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What to test?


darrellw

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It's good to always be aware of temp. A bad heater is an easy way to lose stuff.

You need to check for S.G. from time to time and while doing water changes.

While cycling and diagnosing problems you should test ammonia and nitrite.

You should check nitrate from time to time and figure out what needs to be done to keep it low.

Alk and Cal are big ones to test regularly, and figure out how to keep them where you like them.

pH should fall in line if alk and cal are good, same with mag. But if you add CO2, you need to know pH all the time.

Anything else, if you add it, you should test for it.

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I check SG about once a week (refractometer). I track pH with my Aquacontroller. I also watch my alk; since I maintain my Ca and alk with kalkwasser, if alk is ok it's a safe assumption that Ca is ok too. I do check my Ca about once a month, just to be sure. Nitrates every couple of weeks normally, I'm testing more now since I'm carbon-dosing.

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thats a matter of opinion :D but i strive for

Nitrite 0

Ammonia 0

Nitrate .5 (range of 0ppm-15ppm for sps 0ppm-30ppm for lps and softies)

Phosphate 0

PH 8.3 (range 7.9-8.4)

Salinity 35ppt (range 30ppt-36ppt)

Alkalinity 10 (range 8-12)

Calcium 420 (range 400-450)

 

Those are the basics, magnesium and iodine are still somewhat up for discussion......

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