Test Kits vs Electronic Monitiors

[Lone-Wolf88]

I am starting to assemble my toolbox of goodies in preparation for the Reef Tank that I am planning. This tank will be home for Corals, CUC, RBTA and a pair of clowns I need opinions of test kits vs electronic monitors and what tests are absolutely necessary. I know pH, Ammonia, Nitrate & nitrites are absolutely but what abouts Dissolved o2 and TDS or any other tests.

Any information will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in Advance
Rich

 

[Anonymous]

Hey Rich,
:welcome:
Dissolved O2 will not be necessary. A TDS meter is helpful to know when to change the DI part of your RODI (assuming you have one). If you plan to stock calcifying corals, then Calcium and Alkalinity will eventually be the parameters you check most frequently. Ammonia and Nitrite are rarely needed after the initial cycle (and could be avoided altogether if you just allow plenty of time to cycle). Some people test for Nitrate often, to know when to do a water change. Phosphate test kits are notoriously difficult to read, and many do not measure in fine enough detail. (They are worthless, IMHO. If you have nuisance algae growing in your tank, then you can be sure your PO4 is too high. That's all the test you need.)

With the exception of TDS, all of the above are usually purchased as titration kits. There are expensive electronic versions of some, like PO4, but they are very pricey.

And always-on electronic Ph monitors are neat to have, and interesting to watch, but not necessary. I would wait until you get a Ca reactor and buy a Ph controller (not just a monitor) at that time.

HTH

 

[Anonymous]

Craig, remember that Tetratest Laborette kit you recommended to me? GREAT purchase! Now I read of all these people who are constantly having problems with their meters (primarily pH, they don't seem to have the same problems with TDS meters) and I just smile and add my drops and know that, while not perfectly accurate, I have a good idea of my parameters. Now I recommend it to others.

 

[Anonymous]

For TDS, I gather that he means salinity meter.

 

[Ben1]

Phosphate test kits are notoriously difficult to read, and many do not measure in fine enough detail. (They are worthless, IMHO. If you have nuisance algae growing in your tank, then you can be sure your PO4 is too high. That's all the test you need.)

I was one of the ones that went out and bought a hanna photometer for my P04 testing, and although I can get a good test, it almost always reads out .02ish. I can tell how my P04 is better by how fast my fuge is growing. The eyeball test is a pretty good one!

 

[Anonymous]

Phosphate test kits are notoriously difficult to read, and many do not measure in fine enough detail. (They are worthless, IMHO. If you have nuisance algae growing in your tank, then you can be sure your PO4 is too high. That's all the test you need.)

I was one of the ones that went out and bought a hanna photometer for my P04 testing, and although I can get a good test, it almost always reads out .02ish. I can tell how my P04 is better by how fast my fuge is growing. The eyeball test is a pretty good one!

I'm jealous, but I've always wondered if those are worth the money. And I've heard they fall out of calibration easily...not sure if that's true. Interesting that yours always reads .02ish. I wonder if that's because your system has reached an equilibrium of sorts such that any additional PO4 gets immediately taken up by algae.

 

[Anonymous]

I am starting to assemble my toolbox of goodies in preparation for the Reef Tank that I am planning. This tank will be home for Corals, CUC, RBTA and a pair of clowns I need opinions of test kits vs electronic monitors and what tests are absolutely necessary. I know pH, Ammonia, Nitrate & nitrites are absolutely but what abouts Dissolved o2 and TDS or any other tests.

Any information will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in Advance
Rich

As a chemist, I think expensive meters for this hobby are a waste of money. I even have one in the same room as one of my aquariums (in a lab) but never used it to measure aquarium pH. Any decent commercial colormetric test kit will be fine. Same for Nitrates. (Ammonia and nitrite should never be present in an established tank, so in practice one tests these only very occasionally. Again, the standard commercial test kits are quite adequate.) I would recommend a hand-held refractometer for measuring salinity.