Best testing kits?

[hispaniola]

Which testing kit would you recommend for a reef tank?

 

[drew2005]

Salifert Tests are very accurate. Pricey but worth it.

 

[hispaniola]

For a new reef tank, which tests are absolute musts apart from specific gravity, temperature, ph, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?

 

[drew2005]

Id say calcium, phosphate, magnesium, alkalinity. Thats all i have so far. havent looked into iodine or strontium tests yet.

 

[f1shman]

I have Hagen test kits and they work good.

 

[rpick]

what does the magnesium do for saltwater reefs?

 

[f1shman]

i think it directly related to calicum and if the magnesium is too low it causes the calcium to precipitate out faster. I think, im not 100% sure. I heard the magnesium is the easiest of them all to keep stable though.

 

[rpick]

i though that calcium and carbonate are dependent on eachother.

 

[f1shman]

 

[rpick]

i failed my chemistry.

 

[rpick]

getting bac to test kits . i like salifert

 

[mudplayerx]

I personally like Aquarium Pharmaceuticals because they are both inexpensive and accurate (plus Doc Welfish is cool lol). I have also tried Red Sea and test kits produced by the makers of Instant Ocean. Aquarium Pharmaceuticals: cheap, easy to use, easy to read, about 50 tests per bottle (calcium test kit might have a smaller amount of tests)
Red Sea: cheap, easy to use, difficult to read, vague color chart, about 60 tests per bottle
Instant Ocean: medium priced, difficult to use (clunky design, awkward rubber stopper), easy to read, about 30 tests per kit (refills available without having to repurchase entire kit), as a side note, the little powder packets are much better than using the liquid dropper bottles of other test kits.
Below are the actual test kits I consider mandatory for a reef tank:

• Ammonia
• Nitrite
• Nitrate
• PH
  Alkalinity
  Calcium
  Phosphate

Tests should be performed weekly as part of your routine water changes. A log or journal should be kept with dates, type of test kit, and results. This is to track trends in tank chemistry and to better aid others in deciding how to help you with opinions on fixing problems.

 

[hispaniola]

I was looking at the AquaController Jr. for temp. and ph and then saw that their higher end model also measures ORP, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen. You say say what? What does ORP (organization of retired pisces?), conductivity and dissolved oxygen tell you about your tank?