HarleyDude
Active member
BS and Kent Super Buffer dKH are pretty much the same thing, correct?
Testing with inconsistent results
- Thread starter pnikiel
- Start date
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NaH2O
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2004
- Messages
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pnikiel - you might ask ELOS in their sponsor forum >>>HERE<<<. I didn't see any place that lists retailers on their site (I looked quickly), or if you have to order direct. You can link to their website via the RF Sponsor page.
trillyen
what???
Hey boomer, and harley dude, i love youre guys avatars in the bottom of your posts i wished i knew how to do that stuff dang it
I just briefly read over some of this topic mostly the last 3 posts, and lie everyone on here i am also expierencing low params that need to be corrected do to circumstances out of my control.
as far as test kits, i use a api test kit to test my cal (Ca++) and my alk (kh??)
and i guess to add my 2 cents i dont consider my self to be as half as knowledgable as you reef nuts, but i feel comfortable enough now thanks to alot of the people on this HERE particular site to hold a intellectual conversation about additives, and how this may be the cause of that do to them, and so on and so forth etc...
Even if the test i use are truly inaccurate i do still feel comfortable using them be cause i feel that if they are off i can still at least get a round about feel of what they may be, or at the least if they are stable or fluctuating
A guy at my local fish store says he dosent even test his params and just uses a kalkawasser to keep them at current levels after water changes, and he said he buys a 90 dollar a bucket salt mix with all the fixings and trace elements, in turn mixes it with reg instant ocean for money saving purposes.
He seemed to be a VERY successful reef keeper, and recommended to me that i should add a deep sand bed to my unmatured system.I wouldnt think that would help anything though except to establish bacteria, and that inturn i dont think would have any effect on any params that would have to do with cal and alk
i think all readings are gonna be off from each other from test kits that differ from each other, i think i may just kinda judge from the actions of my corals then rely on my test kits to tell me what may be off, though it may NOT be accurate what ever is not at the same level, or what ever dosent take as many drops, or what ever just isnt the same as you logged it when everything was perfect just kinda try to lean towards the color or drip number it was at when it was all inspect.
My god i couldnt imagine if more than 2 or 3 things was off
I just briefly read over some of this topic mostly the last 3 posts, and lie everyone on here i am also expierencing low params that need to be corrected do to circumstances out of my control.
as far as test kits, i use a api test kit to test my cal (Ca++) and my alk (kh??)
and i guess to add my 2 cents i dont consider my self to be as half as knowledgable as you reef nuts, but i feel comfortable enough now thanks to alot of the people on this HERE particular site to hold a intellectual conversation about additives, and how this may be the cause of that do to them, and so on and so forth etc...
Even if the test i use are truly inaccurate i do still feel comfortable using them be cause i feel that if they are off i can still at least get a round about feel of what they may be, or at the least if they are stable or fluctuating
A guy at my local fish store says he dosent even test his params and just uses a kalkawasser to keep them at current levels after water changes, and he said he buys a 90 dollar a bucket salt mix with all the fixings and trace elements, in turn mixes it with reg instant ocean for money saving purposes.
He seemed to be a VERY successful reef keeper, and recommended to me that i should add a deep sand bed to my unmatured system.I wouldnt think that would help anything though except to establish bacteria, and that inturn i dont think would have any effect on any params that would have to do with cal and alk
i think all readings are gonna be off from each other from test kits that differ from each other, i think i may just kinda judge from the actions of my corals then rely on my test kits to tell me what may be off, though it may NOT be accurate what ever is not at the same level, or what ever dosent take as many drops, or what ever just isnt the same as you logged it when everything was perfect just kinda try to lean towards the color or drip number it was at when it was all inspect.
My god i couldnt imagine if more than 2 or 3 things was off
HarleyDude
Active member
Hey trillyen. I have seen quite a few people that say they never test anything and yes, some are just that good, I guess. There are so many variables that I can not imagine never testing anything. When everything is cranking in my system I go a while without checking certain components, but I track temp, pH through my controller and sg everytime I make water. Yes, he is correct that salts have the additives necessary, but every salt mix is different and some are better than others with adding/balancing the parameters. After I had my 72-gallon running like a charm, we had the additives down to a science and little testing was needed. I have since triple the total water volume and I am close, but not quite found the balance yet. So, for me, testing is required until that happens. A DSB (Deep Sand Bed) is something I definitely reccomend, will act as natural filtration and will assist in removing nitrates, but will not affect Alk or Ca. Quality test kits (Salifert, LaMotte, etc) should be accurate or at least consistant from one kit to the other.
trillyen
what???
Thanks for the post harley dude, and as far as you getting the old 72 gallon down to a science i hope i can be as lucky.
sounds like you got alot of technical equip
i think im gonna go with a salifert test kit when i get the money
Would it be ok to put a deep sand bed in a glass beer mug and use live sand and not have a cycle, just wondering, cause i think i am gonna take your advice, and add one. I just dont wanna speard it all out in my refuge i just want a little one
but im sure the bigger the dsb the better the filteration!!
i hope this posts helps the original person that started this subject!!!
sounds like you got alot of technical equip
i think im gonna go with a salifert test kit when i get the money
Would it be ok to put a deep sand bed in a glass beer mug and use live sand and not have a cycle, just wondering, cause i think i am gonna take your advice, and add one. I just dont wanna speard it all out in my refuge i just want a little one
but im sure the bigger the dsb the better the filteration!!
i hope this posts helps the original person that started this subject!!!
