Water Testing

[ReefOC]

For daily, weekly testing, what test kits do you use? Does anyone use the spin master or Hanna Multiparameter tester vs. individual test kits by Hanna, API or other? Seems like buying individual Hanna test kits are expensive to do all the pH, Alkalinity, Ammonia, Calcium, Magnesium, Nitrate, Nitrite, and Phosphate tests.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I use the salifert kits and RedSea test kits!

 

[Scottiemac]

For daily, weekly testing, what test kits do you use? Does anyone use the spin master or Hanna Multiparameter tester vs. individual test kits by Hanna, API or other? Seems like buying individual Hanna test kits are expensive to do all the pH, Alkalinity, Ammonia, Calcium, Magnesium, Nitrate, Nitrite, and Phosphate tests.

I currently use the Mastertronic, but will be replacing that with the Hydros Maven upon the release of that device.
I spent a few weeks getting baselines for my tank using Hanna checkers. With the Mastertronic, if a parameter falls out of range I'll follow-up with a Hanna check. This happens frequently because the Mastertronic is a $1300 piece of garbage.

 

[Peair]

For daily, weekly testing, what test kits do you use? Does anyone use the spin master or Hanna Multiparameter tester vs. individual test kits by Hanna, API or other? Seems like buying individual Hanna test kits are expensive to do all the pH, Alkalinity, Ammonia, Calcium, Magnesium, Nitrate, Nitrite, and Phosphate tests.

I use Hanna Marine Master, it cost me $350.00, it's ok, not the greatest, better then most, right now I don't have the money for something big bucks.

 

[fishyjoes]

For PH I have a pinpoint monitor (but I haven't turned it on in a long time)
I use salifert for alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, and nitrate
I use hanna for phosphate and copper (copper used just for QT scenarios)

I test alkalinity several times a week and the others (except copper) once a week unless I have some reason I think I need to do it more frequently.

 

[JayM]

I test alkalinity and phosphate weekly, calcium and nitrate roughly every 2 weeks, and pH a once or twice a week. All with Hanna products.

Aside from starting a new tank, I never test for ammonia or nitrite, and I've stopped testing magnesium altogether.

Though I will say that all of the above does get checked via a Spinmaster every so often at my LFS. They test my water for free anytime I stop by (probably because most of the time I spend a bunch of money).

 

[Rick Csekme]

I use Hanna Marine Master, it cost me $350.00, it's ok, not the greatest, better then most, right now I don't have the money for something big bucks.

? Why not the greatest? Is it better than individual Hanna testers? Im asking because Im so color blind its terrible. I don't mind spending money on testing equipment because this is the most important part of reefing in my opinion.

 

[Rarc’s rock shop]

For daily, weekly testing, what test kits do you use? Does anyone use the spin master or Hanna Multiparameter tester vs. individual test kits by Hanna, API or other? Seems like buying individual Hanna test kits are expensive to do all the pH, Alkalinity, Ammonia, Calcium, Magnesium, Nitrate, Nitrite, and Phosphate tests.

I have several individual Hanna test kits and recently I purchased the Hanna multi parameter tester.
I Hate it
I found it very cumbersome with some tests taking 15 minutes to read. All be it it is very accurate measuring some things in PPB it wasn’t worth the time. This made my testing take several hours to complete.
My advice, just buy one individual Hanna tester at a time as you can