What are the best water testers to use?

For a reef tank, what are the most important tests, and what kind do you suggest I use?

 

I use Salifert for:
PH, Amonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Phosphate & Magnesium, I strongly suggest adding a magnesium test (its usually the one left out of the package or group purchases)

I also have a test for alk and calcium although I like API for these tests.

The above most would say are must have tests


This is a good read:
Randy Holmes -Reef Aquarium Water Parameters

 

The big 4 IMO are Nitrate (shoot for zero), Alk (10-11), Calcium (420-480), and Mg (3X Calcium: 1250-1450). I use API for Nitrate, Alk, and Calcium. I have an Elos test for Mg but only really test this once every month or so. Nitrate weekly to bi-weekly, Ca and Alk once or twice a week. If you havent seen the DIY dosing on here I suggest checking it out, once you determine your tanks needs its really easy to set up a dosing regimen that is effective and much cheaper than a reactor or dosing pumps.

 

I like the ELOS kits for the simple fact that you can get accurate readings, they aren't in the eye of the beholder.

A nutrafin test, you add a certain amount of drops ... and you need to compare your shade of pink on a color chart ... so really, depending on who does the test ... nitrates could be anywhere from 5 ppm to 20 ppm ... the same test tube.

The ELOS kits are counting drops, until you get your color change, and they are obvious changes too ... like count the drops until the solution changes from pink to blue ... much more accurate in my opinion.

Nitrate, Cal, Alk, and Mag would be the 4 biggest I would think.

If your tank is new, or your not all that experienced with keeping aquariums, I would also get ammonia, and nitrite kits as well, which can help you identify a lot of problems should your tank enter a mini cycle

 

+1 for Elos and Salifert

 

Well Ive had my tank for almost a year now, wouldnt say i dont have expierence, but i dont know everything. The reason I ask, is because The test kit i use i think is giving me bad readings, I have a terrible algae issue, but my readings are fine. Or they could be expired. So im looking for some good ones to buy and ues, and maybe i can figure out whats up thanks everyone!

 

The one I have now is the Red Sea one, and i dont reallly like it, plus it leaves out important tests, that ive never got to check:/

 

If you have a lot of algae in your tank and are getting good readings for nitrate and phosphate, it could be because the algae are using these up. So you should take measures to reduce these and use algae amount as the indicator for these levels.

 

Imworking on trying to figure out whats causing all the algae, My protien skimmer broke a few weeks ago, and then it startedg etting worse. So i bought a new one and have it running now, so hopefully it should help some, but! well see what happens

 

Hi, you haven't mentioned (nor anyone else) about a phosphate reactor. I think you inquired about this issue some time ago and me, as well as others, suggested one. Did you get one?