Saltwater Test Kits

[TGamel]

I have recently setup a 20 gallon nano for my wife. That is about 3 weeks old. Because all that was available to be was a 20 gallon tall, I went with a 6" deep sand bed over an underground filter that I will eventully use as a plenum after a couple of months. There is 10lbs of base rock in the tank that I am seeding with 4lbs of live rock and 12lbs of live sand.

This is my first SW tank, and I currently have a 75 gallon chiclid tank in the living room as well. The question I have is that the test strips I use for my FW tank say that they can be used for SW as well. I have been using these to test for nitrates, nitrates, pH and Alkalinity. I as using a seperate strip to test for ammonia. Are these strips sufficent or do I need a better kit to test my SW tank with?

Any input or adivce would be appreciated.

Thanks....

 

[Dan Thrash]

i would get better test kits....mainly Salifert! they are expensive but worth it. i didnt want to spend the money at first. i had the test strips from my freshwater tank...they get you in the ballpark...but you'll probably want more accurate readings. i also bought the red sea kits....same thing...ballpark, but they always read that i had ammonia and nitrites, and Salifert read both were 0.

 

[flameangel88]

Which etailers have good prices on the Salifert test kits? TIA.

 

[phenom5]

i would definately go for something better then the test strips. without a doubt Salifert is the best out there, but you can get away with buying a less expensive basic reef test kit. then as you need to replace individual tests you can get Salifert. that's a little easier on the bankroll...or if money isn't an issue then drop the 2 bills on the Salifert master kit.

as far as a good place to buy them, i've found that most vendors are pretty much the same, so i'd look for sales or somewhere that gives a discount to RC members.

 

[66charger]

Check out maroonlagoon.net for salifert test kits. It took nearly a month to get mine because they were on backorder at the time, but worth the wait for the price.

 

[Sk8r]

Accurate tests and using them to stablize your system to a T are the key, IMHO, to keeping a healthy reef. Swings in a given parameter cause stress, will kill some creatures, and generally do no creature any good, be they slow-reacting or fast as fish. The skimmer, the lights, the sump, the flow, are all important, but they're the machinery. The art-part of reefkeeping, IMHO, lies in reading those tests and refining your system until you've got an ideal situation for your livestock.

 

[TGamel]

I appreciate the replies, was looking at getting a SW test kit instead of the strips, but wasn't sure if it was really needed.