msladydarkness
New Member
What test kits do I need to have on hand for a 30 gallon mini-reef?
Reef test kits
- Thread starter msladydarkness
- Start date
N
newreefers
Guest
I test for alk, calc. mag. trite, trate, phos, ammonia, ph, salinity,
I have a spreadsheet if you want it. email me queenofconst@aol.com
I have a spreadsheet if you want it. email me queenofconst@aol.com
msladydarkness
New Member
gonna have live sand on the bottom. I plan on keeping live rock, fish, an anemone or mushroom, and crabs. I already have ammonia, nitrate, nitrite test kits and a hydrometer to test salinity.
nm reef
Active Member
Calxmax is research grade calcium. dose this 3xpw and forget about it. This also has an alk buffer which allows you to "dose it and forget it".
Certain aspects of the above quote strike me as a bit odd...maybe its just me but I'd hesitate to add anything to my reef "and just forget it"...any calcium additive should be tested to establish and maintain proper levels. In addition any time you attempt to suppliment calcium I believe you need to be aware of and monitor PH and alkalinity. So any calcium suppliment regardless of "quality" should be tested on a somewhat regular basis.
Also the comment that SG need not be checked if the water is pre-prepared from a LFS is in my opinion a bit reckless(at best)....Specific Gravity should be checked on a regular basis regardless of where the water comes from. In smaller systems especially....evaporation alone can alter SG dramatically!
Enough of that....for a new and/or cycling system I'd definitely test ammonia/nitrite/nitrate....plus monitor PH ... temperature...and specific gravity.
As a system matures and you begin to establish levels of calcium and alkalinity then I'd also test calcium/alk on a regular basis. A lot of reefkeepers also test for mag...I don't...but probably should.
Daily I check temp and SG....a few times a week I check PH(and plan to add a PH probe for constant readings)
I prefer Salifert tests for the following...Ammonia/nitrites/nitrates/calcium/alkalinity/PH...these are the only tests I currently run.
Certain aspects of the above quote strike me as a bit odd...maybe its just me but I'd hesitate to add anything to my reef "and just forget it"...any calcium additive should be tested to establish and maintain proper levels. In addition any time you attempt to suppliment calcium I believe you need to be aware of and monitor PH and alkalinity. So any calcium suppliment regardless of "quality" should be tested on a somewhat regular basis.
Also the comment that SG need not be checked if the water is pre-prepared from a LFS is in my opinion a bit reckless(at best)....Specific Gravity should be checked on a regular basis regardless of where the water comes from. In smaller systems especially....evaporation alone can alter SG dramatically!
Enough of that....for a new and/or cycling system I'd definitely test ammonia/nitrite/nitrate....plus monitor PH ... temperature...and specific gravity.
As a system matures and you begin to establish levels of calcium and alkalinity then I'd also test calcium/alk on a regular basis. A lot of reefkeepers also test for mag...I don't...but probably should.
Daily I check temp and SG....a few times a week I check PH(and plan to add a PH probe for constant readings)
I prefer Salifert tests for the following...Ammonia/nitrites/nitrates/calcium/alkalinity/PH...these are the only tests I currently run.