Test kits

[Mikeman]

I've got all the basic test kits, ammonia, calcium, nitrate, ph, but now that I'm upgrading to sps, I'm going to get KH/Alk, but should I also get the iodine test kit? I'm not even sure if I'm going to dose it, and I'm not getting corals like xenia that need it, do sps corals need it, especailly when being fragged? thanks all

also what about Strontium, and Magnesium, do I need them

[Barry N.]

For alka and ca I like salifert test kits. Once your tank is running for awhile, IMO I use the following. Nitrates, Alka, Ca, and salinity.

Barry

[chromis]

generally, iodine is too transient to be tested. SPS do indeed need iodine, whether you should add it or not is uncertain. Eric Borneman, I beleive, finds it uneccesary and potentially dangerous. Without iodine though SPS will bleach. However Borneman states that iodine is plentiful from other sources. I would maybe discuss iodine with Eric or check a current post in his forum on it.

Andrew

[scubadude]

Originally posted by toptank
For alka and ca I like salifert test kits. Once your tank is running for awhile, IMO I use the following. Nitrates, Alka, Ca, and salinity.

Barry

DITTO!
Get SALIFERT!

I squirt some Iodine and/or Mag/strontium when there may be a problem or I make a whole bunch of frags but other than that I dont put the stuff in there!