equipment opinions, please

[maysorum]

Hi! I need help selecting some equipment and I'd love to hear your opinion on your favorite reef keeping products.

1. Thermometer: digital or non-digital? What brand do you use?

2. What's your favorite brand of aragonite sand?

3. What's your favorite powerhead?

4. What's the most reliable and safe heater?

5. Do you have a favorite line of test-kits?

6. Salt mix: natural or from a mix? What's your favorite? Do you use a mix that has a higher concentration of Ca?

Thank you!!!

 

[Scooterman]

Lets see If I can answer a few of these!

1. Thermometer: digital or non-digital? What brand do you use?

Pinpoint digital with remote sensors.

2. What's your favorite brand of aragonite sand?

Humm guess the DRY Crib Sea, don't use Live sand, just too expensive & not necessary.

3. What's your favorite powerhead? Maxi Jet & Hydor Koralia

4. What's the most reliable and safe heater?
I use a Ranco Controll on whatever heater becaue it doesn't matter, well worth the price IMO

5. Do you have a favorite line of test-kits? API or Elos

6. Salt mix: natural or from a mix? What's your favorite? Do you use a mix that has a higher concentration of Ca? I like Reef Crystals, same company that makes Instant Ocean but higher CA, MG & Alk for reef tanks, cheap been around the longest.

JMO

 

[loohunter]

Lets see If I can answer a few of these!

1. Thermometer: digital or non-digital? What brand do you use?

Pinpoint digital with remote sensors.

2. What's your favorite brand of aragonite sand?

Humm guess the DRY Crib Sea, don't use Live sand, just too expensive & not necessary.

3. What's your favorite powerhead? Maxi Jet & Hydor Koralia

4. What's the most reliable and safe heater?
I use a Ranco Controll on whatever heater becaue it doesn't matter, well worth the price IMO

5. Do you have a favorite line of test-kits? API or Elos

6. Salt mix: natural or from a mix? What's your favorite? Do you use a mix that has a higher concentration of Ca? I like Reef Crystals, same company that makes Instant Ocean but higher CA, MG & Alk for reef tanks, cheap been around the longest.

JMO

ditto on all the above. for a thermomater i dont use one because the ranco controller that is a must have for any heater has a built in digital temp guage

 

[NC2WA]

1. Thermometer: digital or non-digital? What brand do you use?
Milwakue tester model PH52, displays temp and pH.

2. What's your favorite brand of aragonite sand? Ooglite CaribSea

3. What's your favorite powerhead? Maxijet and Hydor Koralia

4. What's the most reliable and safe heater? I use titanium heaters

5. Do you have a favorite line of test-kits? Salifert or Elos

6. Salt mix: natural or from a mix? What's your favorite? Do you use a mix that has a higher concentration of Ca? Instant Ocean. Don't have reef, so dont have a need for the higher Ca/Alk that ReefCrystals provides.

 

[maysorum]

thanks, everyone!!

 

[warforged]

1. Thermometer: digital or non-digital? What brand do you use?
I use a p.o.s. brand from Petco 150watt.. =)

2. What's your favorite brand of aragonite sand?
So far Carbonite fine sand is my choice.

3. What's your favorite powerhead?
Korilla because I like the magnet stick and design.

4. What's the most reliable and safe heater?
The non shattering heaters is my guess..but costly.

5. Do you have a favorite line of test-kits?
No.. I use that API reef master plus other kits i had to pick up that were not covered in the set.

6. Salt mix: natural or from a mix? What's your favorite? Do you use a mix that has a higher concentration of Ca?
I use Premix from my LFS..I forget the brand.

 

[maysorum]

Do you guys use PH or DKH test kits? Or both? Thank you!!

 

[jezzeaepi]

1. Thermometer: digital or non-digital? What brand do you use?
I use a non digital for calibration purposes, but I run a AC JR controller.

2. What's your favorite brand of aragonite sand?
Whatevers cheap

3. What's your favorite powerhead?
Im partial to tunze, thgohut I ahve used seio's before and liked them. I have not used the hydors, but they are good competition tot he seios and tunze. Their only downside is that they are huge and take up a lot of space.

4. What's the most reliable and safe heater?
No heater anywhere is safe. The only way you can be safe with a heater is to use a controller like Ranco, or an Aqua Controller, or something else.
5. Do you have a favorite line of test-kits?
Elos! Dont skimp on test kits =\ If your not paying a fair amount, your getting some low grade chemicals. All test kits are "off" a bit. With elos though youll be a lot closer then with a cheap brand test kit. I personally wouldn't even bother using the cheapies. They will most likely give you misleading information, which will cause you to do all sorts of bad things trying to remedy situations that dont exist, OR something really bad will happen, and youll never know because the test kit isnt accurate.
6. Salt mix: natural or from a mix? What's your favorite? Do you use a mix that has a higher concentration of Ca?
Instant ocean! 40 years of salt making cant be wrong =) I add additional calcium and magnesium supplements to boost the salt water up to 420ppm calcium and 1300 magnesium, otherwise it comes in as 350calcium, 1000~magnesium. Reef Crystals is Instant Ocean + additional calcium and magnesium, but it costs considerably more so I just add my own calcium/magnesium.


As far as test kits, do you have a set up yet?
For cycling purposees youll need a ammonia test kit.
General purpose test kits: PH, calcium, magnesium, Alk(dkh), nitrates, phosphates.

 

[NC2WA]

No. I use a digital probe that displays pH, but do use Salifert Alk kit.