Which test kit?

OK I don't need the very best but want a good kit which do you guys use. Does anyone use the different electronic testers? Also what do we need to test for and how often?

 

Depends on what kind of tank you are testing - if you are FOWLER - you only need pH, nitrate, Ammonia as your bare essentials.

If you have a reef:

Calcium
dKH/Alk
Magnesium
Phosphates
Nitrates
Ammonia
pH


I personally use Salifert because they have a fiercesome reputation for being accurate and easy to read.

I do not use the electronic checkers tho the Hannah Checkers do seem to get good reviews.

IMO - not worth saving a few dollars on test kits - I like to get something I know has a track record of success.

 

PH, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate test kits are good for cycling a tank, monitoring water quality and diagnosing problems.

Calcium, Alkalinity and Magnesium are essential for keeping corals.

 

I personally use the API kits and have been pretty happy with them. They won't break the bank and my fish have been healthy as long as I've been using them so I think they are good.

Just to be covered I got the Saltwater and Reef master kits.

Like M-Ocean Man, I too have heard great things about the Sailfert kits

 

OK thanks and It will be a reef with a couple of fish.

 

I use salifert test kits – find them to be the most accurate. I have used the Hagen Master text kit in the past and found the results to be accurate as well. I eventually graduated to PH, CA, ORP and O2 probes – very glad that I did too.

I monitor my probes all the time and I test the water weekly before and after my water changes.

Keep a log – the history comes in handy.

 

Salifert for Alkalinity and Calcium for sure, either Red Sea or Salifert for Magnesium, and the rest (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, "high range" ph, phosphate) can pretty much be from any company.

For alkalinity and phosphate, I might suggest the Hanna Checkers, as they're pretty darn awesome. Just a bit of an initial investment, but the per test cost is comparable to regular kits after that, and it's much more accurate.