Most Tested versus Least Tested Parameters of the Reef Tank

PICK the Most Tested & Least Tested Parameters of your Tank (Pick 2)

  • Calcium (most)

    Votes: 49 5.9%
  • Alkalinity (most)

    Votes: 574 68.8%
  • Magnesium (most)

    Votes: 7 0.8%
  • Phosphate (most)

    Votes: 80 9.6%
  • PH (most)

    Votes: 76 9.1%
  • Nitrate (most)

    Votes: 91 10.9%
  • Nitrite (most)

    Votes: 7 0.8%
  • Ammonia (most)

    Votes: 27 3.2%
  • (least) Calcium

    Votes: 14 1.7%
  • (least) Alkalinity

    Votes: 5 0.6%
  • (least) Magnesium

    Votes: 79 9.5%
  • (least) Phosphate

    Votes: 18 2.2%
  • (least) PH

    Votes: 43 5.2%
  • (least) Nitrate

    Votes: 15 1.8%
  • (least) Nitrite

    Votes: 230 27.6%
  • (least) Ammonia

    Votes: 315 37.8%

  • Total voters
    834

SPS2020

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What do you do once you know your PH? Nothing - just watch it change!
I measure my PH and my alk 8 times day, whilst I can adjust CarX to deal with Alk - there is not much I can do about PH other than stress out about it (well - I don't, it does not have any variability in my tank nor does it seem to have any impact)..
Incorrect. When I found pH to be 7.8, I installed a CO2 scrubber to bring it up to 8.3+ and I continue to monitor to know when to replace the Soda Lime to keep the levels high.
 

Borat

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Incorrect. When I found pH to be 7.8, I installed a CO2 scrubber to bring it up to 8.3+ and I continue to monitor to know when to replace the Soda Lime to keep the levels high.
You have way too much space and money... Have you installed an alk monitor?
 

Borat

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When you are bored - watch some advanced Kazakistan engineering technologies:

 

SPS2020

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When you are bored - watch some advanced Kazakistan engineering technologies:

Very cool...thanks for posting that link!
 

nicksreefs

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It’s phosphate most for until I got an eccentric elegance Darn thing sucks in the magnesium never seen anything like it so need to keep an eye on that constantly… beginning to suspect it’s bottling it and selling it on the internet. now rarely test anything else other than phosphate tbh I can kind of work out what’s going to happen based on that and take preventive measures
 

GradientHurdle

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We don't always REEF the same way and when it comes to testing the same holds true. Some of us test alkalinity religiously and neglect calcium, whole others test calcium and neglect alkalinity! Today I was wondering what parameters that our members tested the most and what they tested the least! Of course there are some things we should only test very rarely so let's take them off the table and only focus on the following tests.

1. Out of the following tests which one is the MOST tested by you?

2. Out of the following tests which one is the LEAST tested by you?

  • Calcium
  • Alkalinity
  • Magnesium
  • Phosphate
  • PH
  • Nitrate
  • Nitrite
  • Ammonia
ReefKinetics-Multi-TestKit.jpg
Alkalinity, calcium, magnesium and nitrates weekly.
 

lambe00j

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I check alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, 4/6 times a day (APEX) and PH all the time. I check phosphates and nitrates 2-3 times a week. Apex makes it very easy with no checking (I do challenge them weekly with Hanna)
 

elcapitan1993

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Alkalinity and ph are the most (i couldn’t select 2 but test alk every hour and ph updates every minute) least tested ammonia comes in first place on that one lol
 

Wasabiroot

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I test alk the most right now (weekly until consumption goes up higher than water changes provide). For me, I have noticed currently that salinity has a huge effect on my coral happiness. I'm sure that will change as my system stabilizes.
 

brandon429

why did you put a reef in that
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a side clinic has been opened for live time ammonia assessments, it’s a focus group where we show those posters who measure ammonia the most (increasing, six votes now) the unfurling data here that ammonia is the most popular not tested, we compare and contrast why and if they will continue this limiting behavior



y’all are just bumping the button to mess w me right
 

|Tom the Bomb|

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alk cus trident tests it 4 times a day but in terms of manual its nitrate,

for least: nitrite & ammonia (I think this applies to everyone) but nitrite should be even less as you may want to test ammonia if you see something wrong with your tank.

EDIT: I forgot I had a pH probe :rolleyes:
 

David S

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I test Alkalinity (Salifert) the most. Usually 2 to 3 times per week. Followed closely by Nitrate (API) since I dose it to keep levels between 5 - 10 PPM.
The last time I tested for Nitrite was when I first cycled my tank, many years ago.
 

chaoticreefer

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I will put mine in the order of importance:

1. Alk (Trident, 4 times per day)
2. Ca (Trident, 2 times per day)
3. Phosphates (1-3 times per week depending on how my tank is doing. I would love, love, love to have a daily reading. Neptune get that Trident 2.0 done!!)
4. Nitrates (same as Phosphates comment (Neptune, I am looking at you!!!))
5. pH (Apex, pretty much constantly per day)
6. Salinity (I only test it during water changes on both the fresh sw and my tank's water)

I never test:
Nitrites, Ammonia
Mg is this in this category too even though my Trident tests it 2 times per day. My Mg never moves so it has no importance to me.

On my list to start testing:
CO2 (a room CO2 monitor, been wanting to buy one for a few months now, but other priorities keep popping up)
 
Last edited:

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

  • Ball valves.

    Votes: 76 51.4%
  • Gate valves.

    Votes: 76 51.4%
  • Check valves.

    Votes: 37 25.0%
  • None.

    Votes: 32 21.6%
  • Other.

    Votes: 9 6.1%
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