Back to basics

ajroc31

Member
Well, I have had my tank for 5 years now or so, but for the past two years I have been so busy with work, I have been neglecting it. Finally I ahve some time again, and I want to get back to it properly. So am I am going back to basics. Now I am looking for a quality test kit, for a reasonable price. Please give me your feedback, I want as many opinions as possible. I don't trust the reviews on store sites.
 

ajroc31

Member
I used red sea, and instant ocean in the best. But I just kind of went to the store, look at the brand, price and figured its probably quality. But I need to be more careful now, I want best quality for the price.
 

metweezer

Active Member
Originally Posted by ajroc31
http:///forum/post/2688295
Well, I have had my tank for 5 years now or so, but for the past two years I have been so busy with work, I have been neglecting it. Finally I ahve some time again, and I want to get back to it properly. So am I am going back to basics. Now I am looking for a quality test kit, for a reasonable price. Please give me your feedback, I want as many opinions as possible. I don't trust the reviews on store sites.
How does your tank look? Any livestock? Corals? I use API. They have a saltwater master test kit (ph, ammonia, nitrite & nitrate) and a reef master test kit (calcium, alkalinity, phosphate & nitrate). I also use salifert. They are more expensive and more accurate. Unfortunately they don't come in any combo kits. You have to buy each test separate.
 

ajroc31

Member
The tank still looks like crap in my opinion, needs some work, just getting over a hair algea problem, and took some lr out to make more room for swiming. I like the landscape, but outside of few corals, it does not look very healthy. I have planty of fish:longhorned cow fish, which I am considering to give to someone who is dedicated to their tank, and has lots of space, considering that this fish is like a baby when it comes to its treatment. Never have I seen a fish that requires attention, or he will throw a fit and start spitting water out of the tank. A yellow tang, which is psychotic, and threatens me after I put my hand in the tank to clean the algea, a sixline wrasse who is a maniac, a peaceful and nice flame angel, valentini puffer who needs a dentist, a royal gramma, nice little fella, two spot goby, most indifferent fish in the world, a cleaner wrasse, a pig of a tang, elibi mimic. I also have few stars, long-spined sea urchins, two cleaner shrimp, and the boss of all bosses, the only survivor of the 2005 power outage, a bulls-eye pistol shrimp, whom I have had now for over 6 years. Oh, two very boring starfish.
 

metweezer

Active Member
Are you cleaning the algae off the glass
Do you have a mag-float? That will keep your hands dry and no nipping from fishes. You must have been doing something right for the last two years or your animals wouldn't have survived. A pic would help. Is your water cloudy/green? Have you been doing water changes, replacing filter media?
 

ajroc31

Member
I didn't let it go completly, but I did not provide the time that is required. I will get a pic. The water is ok now, it is just dirty. I have made many mistakes at first, and tried to recover, actually for the small amout of money I initially invested, it was nice, but then the power went out for two days, and my tank never recovered. Some fish survived, so I did a quick fix up, but it just has not been the same. I will be moving soon, so its a perfect chance to upgrade, maybe to a 180 or a bit larger, although I would be content with 125 6-feet. I have a 120 at 5 feet, and I feel that extra 12 inches would really make my fish lot happier. I don't want to go higher, since you need stronger lights. Anyways, I want the tank stable and recovering, so that when I set it up my new one, I will not be bringing old problems with me.
 

prime311

Active Member
I'd get a Salifert, Elos, or Sera test kit. Myself and some other posters here and on other SW forums have had some problems with the readings from the API kits.
 

ajroc31

Member
As you could see, it has a way to go, few corals that survived. What really hurt my tank was two days with no electricity in 2005. As the White SOx were winning the World Series, (which I missed the last game cause I had no tv or radio) my tank was slowly dying, never really recovered from it.
 

aztec reef

Active Member
For stabillity you'll need reliable test kits like salifer & also keep up with the biweekly- monthly water change rituals using ro/di water.. Algea in tank indicates poor water quality such as nutrient pollution or decay accumulation.
 

ajroc31

Member
Yeah, there was lots of waste under the rocks when I started moving them. The algea is clearing up abit, because I am keeping it cleaner, and the refugium is starting to help alot.
 
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