Testing Water Parameters - What do you use?

jeffrey_ropp · 05/11/2006, 04:14 PM

I thought the refractometer thread was useful, so in a related theme...

What water parameters do you test?
How often do you test?
What test kit/methods do you use?

Thanks for participating...
Jeff

d1hotblaze · 05/11/2006, 07:01 PM

for all my test...alk/ph/amonian/nitrate/nitrite/phos/cal...i first siphon out 16 oz of water into a water bottle(more than enough for all tests)procede to follow testing instructions and dump the tested viles into something you can throw away i test once every week and a half....constant testing of all paramaters in an established tank is not really necessary(in my expierence)...just cal,nitrate,salinity...so you can maintain specific param.

Sk8r · 05/11/2006, 08:33 PM

I'm corals; I test alkalinity, salinity, temperature, calcium, and (at need) magnesium. If those are in balance, everything is in balance---well, more or less. [Fish require ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate.] I also draw out about 6 oz of tank water and run all my tests on that, so there's no danger of contaminating the tank. I use Salifert kits, as accurate; and I use a refractometer, having had my fill of trying to bang the last bubble off a swing-arm salinity test.

bromion · 05/11/2006, 09:16 PM

I have corals and fish, and test Ph (meter), salinity (refractometer), NH3, NO3, NO2, (all Salifert), Alk, Ca, Phosphate. I plan to eventually move to all Salifert tests, as they are very easy to use and precise.

05/11/2006, 04:14 PM	#1
jeffrey_ropp Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Pasadena, CA Posts: 767	Testing Water Parameters - What do you use? I thought the refractometer thread was useful, so in a related theme... What water parameters do you test? How often do you test? What test kit/methods do you use? Thanks for participating... Jeff

05/11/2006, 08:33 PM	#3
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	I'm corals; I test alkalinity, salinity, temperature, calcium, and (at need) magnesium. If those are in balance, everything is in balance---well, more or less. [Fish require ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate.] I also draw out about 6 oz of tank water and run all my tests on that, so there's no danger of contaminating the tank. I use Salifert kits, as accurate; and I use a refractometer, having had my fill of trying to bang the last bubble off a swing-arm salinity test. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

05/11/2006, 07:01 PM	#2
d1hotblaze Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: fountain valley,ca Posts: 371	for all my test...alk/ph/amonian/nitrate/nitrite/phos/cal...i first siphon out 16 oz of water into a water bottle(more than enough for all tests)procede to follow testing instructions and dump the tested viles into something you can throw away i test once every week and a half....constant testing of all paramaters in an established tank is not really necessary(in my expierence)...just cal,nitrate,salinity...so you can maintain specific param.

05/11/2006, 09:16 PM	#4
bromion Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Pasadena, CA Posts: 2,576	I have corals and fish, and test Ph (meter), salinity (refractometer), NH3, NO3, NO2, (all Salifert), Alk, Ca, Phosphate. I plan to eventually move to all Salifert tests, as they are very easy to use and precise.