What test kits do I really need?

[PizzaIan339]

I am looking to get the test kits for my first tank soon and I was wondering what test kits I really need. I am on a budget so I can not get every test kit under the sun. I am planning on doing a mixed nano reef Starting with softies then lps and after a while sps. What test kits do I really need? I so far know I need alkalinity, calcium and magnesium along with phosphate and Nirtate. Do I need more? Are some of those not needed?

 

[j.speaks]

ammonia.

 

[TheSharksDen]

Salinity tester is $15, The API reef kit is like $35. Does PH, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate (the ones on the left). So will test almost everything for $50.

A lot of fish stores will test water for free too.

 

[PizzaIan339]

Salinity tester is $15, The API reef kit is like $35. Does PH, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate (the ones on the left). So will test almost everything for $50.

A lot of fish stores will test water for free too.

I have salinity already and I am not on like a super duper strict budget but I can only afford maybe $100 of test kits and looking to stay more towards brands like Salifert, Aquaforest and the rest of those larger brands.

 

[mizimmer90]

Depends on your reefkeeping style! If you do regular water changes and don't keep difficult corals (ones that require stability) you might not even need to test anything haha. Water changes are a nice normalizing force that keeps parameters close to the params of your salt mix.

If you're dosing, it's probably a good idea to monitor the things that are being dosed, and preferentially the things being dosed at the highest percent or most relevant for coral growth (i.e. your alk, ca, mg). If dosing a 1 part like AFR, you can probably get away with only alkalinity and water changes.

Nitrate and phosphate levels in a tank are a loaded topic, but can be an important indicator of nutrient inport/export of your system.

 

[Thade_hicks]

Are you looking to grow coral, of so what kinds? Are you doing a FOWLR tank? Are you keeping inverts? How big is your tank? What equipment do you have?

 

[PizzaIan339]

Are you looking to grow coral, of so what kinds? Are you doing a FOWLR tank? Are you keeping inverts? How big is your tank? What equipment do you have?

15 gallon Innovative marine. Ehiem hager heater, carbon, filter floss, 130 gallon per hour return pump.
Plans: I currently have 2 clowns, 2 trocus snails and I am planning to add more cuc later and maybe a shrimp goby pair. It will be a mixed reef with mainly lps and softies but some sps up top.

 

[Thade_hicks]

15 gallon Innovative marine. Ehiem hager heater, carbon, filter floss, 130 gallon per hour return pump.
Plans: I currently have 2 clowns, 2 trocus snails and I am planning to add more cuc later and maybe a shrimp goby pair. It will be a mixed reef with mainly lps and softies but some sps up top.

I would get a refractometer to check salinity if you just have a hydrometer.
I would recommend an ammonia (I think API is good enough for that, use titration not strip though), nitrate, pH, alkalinity, calcium (i really like salifert, they accomodate a way to test excessive calcium levels even), and when you get into sps, magnesium.

Nitrate, pH, alk, and mag are important but best test kits for those I'm not sure. Someone else will have to chime in there

 

[PizzaIan339]

Ok thanks

 

[slingfox]

With that size of tank you could mostly get away with consistent water changes. If you want to test, here is what I use very often:

Salinity: Refractometer and Hanna. Most important measure along with temperature. Good idea to have some redundancy. I use the Hanna checker mostly since it is super convenient.

Phosphorus or Phosphate ULR: Hanna

Nitrate HR: Hanna

Alkalinity: Hanna

Magnesium: Salifert. Some would argue you don't need this one and the four above are sufficient. I test for this because my torches/hammers/frogspawn seem to like elevated magnesium levels (1400+ ppm).

I also have the following but don't consider them as important:

Ammonia: Salifert. Used to test tank cycling and to monitor my QT tank periodically. I rarely test my main display tank but could be useful in emergencies.

Copper: Hanna. Needed for QT/hospital tank.

Calcium: Salifert. I used to test this weekly but I dose two part and can likely just get away with dosing alk and calcium in proper proportion.

PH: Salifert. Very easy test to perform but not too important unless you want to really push SPS growth.

Nitrite: Salifert. Don't think it is important if you can test for ammonia and nitrate.

Nitrate: Salifert. I find the Hanna checker much more useful since it provides a specific value rather than a broad range.

 

[PizzaIan339]

Ok after reading these and watching videos along with reading more here is the list I came up with:
Calcium, magnesium and Alkalinity- Aquaforest bundle
Phosphate-Salifirt
Nitrate-Nyos
This is a maybe not sure if needed PH-Salifirt

Please tell me if I should change this up add more, Take some away, Keep the same or change brands. I am trying to stay away from Hanna for budget reasons.

 

[dwest]

I have salinity already and I am not on like a super duper strict budget but I can only afford maybe $100 of test kits and looking to stay more towards brands like Salifert, Aquaforest and the rest of those larger brands.

I believe you can get by with only alkalinity for a long time. This assumes you are doing water changes and adding a balanced supplement when dosing alkalinity (2 part or AFR or calcium reactor or kalkwasser).

Salifert makes a great affordable alkalinity tester. I use Hanna now for convenience but will likely go back to salifert some day.

 

[Idech]

The Red Sea Foundation pro kit for calcium, alkalinity and magnesium is reliable at a good price and will last you a long time.

 

[Thade_hicks]

Lots of talk here about dosing stuff, I would really recommend against that until you get further into the hobby. Start with your easy stuff, watch the easy parameters and make sure you use a good reef salt and do consistent water changes and you'll be golden. Start with softies, once they do well, move to easy LPS, after a while when you get the maintenance down and testing creep into testing more and monitoring more parameters. Once you're comfortable with that throw some easy SPS like leptos, povanas, or go for stylos. Just do it slow. Know where you are and be confident where you are before you progress yo a new point, getting too ahead of yourself WILL cause a mess of your tank. I've heard horror stories of rushing things to the point that it becomes so hard or a pain to deal with, that people quit

 

[PizzaIan339]

Ok just for some clarification I do a 10% water change (1.5 gallons) Every week with instant ocean salt from LFS

 

[Thade_hicks]

Ok just for some clarification I do a 10% water change (1.5 gallons) Every week with instant ocean salt from LFS

Start wit 10 and see how your nitrate and stuff looks. Adjust as needed

 

[SliceGolfer]

I test temp, salinity, nitrate, phosphate, and alk regularly. Calcium and mag once a month.

 

[PizzaIan339]

Should I get PH or no?

 

[SliceGolfer]

If you are not running ozone or dosing kalk to stabilize pH vs alkalinity, then no. It’s a figure that you have little control over.

 

[gbroadbridge]

I am looking to get the test kits for my first tank soon and I was wondering what test kits I really need. I am on a budget so I can not get every test kit under the sun. I am planning on doing a mixed nano reef Starting with softies then lps and after a while sps. What test kits do I really need? I so far know I need alkalinity, calcium and magnesium along with phosphate and Nirtate. Do I need more? Are some of those not needed?

For that size tank to start with you would need

Accurate salinity measurement
Alkalinity
Nitrate
Phosphate.

Salifert test kits are all you need.

With your planned waterchanges you do not need Calcium or Magnesium Kits especially if you use a product such ad AFR to maintain Alkalinity.