test kits

[808Rob]

I'm trying to work my way up to getting some zoos and anenomes but am unsure if my parameters are there yet. I have a 120g with 80lbs of live rock(working to get more) and 6 fish(under 4 inches each. What would be the best test kit for comfortable params for what I would like to keep? What params should I really keep an eye out for?

thanks

[Tuscaquatics]

Someone else will have to chime in on brands. I'm yet to truly figure that out yet. But as for which tests, for a reef you'll definitely need: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, calcium, alkalinity, and might as well get magnesium if you can.

You'll want a way to test pH. I'd save money in the long run, spend 25 or so bucks on Ebay and get a handheld tester.

You'll use some of those tests more often than the others. For instance, if you're still testing for and finding ammonia after a while, you have more pressing problems than magnesium.

You can find nice reef kits with pretty much all of those in one kit. Others will point you towards brands.

Obviously you want 0 ammonia and 'trites, and as close to 0 as possible for 'trates.

[808Rob]

I've got ph test strips and have been testing about 8.0. I've also got a couple of nitrate kits because I'm battling high nitrates(trying to bring it down). Just introduces the live rock this past weekend and I know I need more. Hopefully what I have will help.
If I don't plan to keep LPS/SPS corals will my params need to be perfect as well or are zoos/anenomes a little more hardy?

thanks

[Andrew Henry]

Personally I like API liquid tests, they're fairly inexpensive and pretty accurate. They also come in Master kits so you can get a price break that way.

[jaypeeroe]

I'm a big fan on Salifert kits. After my initial cycle, I now only test Magnesium, Alk, and Cal, with regular water changes you shouldn't need to monitor anything else except your Ph.

When it comes to pH I would recommend a Pinpoint Ph monitor. Calibrate it every 4-6 weeks.

[RonMidtownStomp]

I just signed up for monthly lab testing. It should be more accurate and it is less expensive than the elos kits I was buying. I'm still going to use Elos Alk to make sure I'm still dosing right in between.

[Chris27]

All the test kits work, API and Tropic Marin are my favs for ease of use and price. Salifert, Elos and LaMotte are nice, but they cost a pretty penny...

[sbaddley]

Originally Posted by andrew henry

personally i like api liquid tests, they're fairly inexpensive and pretty accurate. They also come in master kits so you can get a price break that way.

+1

[thegrun]

Originally Posted by 808Rob

I've got ph test strips and have been testing about 8.0. I've also got a couple of nitrate kits because I'm battling high nitrates(trying to bring it down). Just introduces the live rock this past weekend and I know I need more. Hopefully what I have will help.
If I don't plan to keep LPS/SPS corals will my params need to be perfect as well or are zoos/anenomes a little more hardy?

thanks

Zoas are forgiving, so for them you do not need to have perfect water. Anemones however are on the other end of the spectrum, having near perfect and stable water conditions are a must. You shouldn't even consider getting one until you've had an established stable tank for six months.

[RonMidtownStomp]

I believe the API kits have almost no resolution for nitrates under 10 ppm. It's really a question of what you're trying to accomplish and how accurate you want to be.

[808Rob]

i've just tested my nitrates (since I've added more live rock and removed my undergravel filter) and has drastically gone down to 25mg/l, can I expect the nitrates to keep decreasing?
also i'm beginning to notice brown algae growing on my sand, is that good or controllable?

[RonMidtownStomp]

Nitrates in a stable system should be <5 ppm.

[westwind1124]

My two cents worth. Salifert=mostly useless, API= Totally useless (except for some strange reason the KH test). If you want to stay under about 35 bucks per kit you can't go wrong with Elos. For KH though, I have found good luck with Tropic Marin's and the API. Those are the only two I would use from any one other than Elos. I have a friend that has a business farming corals. (Coral Savvy for those interested) that has tested all these against lab grade machines and found the Elos to be spot on across the board. Salifert showed irregularities of about 15% off from what they were showing and the API stuff was just simply anything but accurate. We have no idea why the API KH seems to stay accurate but its cheap to boot. The Tropic Marin KH has a VERY easy to distinguish color change which is why I still prefer that one. You would have to be blind to mess that one up. Ok so I gave 10 cents worth but after a near disaster because of bad test kits....I like to inform all that I can.

