Cwazy Clown
Koi
yea..i need a kit that has all the things i need to test for in a reef aquarium !
Help on choosing a test kit
- Thread starter Cwazy Clown
- Start date
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cwby416
Born again Reefer
well I always recomend Salifert...Best there is IMO
They dont have an all in one, but are worth every penny. I've had my share of cheap and all in one kits, but nothing beats Salifert!
They dont have an all in one, but are worth every penny. I've had my share of cheap and all in one kits, but nothing beats Salifert!
Krish
RF STAFF
I 3rd it. I only trust Salifert and buy them all seperately
Cwazy Clown
Koi
haha...ok, i herd it was 20 a pop...geez, what tests do i need?? ph, ammonium, nitrate , nitrite ,calc, alk? anything else?
matts125
Well-known member
that is about all you will need as a beginner, you should also get a phosphate kit too.
Matt
Matt
No, they are separate kits. I myself haven't had a nitrite kit in about 3 years, but if you are just starting a system, I would go ahead and take the plunge. the kits seem to have the shelf life of plutonium, so I would go ahead and grab one. JMHO
JMHO
Cwazy Clown
Koi
haha, nice analogy. but yea..im still thinking if i want to spend 100$ on test kits. xD
Krish
RF STAFF
LOL!!! You may spend more later trying to correct a problem you don't have or vice versa. If the tank is just starting up, all you really need IMO, is ammonia, nitrite and nitrate test kits as it cycles. That will give you time to save for the others later after the cycling is completed. Then if you want corals etc, you'll need to keep an eye on calcium, alk, magnesium possibly phosphates as suggested and even ph. The ammonia and nitrite test kits probably won't be needed again for a long time if ever.
If the tank is just starting up, all you really need IMO, is ammonia, nitrite and nitrate test kits as it cycles. That will give you time to save for the others later after the cycling is completed. Then if you want corals etc, you'll need to keep an eye on calcium, alk, magnesium possibly phosphates as suggested and even ph. The ammonia and nitrite test kits probably won't be needed again for a long time if ever.
Reefdaddy1
Reef Geek Jedi
Love the Salifert Kits , But hate thier shipping dept,
jake65
Well-known member
No, they are separate kits. I myself haven't had a nitrite kit in about 3 years, but if you are just starting a system, I would go ahead and take the plunge. the kits seem to have the shelf life of plutonium, so I would go ahead and grab one.
Thats a long time Charlie...lol
Cwazy Clown
Koi
ahaha, yea. interesting.
cwby416
Born again Reefer
Yes they are a little more money up front, but you will be happy you did later on......shop around at some of the RF sposors....you can get some good deals.....
Cwazy Clown
Koi
great. thanks guys!
Cajun Reefer
Well-known member
As everyone said, the Salifert kits appear to be the most reliable ones around. They cost a little more but are well worth it considering the cost of your fish and coral. No sense in trying to fix something that a cheap kit is telling you that is broke but really wasn't!
I would strongly suggest you save your money on a pH testing kit and get a Pinpoint pH monitor and AC adapter. You can sometimes find them on eBay for about $50 too. It was so much better for me to see a hard number for a pH reading as opposed to trying to figure out what color the test kit came out with and comparing it to a chart.
http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...OD&Product_Code=PIN-PH&Category_Code=Pinpoint
Also, I would highly recommend a Portable Refractometer to measure your salinity and specific gravity instead of a plastic swing-arm hydrometer which are not very accurate.
http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...duct_Code=REFRACT-HD&Category_Code=Hydrometer
Best of luck to you! You have definitely found a great place (Reef Frontiers) for some good advice. I have learned a lot from these guys and girls over the past few months!
olsaltybastard
Well-known member
I have used Salifert for a long time and never had an issue with them (except for their nitrate test kit). A reefing buddy recommended Elos to me so I though I would give them a try. Putting it gently, I wouldn't touch another Salifert test kit if you gave it to me for free. Elos uses higher quality everything; the syringe is nicer, the dropper bottles don't just drop; you have to actually squeeze them, the vials are glass (very nice touch), the color changes are much more abrupt, the tests are easier to perform, and they cost about the same.
The only place I know to get them is through www.elosusa.com , so they aren't widely available. Jesse is a super-nice guy and the stuff Elos makes will blow you away. They are by far, the nicest full setup systems that I've seen available. Their test kits carry on this same ultra high quality as the rest of their products.
Edit: I just noticed that Elos is a vendor on these forums. I went ahead and put their web address above.
The only place I know to get them is through www.elosusa.com , so they aren't widely available. Jesse is a super-nice guy and the stuff Elos makes will blow you away. They are by far, the nicest full setup systems that I've seen available. Their test kits carry on this same ultra high quality as the rest of their products.
Edit: I just noticed that Elos is a vendor on these forums. I went ahead and put their web address above.
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Cwazy Clown
Koi
ohhh.ok thanks!
