record keeping

Would you share your record keeping practices for water testing? What do you test for and how often?

My tank is brand new right now and only has saltwater and live sand, hopefully the skimmer and sump will be ready today then I will be adding my live rock.

I have been testing my water batches (water and salt only) for NO3 and have a barely readable amount (only half the color depth of the 5mg/L chart).

What is your opinion of the "5 in 1" test strips?

 

Test Strips suck,

Get theirReef kit along with Ammonia and Nitrite kits and you are good to go. IMO

I would never use test strips.

 

Thanks, it looked too simple to be accurate.

 

If you have spent the money for a real SW tank then the 50-80 bucks for an acutal test kit will be nothing.

There are alot of good test kits out there I use the API reef kit with Ammonia and Nitrite kits bought on the side.

To be honest ask around, But I think alot of people use the API kits.

just not the test strips

 

You will find that many of the Reefers here do not like test strips...preferring a more accurate test. That said, I used test strips any time I wanted a quick check to confirm that chemistry was/is "OK"....

As for testing, I keep a log book with 2 sections, one of all testing done and the other of all maintenance/observations that have been done. While I will use a test strip for a quick reference, weekly I record tests of: ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, pH (probe), alkalinity (carbonate & total), conductivity, calcium, magnesium, and iodine. Monthly i check phosphate. I also maintain a pH/Alk & magnesium/calcium graphs, finding that I like the logs to monitor trends.

While I favor the Seachem test kits Red Sea and Aquarium Pharmaceuticals also work. It takes a bit of time...I do miss weekends now and again...but that is the routine...

 

It isn't the price that caught my eye it was the quick way of doing a few basic tests. :

 

The tubes are just as quick, plus it gives you the mad scientist feeling when you are doing it and its more toys!@!@!

 

Thanks grubbs,

I worked in accounting for 16 years, I enjoy the record keeping part!

 

Go with Salifert for nitrate. When testing saltwater with the API the 5 and 10 mg/L colors look identical. Salifert is really nice because you can measure down to 0.2 mg/L by looking through the side of the vile. For higher values you look through the top. Here is an example.

 

ya I use API saltwater master test kid and i must say placing those droplets in those test tubes really make me feel like I'm plotting some chemical experiment! !