opinion would be helpful is whether people tend to rely more on paper test kits or bottles when testing the tank for ammonia,nitrite,nitrate, etc...?

Joe

 

[Ryan17]

For testing your ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph I would go with an API Saltwater test kit. They are reasonably accurate and priced. When testing for calcium, alkalinity , and magnesium I would use either Red Sea, Sallifert, or Elos. All of these are bottles btw.

 

[Daleyjdan]

X2 for api

 

[Jim Tansey]

I'm getting ready to order several test kits and I've seen the word "accurate' used often, do we really have any way to determine the accuracy of the test kits?

Jim

 

[MisFit]

NitrIte test kits are pretty much useless except during cycling and even then not all that useful. If you see the ammonia going down and the nitrAtes going up you know ammonia is being processed.
Brand wise API are pretty crummy, and have low precision. They are ok for quick checks but not precise measurements. I've always found the alk and nitrate to be pretty far off from other kits. However the nitrate kit has the benefit of being one of the only ones without cadmium which is super toxic.
I typically use salifert and the new red sea kits.
As an FYI, most test kits have some terrible stuff in them. Cadmium in the nitrate kits, mercury in the ammonia kits and most have sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid. Wear gloves, ideally glasses as well and keep them away from kids.

 

[this is me]

I wouldn't spend too much on PH, ammonia, and nitrite test kit. You'll only have to use that the first month of setting up the tank.
Spend more on ALK, CA, MG, Phosphate, and Nitrate.
PH is always better to monitor with a PH probe.

 

[nemodan]

I do not test.

When I was using mixed salts I was measuring Ca and Alk occasionally in the soft coral tank. Later I set up a SPS only tank and was measuring Ca and Alk once a week (AM/PM during the set-up) until I knew how much Ca and Alk was used based on my bioload of SPS.

Now that I am using PETCO Ocean water for both tanks I have I stop testing.

In a 95G tank I had 6-7 years ago that was mostly soft coral I also stop measuring after the first year.

Why I stop ?

I find myself I was crazy trying to keep all the water parameter perfect, until I realized that due to my tank biology and water I was using (town water in those times) it was almost impossible. So I stop and kept conditions constants. Not overfeeding and keeping a systematic water change of 10% per week or 20% every two weeks was one of the most important things...in my case. What works for me not necessary will work for you.

For the first months follow what the forum people said: Measure the suggested water parameters and "if you are constant" and "do not do changes when all is working", then occasional measurements, like once a month will be enough.

The best test: "watch every day very carefully your corals and fishes" they are the best test kit.

I continue keeping the rule of not overfeeding and a 10% water change per week today in my new tanks.

Daniel

 

[MURedhawk]

I've used Sera and Red Sea. I like the Red Sea better because the kits lasts longer. These are liquid. I only test Ca, Mag, and Alk. I have quick dip sticks to test for nitrates and nitrites from API if I want but they are always stable and low. I use pH probe in tank.