Test Kits

Beau is hosting the January Meeting this coming Saturday the 14th at 6PM.  It will be BYOB as well as a snack to share and raffle items are always welcome.  It has been requested that there be “NO SHOES” on the carpet due to it being a whitish color.

He doesn’t have a tank to view but we will have plenty to discuss in hopes that it will get the NEW YEAR off to a good start.  The annual membership fees are due, so now would be a good time to get them in to our Treasurer Stacey Hahn.   Fees are $20 per individual or $25 per family

Attendance was low at the election meeting in November and no votes were taken at December’s meeting so we have decided to take votes for anyone that didn’t get the opportunity in November and will be attending this meeting.  
We will add the votes to November’s ballots and the announcement will be made during the meeting so we can go forward.
NOMINATIONS:
President:  Jim & Nacho
V. President: Ed, Bo & Daniel Leigey
Treasurer: Stacey
Secretary: Carmen & Angie

Let’s hope the New Year brings new members, returning members and new ideas.  The club is always willing to take suggestions to get the most out of the hobby we all enjoy.

Please PM Nate C. by clicking here for directions if you are not a club member.  

Club members can click here to go to the club member only forum to get directions.

Hope to see you all there!

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[Andy]

Could someone recommend a good started test kit for me to get? I'm starting to buy up some of the stuff I need to get started.

Thanks for any help

Andy

[Ed]

I recommend Salifert Test kits.    If the kit is not expired they are hard to beat.         I myself doing a reef  I like having a calicium, Alk, and Magnesium test kit from Salifert.   

[tyler5g]

I'm with Ed. Salifert kits are the best.  Sea Chem is another good kit to use.

[Andy]

Ok so I should get a PHOSPHATE, pH,  and NITRATE should I get any others to get started?

Thanks
Andy

[angelscrx]

Ammonia and one for salinity are two other ones I would get! 

[Andy]

andelscrx

When you say salinity your talking about a hydrometer, right.

Andy

[Ed]

Ok so I should get a PHOSPHATE, pH,  and NITRATE should I get any others to get started?

Thanks
Andy

Andy,
     What type of tank do you have?    Do you have a Fish Only with Live Rock or a Reef?      You are right PH is very important to animals.   But a Ph monitor would be a more conceptable way of monitoring PH.   If your tank is matured and animals are doing good, you are doing water changes.   I think the  calcium, Alk/KH, magnesium test kits with PH monitor would do the trick.     But please remember when you add something to tank do not test for a good 4 hours.    What ever you added needs to disolve properly.      I myself when I dose.     I use single suppliments.    If you use a combination of suppliments you sometimes add to another problem of overdosing.     Somethings like iodine are very dangerous when overdosed.   So please look at Randy Holmes Farleys natural saltwater levels.   Here is the link.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php
   Ask questions if you are confused, never a bad question.
good luck,
Ed

[Andy]

Ed I don’t have a tank set up yet. I’m gathering supplies. I plan on setting up a 29gal reef tank with live sand and rock, fish, inverts and some beginner corals along the lines of http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=714 and maybe http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=2140 . I plan to have medium flow and moderate light. This is were I'm  at in my planning stage now.

Andy

[Ed]

Ed I don’t have a tank set up yet. I’m gathering supplies. I plan on setting up a 29gal reef tank with live sand and rock, fish, inverts and some beginner corals along the lines of http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=714 and maybe http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=2140 . I plan to have medium flow and moderate light. This is were I'm  at in my planning stage now.

Andy

So you are being smart and researching everything(thumbs up)    You sound like Vicki and Darrel.   Thats very smart.     I would add another tool to your arsenal.    That would be a refractometer.    You can find them on Ebay for about 25 dollars now a days.   They are much more accurate than swing arm hydrometers commonly found.   Your salinity is very important when it comes to mixing salt for animals.
Your salt recipe from manufacturer is set at 1.025 or 1.026 for your elements in salt to be correct.   If you go lower, say for example 1.020 your elements will be off what is stated for 1.025.   I hope this helps.   

[Rico]

Andy,

For a new tank there are 3 items that you must test at the beginning to be sure the tank is cycling properly.

Ammonia test kit

Nitrite test kit

Nitrate test kit.

The cycle process is that ammonia will convert to nitrite which then converts to nitrate.  It is essential that you test for all of these when starting a tank.  When they are all at zero or at least ammonia and nitrite at zero and nitrate very low (less than 50 ppm for fish, less than 10 ppm corals) you can then add animals to the tank.

Rick

[angelscrx]

Ed said it best yes a refractometer is the best way to test for salinity and they are cheap on ebay!

[Andy]

Great info, thanks guys. This is the kind of info I was looking for.

Andy