Test Kit Questions

[nanoreef11]

I am looking for a test kit for keeping my parameters in check. I have been keeping corals in my 14 gallon biocube and was wondering if this kit would work?


Master Test Kit

 

[SkiFletch]

It's a little light... I'm still waiting for the company that comes up with a real Reef master test kit. IMO this would include calcium, alkalinity, magnesium, ammonia, and phosphate. maybe pH too, but those are so easy to find and come by anwyays

 

[nanoreef11]

So skifletch are you saying that I should buy individual tests for different parameters or should i wait for this all in one kit?

 

[SkiFletch]

Heh, I was just lamenting to myself . If you plan on keeping hard corals, I'd buy them all individually unless you can find a package that has a bunch of those I mentioned and just buy a few extras.

 

[jeasko]

from personal experience the red sea range can be dificult to determin the readings as the colour of the test seems to be only a hint of the colour with some of them, for that reason I would avoid buying them again, that said some others may get on well with them

 

[dilbert]

I never tried those tests from Red Sea.

What I can say is that API tests are a bit insensitive. I use them in the brackish tank only.

For ph, I found Salifert the best one due to range and distinguishable colours on the the chart.

The same goes for nitrate. Salifert can really distinguish between 0.2 and 1 ppm, e.g, and goes up to 100 ppm what should be enough.

For phosphates, I tried a lot, Salifert, API, Sera, and all are only good above 0.25 ppm, with Salifert the best, and API agan the most insensitive. Quite better but more expensive is the D-Deltec test (in cooperation with Merck) for 30 GBP here in the UK. (The real Merck test costs here 100 GBP).

Alkalinity, I tried even more tests but the all are quite good. Only watch out for the different units they are using. A conversion table is always in the instructions.