Test Kits

My tank has been up for 2 years and I have never tested for anything. After looking at old posts it seems that you want to test for phosphates, alkanity calcium and magnesium. Is this correct, I figure as I start adding more things to my tank I should start testing.

 

I personally test for about everything out there however i just do it for piece of mind. Typically you can start to see your coral change as the water parameters change thus notifying you to test and make some changes. It appears your coral seem to mostly be softies which can handle variations in water better than lps and sps corals which do not at all. I would say the musts are Nitrates, Nitrites, Ammonia, PH, Phosphates, Calcium, and of course Salinity.

 

That's pretty much all I test for.

 

You're not a member of the mag/silicate/iodine testing club? I was under the impression, from all of my extensive 3reef post-reading, that these tests were important for reef tanks. (P.S. Hope all is well with you !

 

I don't test for iodine because I don't add it and I don't test for silicates because we change our r.o. membranes often enough to not worry about them getting into the system ;D

 

Once upon a time I tested about every other day. Was fun interacting with tank. (and was probably a good thing because tank was new.)

Now I do infrequently, just because I am curious.

Regular water changes keeps everything in line. Have not had a negative reading in couple of years.