Ed Reef's Shallow Crest Inspired ART

[waynem]

I remember a few years ago a lab was doing water test, you could send your water sample in a plastic bottle to them and they would email back the results. Would be interesting to see that compares to all the reading your are seeing. I cant remember the companies name right now but I am sure it was talked about on this site.

 

[Lightsluvr]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15683465#post15683465 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by waynem
I remember a few years ago a lab was doing water test, you could send your water sample in a plastic bottle to them and they would email back the results. Would be interesting to see that compares to all the reading your are seeing. I cant remember the companies name right now but I am sure it was talked about on this site.

This is one that comes to mind: http://www.aquariumwatertesting.com/

I have not used them, but have heard they are pretty good.

LL

 

[Ed Reef]

I've not used them too but can't imagine sending my bottle water all the way there for testing lol


I think for us test hobby quality kits are good enough but more importantly is the consistency in results and that's why for key params, I usually depends on two brands testkit so that I know more or less where the params is and most importantly is to get some consistency in the tank for ultimate success.

 

[Hookup]

Have you every put a graph together, say in ms excel, or google spreadsheets, that shows your parameters, both test kits independantly? I would be curious to see that graph.

 

[Ed Reef]

No I do not but over the years most of the time the teskit I mention for those test are very close in results, with Salifer being a little inconsistent (depending on how old the kits are)

 

[JCR's Reef]

Hey Ed, I dont know how well you like Tropic Marin but I used them in the past and didnt have any problems with it. I also miss using the Fast Test kits as they were real simple to use and compared at the time to other kits available. That was like 7 yrs ago.
Right now for ALK I use API and I.O and salfert. I get 3 different readings on all of them. I know the I.O. is said to be cheap but its very quick and easy to use. I really dont think API is far off of the truth though. Isn't it amazing how all different brand test read differently from one to the other and all brands claim they are accurate?

 

[Ed Reef]

I've not used TM testkit but used Hagen and Red sea in the past and didn't like them.

So far, I'm please with API and Elos ofr my dKH testing.

Now only want to find replacement for Ca and Mg testkits lol as the thing with Salifert Ca/ Mg testkit I notice is once the bottles are open over 4-5 months, the results start to get a little weird,eventhou it's way within the expiry date. On the other hand, Elos Ca and Mg testkit are expensive and don't make many tests

 

[Ed Reef]

Did you compare your TM testkit with let's say Salifert or Elos for Ca and Mg??

 

[JCR's Reef]

I never did compare it to elos or any of the more expensive ones b/c I've never used them. If I remember correctly TM tests for Mg and Ca in the same test.
The only area's I test for now alk, ca, mg and PO4 and that in my little 40g. I havent tested my water in over a year in my 110g because I only have soft coral in there.
I use API and I.O. for ALK and compare the 2 together. They are always pretty close.
For CA I use API. I'm not getting the high reading unless I do my monthly water change and thats b/c I use RC which is higher in CA. I shoot for the 440 mark in my tank but when I change the water its up to about 480-500. I use the salifert for MG but who's to say its accurate as I dont have anything to compare it to. I use a hanna LR digital readout for phosphates.
The only RedSea product I would recommend is the copper test kit.
I'm in the same boat as you as far as test kits go. Im wanting to know which ones are good and not wanting to buy them just because they are expensive. You get what you pay for doesnt always hold true.

 

[waynem]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15684123#post15684123 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ed Reef
I've not used them too but can't imagine sending my bottle water all the way there for testing lol

They do international, but maybe you could find a local lab or in HK??

 

[Ed Reef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15688607#post15688607 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JCR's Reef
I never did compare it to elos or any of the more expensive ones b/c I've never used them. If I remember correctly TM tests for Mg and Ca in the same test.
The only area's I test for now alk, ca, mg and PO4 and that in my little 40g. I havent tested my water in over a year in my 110g because I only have soft coral in there.
I use API and I.O. for ALK and compare the 2 together. They are always pretty close.
For CA I use API. I'm not getting the high reading unless I do my monthly water change and thats b/c I use RC which is higher in CA. I shoot for the 440 mark in my tank but when I change the water its up to about 480-500. I use the salifert for MG but who's to say its accurate as I dont have anything to compare it to. I use a hanna LR digital readout for phosphates.
The only RedSea product I would recommend is the copper test kit.
I'm in the same boat as you as far as test kits go. Im wanting to know which ones are good and not wanting to buy them just because they are expensive. You get what you pay for doesnt always hold true.

Thanks Josh, yeah I uses to use RC and their Ca is really really high.

Well, let's hope more members here share their testkit results and opinion so we can see if any is worth their money...

 

[Ed Reef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15688692#post15688692 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by waynem
They do international, but maybe you could find a local lab or in HK??

