tetraodon Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 im in the market for better test kits, i know since i have sps ill need alk, calc, mag, and such, is there a full kit that comes with most of what i will need or will i have to build my own lab of test kits? Link to comment
specore Posted January 13, 2015 Share Posted January 13, 2015 The Red Sea Reef Foundation kit has all three of those tests in one kit. Link to comment
Gamby Posted January 17, 2015 Share Posted January 17, 2015 I am also looking for new test kits since in am getting back into things after a break. I am considering salifert, Red Sea and the Hanna checkets. I am not only looking for alk, calc, mag but I am looking for phosphate, nitrate, nitrite and ph. I real like the Hanna checker for phosphate but i am not sure if I would need the phosphate or the phosphorous kit? Looking for any suggestions. Link to comment
seabass Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 I am also looking for new test kits since in am getting back into things after a break. I am considering salifert, Red Sea and the Hanna checkets. I am not only looking for alk, calc, mag but I am looking for phosphate, nitrate, nitrite and ph. I real like the Hanna checker for phosphate but i am not sure if I would need the phosphate or the phosphorous kit? Looking for any suggestions. Don't bother with a nitrite test kit. Nitrite isn't really a problem in marine systems, so it isn't necessary. For Hanna checkers, I would only get the ULR phosphorous and the alkalinity checkers. Salifert is a good fall back for most kits (although I'm not that excited about their phosphate kit). Red Sea also has a reasonable reputation. Actually, most kits from any brand (like Elos, Seachem, and others) are acceptable, and should get you in the right vicinity. API is probably one of the most used brands, but some question their reliability. I personally think that most of their kits are usable, with the exception of their phosphate kit. Their phosphate kit is a high range kit which goes up in 0.25 ppm increments. With a target value closer to 0.03 ppm, a high range kit is worthless for use on a reef tank. Note that some other brands also offer high range phosphate kits that don't help you maintain a proper level; and too little phosphate can be just as bad as too much. Depending on your needs, a pH probe might be a proper choice for a pH test. It will allow you to see changes due to dosing, the light cycle, gas exchange, CO2 in the room, a calcium reactor, or anything else that might affect pH. In my tanks, I find that a protein skimmer and stable alkalinity are enough to maintain acceptable pH levels throughout the day, so I no longer test it. I choose some kits based on price, some based on convenience of use and/or storage, and some based on accuracy/resolution. Link to comment
cuber14 Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Red Sea Reef foundation. Link to comment
Gamby Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Thanks for the suggestions! Do you have a preference on the pH probe? Digital Aquatics (Reefkeeper Lite) or Apex jr? Link to comment
seabass Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Either of those controllers would be a good choice. Remember, you still need to calibrate pH probes on a regular basis. Link to comment
Gamby Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 seabass, Which controller are you using? Link to comment
seabass Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 I use a ReefKeeper 2 (which I got years ago, and has since been discontinued and replaced with newer models). I think Digital Aquatics products are still good and are worth considering (along with Neptune Systems, which I haven't used but consider just as good). Compare prices, features, number of outlets, and cost of likely upgrades when deciding. I don't think you could go wrong with either brand. I use the timers (for lights and auto top off), temperature probe (for monitoring and heater fail on protection), and finally, the feed mode (to turn off equipment when feeding. Link to comment
Zorro237 Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 +1 for the Red Sea Foundation. Amazing kits that are really easy to read. Seem to be really accurate too. Link to comment
Halo_003 Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 +1 for the Hanna checkers. I have the calcium one and will be ordering the alkalinity shortly. The calcium checker is freaking SPOT ON to my friend's Salifert Calcium test. If it were me I would go with Hanna checker for calcium, ULR Phosphate, and alkalinity. For magnesium I would go with a Red Sea magnesium Pro kit. I have the Hanna calcium, need to get the ULR phosphorous and the alkalinity, the Red Sea mg Pro kit is on the way now. Link to comment
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