No test no dosing and pure fear

[notthatkindareefer]

Running a 15G cube (weekly 3 gallon water changes), have stuck to softies and “easy” coral (Blasto, duncan, mushrooms, xenia, zoas, toadstool) because they were easy to keep and cheaper. Don’t have any test kits or dosing equipment and today I bought a chalice and submarine favia … so should I order salifert Alk and Mag tests or is there something better? Is there anything else I should buy as well as backups like dosing liquids or anything?

P.S. I know this was not smart but if you saw the deal you would’ve just said take my money too!
P.P.S. I am a college student so that’s why it’s important for me to keep this process as cheap as possible (for now)

 

[SliceGolfer]

In that case phosphate and nitrate isn't really necessary either, UNLESS he is planning to dose it. Fully stocked Nano reef tanks are always lacking these nutrients and he is doing WC anyway so they are even lower.
But if you are dosing them you need to make sure not to overdo it and end up with record parameters.
So technically he can reduce it to a single alk test

I disagree that only testing Alk is sufficient. P04 is an essential building block to our reefs, as well as N03. I bolded parts of your reply, which support why regular testing of P04 & N03 is required.

We all have our own opinions. OP should do what he feels is right, as with everyone else

 

[Tavero]

I disagree that only testing Alk is sufficient. P04 is an essential building block to our reefs, as well as N03. I bolded parts of your reply, which support why regular testing of P04 & N03 is required.

We all have our own opinions. OP should do what he feels is right, as with everyone else

I don't understand your intent with your post. Yes they are essential, but the only way to get them to detectable levels in a nano tank is by dosing them. Without that, the test kits are practically useless. And you won't increase the levels just by testing them.

Now, should he dose them to his tank? Yes I think so, but I'm not going to tell him what to do if he is is on a tight budget and his tank is almost empty right now. He also only asked about test kits not about additional stuff. Therefore I didn't include these test kits because I would have to add phos+ and NO+ to the list of things he should get. Which you didn't mention either.

 

[notthatkindareefer]

I have decided to just order a full salifert test kit line and do a monthly test of everything and test alk a little more often. The LFS told me everthing to do with my parameters was spot on for a healthy and mature reef tank Nitrate was 20 which is king of high but would

I disagree that only testing Alk is sufficient. P04 is an essential building block to our reefs, as well as N03. I bolded parts of your reply, which support why regular testing of P04 & N03 is required.

We all have our own opinions. OP should do what he feels is right, as with everyone else

Thanks, I think I am just going to order a full range Salifert kit around christmas from Amazon so that I can stop being clueless in case I do encounter a real disaster. The LFS only uses API tests and I have learned I can’t really trust them. Plus everything in my tank looks relatively great for now, so no immediate rush for testing.