[Fizz71]

You got plenty of input on test kits (I'm using API and Salifert) but just my $.02 on anemones. I'm 0 for 2 and I have 0 nitrates and have been up and running for over a year with awesome coral growth. There can be a LOT to keep an anemone happy including proper lighting and currents. As for your nitrates...what do you have to remove them? DSB? RDSB? Fuge w/ Macro? IME nitrates will not go away with just live rock. You either have to do consistant water changes or get a DSB/Fuge with macro going.

[nmbr6]

I use API and Salifert test kits. You'll want to get a full set of ph, ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, calcium, mag, carbonite hardness and phosphate. Don't use the ph strips.

[808Rob]

You got plenty of input on test kits (I'm using API and Salifert) but just my $.02 on anemones. I'm 0 for 2 and I have 0 nitrates and have been up and running for over a year with awesome coral growth. There can be a LOT to keep an anemone happy including proper lighting and currents. As for your nitrates...what do you have to remove them? DSB? RDSB? Fuge w/ Macro? IME nitrates will not go away with just live rock. You either have to do consistant water changes or get a DSB/Fuge with macro going.

what is a DSB or RDSB? I'm experimenting with some macro in my overflow wells but think that I may not have enough lighting there. They seem to be holding up a bit though. I'll probably do another 10% water change in a couple of days. I just made a coil denitrator that I'll run as soon as I get a pump. I also have AZ N03 that I just stopped when I put in the live rock. Not sure how it will affect the live rock.
I've also just noticed little anemones popping up up in my live rock and been feeding them chopped squid. They're getting bigger and thriving. Hope I'm doing something right.

[Fizz71]

DSB is a Deep Sand Bed..there is plenty out there to read up on them. The RDSB just means REMOTE Deep Sand Bed meaning it's not in your display tank.

[RonMidtownStomp]

Originally Posted by 808Rob

I'm experimenting with some macro in my overflow wells but think that I may not have enough lighting there.

I think it's highly unlikely that you can grow macro algae in your overflow.

Originally Posted by 808Rob

I'll probably do another 10% water change in a couple of days.

12 gallons on a 120 gallon system is nothing, especially since it sounds like you have large fish. A 4 inch fish is pretty big and probably eats a lot of food. Are you running a monster skimmer on that tank? I think a good skimmer would be your best place to start working on your nitrate problem

Originally Posted by 808Rob

I just made a coil denitrator that I'll run as soon as I get a pump.

I just did a little bit of reading on a coil denitrator because I'd never heard of one before and I'm not sure why you'd want to run such a thing.

Originally Posted by 808Rob

I also have AZ N03 that I just stopped when I put in the live rock. Not sure how it will affect the live rock.

I wouldn't recommend a chemical solution to these problems.

Originally Posted by 808Rob

I've also just noticed little anemones popping up up in my live rock and been feeding them chopped squid. They're getting bigger and thriving. Hope I'm doing something right.

It sounds like your feeding your aiptasia, dude. They're a pest that I've spent hundreds of dollars trying to eliminate. They'll nuke just about any corals and they'll take over your tank. You need to kill them. Read good instructions on how to use Aiptasia-X or blast them with kalk and nuke them SOON.

I have no sand in my system, no RDSB, no fuge, a MONSTER skimmer (12' diameter, 24" high, dual Sedra 9000's, and 2ppm nitrates. You need to not overfeed, have high quality live rock, and do appropriate water changes with good salt.

What salt do you use?
What kind of skimmer do you have, if you have one?
What lights are you running?
What type of sump do you have, and what are you running it it?

I'd also consider a phosban reactor or equivalent as GFO does remove phosphate and I doubt you'll find a phosphate test kit that will work in the range of phosphates you probably have.

Ron

[808Rob]

What salt do you use?

I'm using Reef Crystals

What kind of skimmer do you have, if you have one?

I have a coralife superskimmer 65. I know, I know it's small but since I put the live rock in, I'm having to empty it every 3 days.

What type of sump do you have, and what are you running it it?

