Test Kits

[RFD]

What test kits should I have and how does calcium and other minerals affect the tank:question:

 

[dustin_P74]

pH

ammonia

nitrite

nitrate

calcium

alkalinity

magnesium

 

[daugherty]

what dustin said. cal is what corals use to grow but they also need mag and good alk levels or they will die

 

[dcantucson]

Test! Test! Test! Wouldn't if be great if someone invented a device which you could put one sample into and it would tell everything! I for one do get tired of always testing...it's the part of this hobby I don't enjoy.

 

[daugherty]

do not add anything that you dont test for

 

[dcantucson]

Very true. I once added "purple up" every day to bring up my calcium. Never tested it for weeks. Finally tested my water and I was at 670. oops...

 

[yote]

I actually enjoy running my tests.It gets me out of the wifes honey-dos and I get to play with my tank.:D

 

[RFD]

So far i have the PH Nitrate and Ammonia- how often should I test and how often do i perform water changes. Remember the tank is only 14 gals. So the next kit I get is Calcium.

 

[tankedchemist]

Wouldn't if be great if someone invented a device which you could put one sample into and it would tell everything!

The good news is, there's already a device that can test the majority of what we're interested in. It's called an ion-exchange chromatograph (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_chromatography), and they actually work pretty well, once they're all set up and calibrated and such. Unfortunately, they're high maintenance instruments, and cost on the order of 5K for even the cheapest ones. Plus they're much bigger than the test kits we use, and not exactly the easiest things to operate. And you'd still have to test your pH separately, anyway. :P Nothing's perfect.... but if you really hated testing, this -is- one way to get around most of it.

 

[dcantucson]

5K...damn! Won't be getting one of those anytime soon.

 

[yote]

Test the water every 2 to 3 days.
Do 10% water changes weekly.