Yeah I know they do but not willing to send the money (not just yet anyway) for a 2nd opinion lol....

 

[Ed Reef]

New Additions…

New Additions"¦

Pick up a montie today"¦actually this is mine and when I sold my old tank, I move a piece of this into my friend's tank and now frag half of it back"¦

In my friend's tank, it has encrusted over his rock works so hopefully it will do well here"¦.

In another friend's tank has a piece of Supergirl so let me see if Ic an get a frag of that too"¦.!!


However in return, he brought over two of his ultras skinny fungia and ask me to help him fatten em up after he saw how fat mine was"¦.

You can see how skinny they are as compared to mine in this picture"¦.

He also took his Neon Green Candy cane over at the same time so I will try to fatten this up and maybe grow a few heads for myself :lol: (not sure if he knows what he is doing as I've been eyeing his Neon Green candy for a looooong time already)

The feeding tentacles was already out in my tank minutes after I dose ZeoFood 7


:rollface:

 

[Rick55555]

Ed,

Your tank is an inspiration.

I'm interested in your fungia. Is there anything you do in particular to fatten them up? I've had a fungia for about a year and it hasn't ever inflated. I've observed increased polyp extension when feeding it directly, but it has never been as thick as yours is.


Rick

 

[Rick55555]

Ed,

Your tank is inspiring.

I'm interested in your fungia. Is there anything you do in particular to fatten them up? I've had a fungia for about a year and it hasn't ever inflated. I've observed increased polyp extension when feeding it directly, but it has never been as thick as yours is.


Rick

 

[Ed Reef]

Thanks Rick....glad you're enjoying the thread!!

NO, I've not done anything special like direct feeding for my fungia and all he gets is whatever leftover from my fish feeding. I'm not sure if it is contributed from my 'home-made' recipe or from all the different food elements of kz that I dose or I simply got a fat fungia to begin with.

Will be interesting to see how I can fatten up my friend's 2 x skinny fungia and if indeed they get fatten up in a month's time, I'm going to carefully evaluate what I did that makes that happen lol.

 

[Ed Reef]

WATER PARAMETER UDPATES…..

WATER PARAMETER UDPATES"¦..

And did my weekly 10% WC and check my water params as below:

"¢ Temperature "“ 26.2 degree C (light off)
"¢ Salinity Gravity "“ 35ppt (same as last week)
"¢ pH "“ 8.04 (light off)
"¢ NO3 "“ 0.00 (Salifert Test kit "“ down from last week 0.02)
"¢ PO4 "“ 0.03 (D&D Test kit "“ same as last week)
"¢ dKH "“ 7.0 (API test kit "“ drop from last week 8.0)
"¢ dKH "“ 7.0 (Elos test kit "“ drop from last week 8.5)
"¢ Ca "“ 420 (Salifert test kit "“ drop from last week 440)
"¢ Ca "“ 0.00 (Elos test kit "“ ran out of testkit)
"¢ Ca "“ 460 (API test kit "“ drop from last week 520)
"¢ Mg "“ 1320 (Salifert test kit "“ down from last week 1380)
"¢ Mg "“ 1350 (Elos test kit "“ up from last week 1300)
"¢ Potassium "“400 "“ 410 range (Kz Test kit "“ same as last week)

My PO4 is still not coming down but my NO3 is non detectable now"¦ guess it will take another week for my PO4 to come down.

My dKh has drop from last week by 1 dKH. Biggest challenge for me is tuning in my Ca Rx to my corals needs. Gosh, wish I were on balling lite as this will be so much easier"¦

Anyway, I ran out of Elos Ca testkit. The bottle A as usual run out before even half of the other regal are even used up. This is something I think Elos have to seriously look into and provided a much larger bottle A regal.

I've also concluded that API testkit for Ca is not good (unlike their dKH testkit) and will stick to Elos and Salifert for this particular test. Any good Ca testkit brands out there guys??


Apart from my WC and testkit routine, I spend some time removing my wier for cleaning. For those designing wier, I think it's a "˜must have' to have a removable wier where you can take it out for cleaning. Can't believe the amount of junk that's stuck to the overflow"¦.


:eek1:

 

[elijaher]

Ed seems like you going to have a good problem. Your corals demand is going up.

 

[Ed Reef]

Seem to be that way but I got to watch really closely now as this can cause a sudden drop in dKH so will have to dial in my Ca Rx accordingly.

IMO this is where Balling Lite method beat a Ca Rx hand-down as it's much easier to adjust each params....

 

[Ed Reef]

Another Crab caught !!

Another Crab caught !!

Not sure what's going on but caught another crab last night which he was taking a "˜stroll' along the sandbed lol

Any ID on this crabby??