Test Kit For Reef?

[cm11599ps]

What would be a good test kit for a reef?

[reef_doug]

API for budget consensus people.

Elos and LaMotte for the pricier ones.

Alk, Ca, Mg, pH (high range) are the 4 basic ones. No real need for Nitrite and Ammonia, or any others.
If you get into SPS corals, add Nitrate (NO3) and Phosphate (PO4). Tropic Marin makes a decent, inexpensive NO3 kit. For PO4, check out the Hanna checkers.

[cm11599ps]

I currently use an API for my FW tank. Home come the ammonia and nitrite aren't used? I don't know if we are going ot get into SPS at this time.

I'll check out everything you said. Thanks!

[bertoni]

I would have an ammonia kit on hand for emergencies, but tanks seldom show any ammonia unless something goes drastically wrong. Nitrite likewise seldom shows up, and it isn't toxic at the levels we see, in any case, so it's not as interesting to test.

I would get a decent pH meter instead of a test kit, although they are pricy. For phosphate, the Hach PO-19 kit is very good, and is probably the most accurate way we have to measure low levels of phosphate. I have used the Salifert and IO nitrate kits, and they are fine, although the LaMotte has a comparator, which makes it a bit easier to generate a number.