I have an AMiracle 30(I believe) set/dry sump with a RIO 3100 (900gph)

What lights are you running?

I have 6 48" 54W HO bulbs. 2 atinic, 2 full spectrum 6700K and 2 daylight 12000K


I've never tested for phosphates. Know any good phosphate testers?

aiptasia? I'll look it up. sounds like bad anemones

[RonMidtownStomp]

I'm not sure there's such a thing as a good phosphate tester. The Elos kit turns either blue or clear for me. Clear is good and blue is bad. I'm sure yours is blue. Mine is most of the time. Phosphates are the bane of my reefing existence.

Wet/Dry filters can be nitrate factories. The bio balls can collect food and other such things and it breaks down and produces much more nitrate than the helpful bacteria can remove. I would throw all of the bioballs away, or at least put them in a bucket until you're comfortable throwing them away.

That skimmer is undersized and bottom-of-the-line. I also suspect that an increase in skimmate when you added live rock indicates that you have less than ideal live rock. I've never been able to identify a rock, but what was the history of the rock? It's a shame you couldn't just bring some of the ocean legally since it says you live in Hawaii. Is Hawaiian live rock available in Hawaii for reefing?

The only way to compensate for the problems that I know of other than a phosban reactor and a big skimmer is big regular water changes. I suppose the best question is -- can you just collect water from the ocean? I doubt you could ever do better than ocean water. Whenever I have a parameter that gets out of wack, I start doing 10% water changes every 2-3 days. That's 50 gallons for me, though, and about as fast as I can change it.

Ron

[westwind1124]

Ditto to Ron. The biggest skimmer you can afford (space and money). Euroreef makes good skimmers with outbeing outrageous expensive. Check the sale forums. You can usually find good stuff there reasonably. If you can't find one let me know I have a friend with a couple really nice ones for decent prices. Got to get away from those bioballs and stuff, bad news there. Get a 40 gal long tank or something similar and make your own sump. They are really easy (made mine in one afternoon). As far as the algea goes, I have Cheato in my sump and I just hung a basic drop light above mine with one of those plant bulbs from lowes, and I have to remove about half the algea once a month or so, it grows so fast. I also run some reactors, one with GFO and one with Carbon. Two Little Fishies makes good reactors for that for about 35 bucks. All that being said, as much has all that helps, I still get phosphates from time to time. It seems to go in cycles for me though. Lastly, try sometime a 50/50 mix of Oceanic and Instant Ocean salt. Equal parts of each makes a perfect mix. I haven't found any other salt that makes the numbers more consistent.

[808Rob]

the skimmer i got is the only one that would fit in my sump based on height restrictions. that is why I chose that one.
If I remove my bioballs, what else can I use in its place?

[westwind1124]

use nothing in its place...thats old technology that has proven to not be of benefit. You could possibly put some Cheato in were they were at. I don't know how your sump is set up but if there is water flow and a way you can get enough light to it you could use it to hold some of that.

[westwind1124]

Also look for a Euro Reef 5-2 or RS-80 skimmer. They are similar sized to your 65 but WAY better skimmers. They have a foot print of about 9"X9". If you have that much space I very strongly suggest one of these. I have the 5-2 and it does an unbelievable job. its 5 years old I haven't had to repair ANYTHING on it. I picked mine up for 100 bucks. I know you have a 120 Gal in which case I would say go with the either the RSA135 or the RC135 but if you can't fit those then even going with the smaller ones I listed first will still be a huge improvement over the CoralLife.

[RonMidtownStomp]

Originally Posted by westwind1124

Also look for a Euro Reef 5-2 or RS-80 skimmer. They are similar sized to your 65 but WAY better skimmers. They have a foot print of about 9"X9". If you have that much space I very strongly suggest one of these. I have the 5-2 and it does an unbelievable job. its 5 years old I haven't had to repair ANYTHING on it. I picked mine up for 100 bucks. I know you have a 120 Gal in which case I would say go with the either the RSA135 or the RC135 but if you can't fit those then even going with the smaller ones I listed first will still be a huge improvement over the CoralLife.

+1. I've had two Euroreef skimmers and for the <$200 used prices, they're awesome.