Test kits suggestions?

[BubbleWrap]

I'm doing my nano mixed reef on a very tight budget.

Tank: 18inch cube AIO
Skimmer: Bubble Magus QQ
Salt: Redsea Coral Pro
WC: Weekly 15-20%
Livestock: Fishes, inverts, anemones, softies, LPS, SPS(only Monti)

My corals are doing great, but occasionally for some unknown reasons, some corals will stay closed for 1-2 days. I never test parameters but I decided to purchase some test kits. I have two questions.

1. What are the top two must-do parameter checks?

2. I know test kits are way cheaper than Hanna parameter checkers. But which one is more cost-effective considering the long term?

 

[blaxsun]

1. There's eight: salinity, temperature, alkalinity, nitrate, phosphate, pH, calcium and magnesium.
2. Salifert.

 

[undermind]

I'll answer based on your question, and not something else

For me, if I were forced to check only 2 things, they would be Alk and phosphates. That's assuming you have salinity and temp squared away already.

Salifert kits are good but I just really prefer the Hanna checkers. Reagents are usually 10 bucks.

 

[PatW]

You have 2 nutrient parameters: nitrate and phosphate. Salifert would work for nitrate. Phosphate has to be Hanna ULR phosphate or phosphorous. You might not want to fool with phosphate on a limited budget unless your algae goes out of control. Nitrate levels preferred depends on the reefer and their system. I run really low (less than 1 ppm but greater than 0) but that is me and my system. People often run between 5 and 10 ppm. Phosphate is supposed to be under .03 ppm but measurable And only the Hanna ULR can detect that low.

The coral building parameters are ALK, Ca and Mg. Hard corals and snails use Ca and ALK to make calcium carbonate for their hard body parts. Your montipora might be enough to lower your Ca and ALK. I have an SPS dominant system so I dose ALK and Ca. Mg which is used at about 5% of the rate of Ca. In my system, water changes seem to do fine in maintaining Mg. So you might want to test ALK and Ca. You can dose ALK, Ca and Mg with 2 part (yeah that is 3 parts but can reefers count, the Big 10 conference certainly can‘t count).

Salifert does fine for ALK, Ca and Mg.

 

[gbroadbridge]

I'm doing my nano mixed reef on a very tight budget.

Tank: 18inch cube AIO
Skimmer: Bubble Magus QQ
Salt: Redsea Coral Pro
WC: Weekly 15-20%
Livestock: Fishes, inverts, anemones, softies, LPS, SPS(only Monti)

My corals are doing great, but occasionally for some unknown reasons, some corals will stay closed for 1-2 days. I never test parameters but I decided to purchase some test kits. I have two questions.

1. What are the top two must-do parameter checks?

2. I know test kits are way cheaper than Hanna parameter checkers. But which one is more cost-effective considering the long term?

Most important are Salinity and Alk.

Get a saltwater refractometer and a Salifert Alk test

If you do regular water changes they are all you need.

 

[Jekyl]

Salifert is fine but only testing 2 parameters is almost a waste of time. Salinity, alk, nitrate, phosphate and ph for non sps/lps. Add in magnesium and calcium for anything with a skeleton.