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First time testing for KH/CA


RobSpeed13

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so not new to the reef game, used to have a 60G that i tested once every month or so for the basics and everything thrived and grew. sadly i had to sell it all when i left to the military. Now that im out im playing with a Fluval V Sea until i can set up my 120G thats just sitting here, empty haha. Prior to me doing a water change and some heavy feeding these were all my parameters.

KH-170ppm

CA-480ppm

Salinity 1.026

PH-8.0

PO-0ppm

NH3/NH4-0ppm

NO3-0ppm

NO2-0ppm

81Deg F

 

waterchanges are done once a week, either 1G or 2G depending on how i heavy i had been feeding for the week lol. by that i mean 5 drops of kent Chromaplex, 5 drops of Roti Feast, Then mysis for the fish

 

livestock is as follows

1" misbar black clown

1" Lawmore bleeny

1.5" cleaner shrimp

2nassaures snails

7 astrea snails

2 bumble bee snails

4 very small blue leg hermits

 

you may be thinking why a clown and lawnmore bleeny in a 5G espcially since the bleeny can go up to 5" i believe. well soon enough the 120G will be up, but till then he helps clean my 5G lol.

 

This is all done with API test kits and a refractormeter for the salinity. Honestly at the 2 month mark of the tank i was having issues with cyno and diatoms before i started testing for phosphates. IDK what caused the problem exactly i just know i bought a RO/DI unit, chemipure elite mini, Cheatomorpha, and stopped using distilled water from a store id buy it from and boom all gone and when i tested phosphates well i get zero per the kit. of course i have read how inaccurate the test from API can be compared to others, but my tank does seem to be extremely happy. for example one of my birdsnest that i purchased on a frag 1.5 months ago went from only encrusting the center to fully encrusting the plug and is on the verge of planing to take over my rock one day soon lol.

 

So tell me what you think and well when my Nano Box tide comes in ill ad a tank photo. also which kits would you recommend for future testing?

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I have used both red sea and salifert as well as hanna for alk and PO4. This is my preference based on price and how easy the tests are to read.

 

 

Alk: Hanna or Red Sea (Hanna costs more but gives a # readout)

PO4: Hanna low range (phosphorus)

Nitrate low range: Red sea

Mg: Salifert or Red Sea (red sea has more steps, takes longer but is cheaper, both easy to read. I sort of feel like the salifert gave me more consistant/accurate readings for Mg)

Ca: Red Sea

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I use Salifert for phospahte but rarely test it.

 

KH is red Sea as is mg.

 

I use red sea and API for Calcium and both kits give me the same result, so I see no benefit to one over the other just API is easier to find and cheaper.

 

 

Using Nutrafin for nitrate at the moment along with API, Nutrafin gives me a low Nitrate reading of under 5ppm, and API gives me 10ppm, hard to say which one is the most accurate if either are.

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Thanks for the replies guys, gives me a good idea of what to look for in the future. Reason i ask is because my 5G nano is easy to care for. I had a 60G tank before that i loved with easy corals. Literally today i bought a 50G LowBow tank(48L24W19H) to add to the plumbing right next to my 120G. so being that my frag tank and main display will share the same water. I want to see which test work best to make sure both corals in the display and frag tank are getting what they need.

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