aqua-ed Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 What kind of stuff does everyone use to monitor water parameters? Specifically, nitrates. My nitrates have been reading zero, despite cyano blooms, so i decided to run a check. I made a vile concoction of fish food and tank water that I let sit for three days. It's nitrates, too, showed zero. Goodness knows what my nitrates are at. I've been using API test solutions. What does everyone else use? I'm also curious what you use to measure trace elements like iodine, Ca, and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyles Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 Salifert is the preferred test kits of almost everyone on the board. I have some AQ systems nitrate kits I use for nitrate now and then for a quick read, but for accuracy, salifert all the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 Yeah, Salifert here too. I'm trying out Elos for Ca, Alk and Mg though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrgreenthumb Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 Salifert is the only test that makes it easy to tell if you truly have 0 nitrates because with alot of the other tests 0-10ppm can be a bit of a gray area Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aqua-ed Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 Where does everyone get salifert? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smann Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Upscales carries a few not the whole line, i just ordered one from Marine Depot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I use Salifert and API. One thing i've noticed about the API tests, you will get pretty much exactly the same reading as the Salifert tests but once the kit gets a few months old, it will start to be off. I've noticed this with the calcium kit more than the others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aqua-ed Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 Hmmm... So I use API nitrate and it always gives me a reading of zero, and I haven't had it that long, just since January. I am starting to get cyano in my tank now that I am feeding the sun corals, so I doubt my nitrates are zero. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 Yah...take some water to your LFS and have em test it for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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