Missing test kits?

[Gordonious]

I need to figure out what test kits I am missing. I have avoided buying magnesium, phosphate, and a couple of other test kits in the past because I had hoped to find the money to get probes to test for many things. Coming to reality I don't have the $.

These are the test kits I have right now, what other test kits do you think are important for me to pick up? Are magnesium kits critical? What about phosphates.(I am using RO water soon to be RO/DI.)

I have:
Calcium(Seachem)
KH/ALK(Salifert)
pH
Nitrite, Nitrate, Ammonia
I also have a hydrometer and a refractometer.

Jon

 

[SeadooGTI]

Test kits

Test kits

The answer will be different depending on your propensity to test or not, and I'm somewhere in the middle. In our visit to Dr. Mac, he stressed the importance of testing for Calcium, Alkalynity, and Magnesium as he feels they need to be controlled in tandem. He also related that if you keep these three parameters in line, PH will take care of itself. I have seen this in my experience as well. Many other very experienced folks agree with this stance, so I would add Magnesium first. The need for some of the other test kits like nitrate, phosphate, and silicates is dependant on factors like what kind of source water you use and how much attention you pay to husbandry. I would add that volume three of The Reef Aquarium by Delbeek and Sprung has excellent information on maintaining proper levels of all of these parameters in your tank.

 

[Gordonious]

About four months ago I talked with my mother about purchasing that book. She said it might show up at Christmas. Cross your fingers for me that she remembered it or ordered it way back then, lol. I actually just saw that it was on Dr. Mac's website as well and if I don't get it for Christmas I may pick it up when I visit there two days later, if I have the funds.

I had a feeling Magnesium was going to be on the list and pretty much was planning on picking that one up. I can not justify the cost in my little budget.

Ammonia and Nitrate I hardly test for any more and I have not worried about Phosphates because of the quality of the water I use. I have also never seen any of the side effects of high phosphates in my systems such as high algae.(then again my primitive lighting system might have something to do with that as well,lol)

Thanks for the response SeadooGTI.

Jon

 

[Gordonious]

I was really bummed I missed the trip to Dr. Mac's, but that's what I get for trusting a computer to give me directions.

 

[mbbuna]

the 3 major test kits you need are Ca/Alk and Mg. Salifert are great for these. your tank is already established so you don't need ammonia or nitrite (they can be useful if you are having a problem but...). Nitrate is good to have just to know if you are exporting enough through water changes, macro export ect. don't get a phosphate kit unless you are willing to spend $90 on a Merck/Rowa or Hach kit, all the others cant test low enough to do you any good. if your having an algae problem just assume you have high PO4 and spend the money on PO4 removers instead of a $30 useless test kit. PH is good to know but it is going to go where it wants depending on CO2, if you want to test it get a PH monitor. other then that save your money for fish and corals

 

[Gordonious]

Cool beans. I'll be picking up a Mg. Salifert kit at Dr. Mac's. Now perhaps when I narrow down the new animal I am going to get you guys can help me spend my money on that. I will have 2 new tanks set up before the middle of Jan. They should be ready for an animal by the third week of Jan depending on the substrate I choose.

 

[mbbuna]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8790369#post8790369 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Gordonious
Now perhaps when I narrow down the new animal I am going to get you guys can help me spend my money on that.

I like spending other peoples money what do you want to get

 

[Gordonious]

That's the thing. There is no way I have the time or money to have 5 tanks with corals in them. I am adding the other two tanks to my system first to increase the volume of water and secondly because I keep running into species I want to keep that would just about require a species tank.

Thinks that come to mind are cuttlefish, box fish, ribbon eels, snow flake eels, angler fish, sea horses, pipe fish.... I will very soon be building a website with information about my system so people who have any questions about it can check that out instead of me typing all the details of my tank in every thread.

All together I will have at least five display tanks, a sump, a fuge, and a second fuge not for function but display. I know it's a bit of an oddball set up, but that's the way I like it. I don't want one large tank nor can I afford to scrap or sell all of my tanks to buy a large one. Details will be coming soon.

Jon

 

[gillianandjoe]

If you go with the snowflake eel, let me know. I would have a donation for you. He's just a little guy, maybe 14". But all yours if you want him.

Joe

 

[Gordonious]

Someone else in PA had one, but gave it off to a pet store before I could get the tank set up for it. I was set on getting it just needed the time to set it up. Since that free option disappeared I started considering other options. My biggest question would be how I would move it a year from now when I have to move. Moving a couple of guppies or clown fish is one thing, but moving a 2.5 foot animal that was built with a bit of muscle is another.

 

[kaptken]

I go along with the Mg test kit too. I got a sea chem kit at the last TFP tent sale and boy was i surprised when i tested my tank and fresh salt water mix. all salts are low in Mg. I have been mixing my water change saltwater a little light at 1.023 sg. which would mean even less Mg. and my tank was low. so now i add extra Mag flake to the water change mix and add the part 3 to the tank on a regular basis. having your magnesium up around 1300 ppm makes it easier to maintain the alk and calcium.