What are the MOST important things to test?

[Joe Tony]

I'm gonna be getting some Hanna test kits soon for more accurate testing of the water parameters for my 30-gallon nano, but I only have so much money lol. Realistically I'm probably only going to be able to afford like two or three test kits, since each one is 50 dollars, give or take. With this in mind, what are the parameters that really should be as accurate as possible for the sake of a community reef (especially corals), such as would justify the more expensive hanna, as opposed to something more basic like API?

Keep in mind this is an established tank that's been up and running for about 18 months with thriving populations of copepods, amphipods, bristleworms, filter feeders, and coralline algae.

 

[Macbalacano]

If you are keeping corals, you absolutely need to test for: Alkalinity, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphates, Nitrates, and Salinity.

I would personally recommend Alkalinity & Phosphates (ULR version) with Hannah Checkers - very simple, easy to use, and accurate.

I would recommend Salifert for the other tests (they are fairly inexpensive) and a refractometer for salinity (cheap on amazon).

 

[Joe Tony]

If you are keeping corals, you absolutely need to test for: Alkalinity, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphates, Nitrates, and Salinity.

I would personally recommend Alkalinity & Phosphates (ULR version) with Hannah Checkers - very simple, easy to use, and accurate.

I would recommend Salifert for the other tests (they are fairly inexpensive) and a refractometer for salinity (cheap on amazon).

Should the PH be checked with Salifert as well, or is testing PH like testing alkalinity?

 

[Macbalacano]

I do test pH with Salifert as well. Probably the easiest one to test for!

 

[Joe Tony]

I do test pH with Salifert as well. Probably the easiest one to test for!

Currently I have API for phosphate testing. Would you recommend I use that, as well as for ph, or do you think I should ditch the API altogether and just go for salifert and Hanna for the REALLY important stuff?

 

[hds4216]

This is not really a hobby where you can get away with skimping on test kits. You don't need to spend $50/test kit though. That's only for Hanna checkers. If you want to buy Hanna checker, just get the alkalinity and ULR phosphate ones. They're not necessary though, they just make it easier.

It's critical to test for salinity, alkalinity, and phosphate imo. If I could only test three, it would be those three. Calcium and magnesium are also very important though, and nitrates are as well.

I second using salifert. API is almost worthlessly bad.

 

[Joe Tony]

Alright. Thanks for the help guys

 

[Viking_Reefing]

I only test for alk and salinity on a regular basis. Ca and Mg should be in line due to me using ATI essentials pro where your alk determines dosing (I do send out the occasional ICP test and they’ve always been in line).
I rarely test for N and P (once every other month or something) since I have a fairly good handle on how my tank consumed them and I can usually tell the levels based on the buildup of algae on my glass.

 

[Dan_P]

I'm gonna be getting some Hanna test kits soon for more accurate testing of the water parameters for my 30-gallon nano, but I only have so much money lol. Realistically I'm probably only going to be able to afford like two or three test kits, since each one is 50 dollars, give or take. With this in mind, what are the parameters that really should be as accurate as possible for the sake of a community reef (especially corals), such as would justify the more expensive hanna, as opposed to something more basic like API?

Keep in mind this is an established tank that's been up and running for about 18 months with thriving populations of copepods, amphipods, bristleworms, filter feeders, and coralline algae.

Why do you need accurate measurements?

 

[Macbalacano]

I would not recommend API tests for Reef/Saltwater. For Freshwater they are ok.

 

[LegendaryCG]

Well....I’m a lazy reefer. I test alkalinity, ph, phosphate. I can test basically everything but I leave that to a 3 month ICP test.

 

[Joe Tony]

I would not recommend API tests for Reef/Saltwater. For Freshwater they are ok.

Thanks. I'm finding that that's overwhelmingly the consensus.

 

[Joe Tony]

Why do you need accurate measurements?

So can be sure my parameters are in order?

 

[Joe Tony]

Well....I’m a lazy reefer. I test alkalinity, ph, phosphate. I can test basically everything but I leave that to a 3 month ICP test.

