What can I get to measure this?

Ksologistt

New member
Hey everyone!
I'm relatively new to marine aquariums and have a tank that is a week old. Today, after having my water tested, I was pressured by my LFS to put in a chromis, 5 hermit crabs, 2 snails, and a pep shrimp to eat my aptasia. Although I questioned them frequently about their assurance that I could put a fish in a one week old tank, they insisted and gave me the pep shrimp free. After putting them in about 4 hours ago, they all seem to be doing absolutely fine. The crabs have eaten the brownish algae that was gathering on the sand and the snails have been climbing around the live rock/glass. The shrimp is eating and ate some of the fish food that sank down to the bottom of the tank. The fish has been hiding, but it seems to be swimming fine.

My question is:
What can I get to easily measure ammonia and nitrates in my tank?
Can someone direct me to a link of something that I could buy?
What is the best way to take water samples and what product works best?
 
oh, and dont skimp out and get the really cheap ones. i have had luck with API kits although some people dont like them, and seachem seem to be pretty good kits aswell. other will have there own opinions im sure.
test kits are life savers in this hobby. get one !

you might also want to check out the skickys at the top of the section and do some reading
here
and
here
 
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agreed, anyone trying to sell you something should be listened to with skepticism. I'm not sure I would have added the fish so soon, but get a couple good test kits to measure the water parameters.
 
where can you get these? i've never heard of any of them, although salifert sounds familiar.
are they like an order only thing?
or maybe just because im in canada... lol
 
What is it with these LFS that test a tank and don't provide the numeric results? You're not the first to post a question on a tank tested without providing the data Ksologistt. It seems to be a trend. If the LFS does testing on a new tank ask them for the hard data. Tell them you would like to make your own decisions based on that.
 
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