Would you say then, that alkalinity, ph, and phosphate are the most important things to test? What about salinity and calcium? I always felt like calcium, alkalinity, and salinity are THE most important things to test accurately on a regular basis. Again, this is concerning an established tank, where the ammonia/nitrite cycle is long done, and nitrates are kept in check.

 

[stanlalee]

Just get the Hanna alkalinity and phosphate meter. The nitrate meter is ridiculous to perform and the calcium isn't great either (the need for distilled water, the tiny amount of tank water and in my opinion it reads chronically high. Mine collects dust). Take my word on this, use that $50 you would use on the third meter and buy a regular calcium and nitrate kit which combined will cost under $50. I use NYOS for nitrate and the cheap find anywhere API kit is plenty accurate for calcium (worthless for phosphates, marginal for nitrate: it will indicate when too high but you can't get a 0-10ppm resolution).

 

[Dan_P]

So can be sure my parameters are in order?

Sure, but if your budget is tight, you can prioritize which tests need to be the best and which tests can be ”close enough” types. For example, you never need to know nitrate with high accuracy, If you are growing SPS, alkalinity and Ca are important, but you do not need Hanna Checkers. Titrations are good enough.

 

[Philly Reefer]

Check out the Drygood Selling Forum here.
I saw some hanna checkers for cheap.
They are usually durable.

Get the Alk(dkh) and ULR Phosphorus/Phosphate one

 

[Dbichler]

Order of importance in my opinion of course
Patience
Salinity
Alk
Phos
Nitrate
Mag
Cal

 

[blasterman]

Lets use common sense. If you don't have a high load of rapidly growing SPS coral and do reasonably frequent water changes why bother checking for calcium or magnesium? You want to be one of those guys who obsesses about if their calcium is 423 vs 437 while we laugh at them offline to our reef friends? Trust me, your LPS and softies don't care as long as you do reasonable water changes. I would say conservatively that 9 out of 10 posts here about calcium are totally irrelevant. Keep calcium between 375-450. Pretty much any reef salt and proper water changes will do that. Stop assuming that because some guy on YouTube has a 400gal tank full of showcase acropora that you need to follow his method. You don't.

PH - we tell people not to chase pH but we want them to test for it. Yeah.....ok. If you keep a check on alk, don't run a kalk reactor and don't have major C02 issues in your house to heck with pH. I haven't checked pH in over a decade.

What *is* mandatory if you want healthy corals beyond maybe Xenia and Rhodactis shrooms is alk, nitrate and phosphate, especially in a small tank. When you have healthy SPS corals growing fast then maybe invest in a calcium test.

I also don't get the obsession with salinity. For mixing new water - yes. For testing tank water - huh? Even with heavy dosing in my small tanks salinity doesn't budge for months.

 

[stanlalee]

Would you say then, that alkalinity, ph, and phosphate are the most important things to test? What about salinity and calcium? I always felt like calcium, alkalinity, and salinity are THE most important things to test accurately on a regular basis. Again, this is concerning an established tank, where the ammonia/nitrite cycle is long done, and nitrates are kept in check.

Alkalinity is #1. Calcium a distant #2. Phosphates a short #3.

Salinity: well you have a saltwater tank, you must do some sort of salinity/specific gravity testing already? if you have an ATO and don't competely butcher the salinity of your water change water fast/major swings don't happen. Corals don't care about gradual swings over time or a 0.001 swing during a water swing as long as you stay in the 1.024-1.027 which is pretty easy to do even with a hydrometer used correctly. For 10 years I ran a reef at 1.023 and never had an issue. You could put it at #1 as it will obviously kill corals quicker than all the above.

Nitrates- only important on systems that straddle zero. If it's not a new set up IMO you have to be doing something really bad maintenance, feeding or stocking wise for elevated nitrates to become an issue. Test in the beginning then watch the tank, not the nitrates.

Magnesium and Strontium- the other two elements with specific ratios to calcium in skeletal formation. Your just starting with corals, do water changes and worry about that later when you have enough consumption to concern yourself with it. There are several 2 part and all in one solutions that add one or both of these if your worried about it (you shouldn't be any time soon).