#6 in Aquarium test kits
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Reddit mentions of API SALTWATER MASTER TEST KIT 550-Test Saltwater Aquarium Water Test Kit
Sentiment score: 6
Reddit mentions: 12
We found 12 Reddit mentions of API SALTWATER MASTER TEST KIT 550-Test Saltwater Aquarium Water Test Kit. Here are the top ones.
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- Contains one (1) API SALTWATER MASTER TEST KIT 550-Test Saltwater Aquarium Water Test Kit, including 6 bottles of testing solution, 1 color card and 4 glass test tubes with cap
- Helps prevent invisible water problems that can be harmful to fish and cause fish loss
- Accurately monitors 4 most vital water parameters levels in saltwater aquariums: high range pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate
- Designed for use in saltwater aquariums
- Use for weekly monitoring and when water or fish problems appear
Features:
Specs:
| Color | Clear |
| Height | 4.75 Inches |
| Length | 7 Inches |
| Number of items | 1 |
| Size | 1-Pack |
| Weight | 1 Pounds |
| Width | 5.75 Inches |
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10 gal is fine. I started my first SW tank a couple months ago and I got a 6 gal. Now, you will have to have to have live rock. Without it, it will be nearly impossible to have a stable tank. I suggest you get around 15 pounds. Get all the live rock you plan to have in you tank at once so your parameters don't get an ammonia spike if you have a fish inside. Aragonite sand should be fine. I would stay FOWLR (fish only with live rock) because corals are much harder. The cycle is also very similar. Set up your tank, add sand, fill with a few inches of water, add rocks and aquascape, fill up with water, add a deli shrimp, and you should be good to go. You will need some salt, a hydrometer, a good reliable heater, some lighting, a power head and test kit. And also a filter.
This is what I would get
http://amzn.com/B000260FUM
I would put the bio rings and carbon aside and replace with this,
http://amzn.com/B0002A5VK2
http://amzn.com/B004PBD4J4
Add the matrix when you start cycling, then add the purigen when you are getting fish. The reviews are speaking for the product. Purigen is simply a godsend
http://amzn.com/B00019JOSO
Go for a refractometer if you can afford it but this works fine for me as long as I tap it an there are no bubbles.
http://amzn.com/B001EUE808
The test kit.
http://amzn.com/B0036S4YZ0
This powerhead should do fine in a 10 gallon.
http://amzn.com/B003M7P9YU
This is one of the best most reliable heaters on the market. Many will fail and bake your tank but not the jagar.
http://amzn.com/B003EE5GUS
These make life a whole lot easier BN testing water or adding things like calcium. You get 10 so they should def last a while.
http://amzn.com/B008SJ1H7A
Get like 5 of these. They are extremely accurate and last around 3 months each. Wrap the wire around the tank and have one on at all times. They also help when doing water changes. You should also pick up an extra heater for water changes, via aqua and aqua top have good ones. These are made in china and sent out to companies like coralife to be package and sold for like 10 dollars, see
http://amzn.com/B0002DI4TO
Now, this is the salt I use for water changes,
http://amzn.com/B0002DJU0G
This should last you a year or two and is way cheaper then continually buying salt. I personally use tap water that has been heavily decholinated with this,
http://amzn.com/B00176CVK8
You should get your tap water tested for copper which can kill invertebrates. A 5 gallon bucket is really useful as is this siphon for water changes,
http://amzn.com/B002LL8BWU
This net is really fine and will catch most tiny debris
http://amzn.com/B008HPOCUE
You will probably find it cheaper in a store. I leave it in front of my powerhead for a hour or two every couple to days to catch debris and waste.
These tweezers help for when you don't want to get your hands wet.
http://amzn.com/B001CWDSYA
But they do start rusting after a lot of
use.
http://amzn.com/B0002E7ITK
This has been the best fish food in my experience but all fish should be fed a varied diet. This is a good staple and should be substituted with brine shrimp, mysis shrimp (frozen) and seaweed.
Not everything here is necessary, I'm just telling you what helped me make the jump to saltwater.
Here are some pics of my tank:
http://imgur.com/p3PP7X7
http://imgur.com/9kUaq1g
http://imgur.com/wtUfCb5
http://imgur.com/yl82GRn
One last thing, in a tank that size, draw a small line where you want you water level to be, when it goes below that due to evaporation, top off water. Test your salinity often in that tank. I use seachem marine buffer to deal with pH issues but chemicals and buffets should be avoided.
Welcome back to the tank hobby!
Well water is actually something a lot of hobbyists are jealous of because they tend to have less additives compared to tap water. Depending on whether you're going to do freshwater or saltwater, you're going to want a master test kit for testing the water for chlorine, nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, etc. If you want a more convenient method, the Tetra 6 in 1 Freshwater Test Strips are a more faster way to test your water, but it is not as accurate as the master kits. You'll also want a GH & KH Test Kit to see what kind of fish will thrive the most in your water. A TDS Meter can also help test the "Total Dissolved Solids" in your water which is important if you're going to do saltwater or neocaridina or caridina shrimp. Good luck man and welcome back!
Go out and purchase an API Salt Water Master Kit. Test strips aren't nearly as accurate as the chemical tests, and that kit is pretty much the best one on the market. You may or may not get a different reading, since you say the fish appear to be fine. I'd think, with nitrates that high, that they wouldn't at all. o_O Otherwise, I know nothing about salt water or how to help at all. XD Hope that helps!
Regarding cycling, the only way to know is to test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. At the beginning of the cycle, ammonia will be high, and nitrite/nitrate will be low or 0. As beneficial bacteria process the ammonia over time, it will be converted to nitrite, then different bacteria will process that into nitrate. Once your tests show 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite (and high nitrate), you are cycled. A cheaper test kit like API is usually considered okay for just monitoring the cycle.
I would start off by adding more biological filtration. The most common form of bio filtration is live rock (or dry rock that turns live over time). Its really important to have this biological filtration in some form. Companies make products that are made for this kind of situation, but it may be cheaper just to buy more rock (dry rock should be $1-3 per pound). Most people recommend 1lb per gallon of live, or half for dry.
As for when to add livestock, to really know you need to test your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels. Use a kit like this (this is as cheap as i'd recommend for a test kit, others are just to unreliable) Read up on the nitrification process and the aquarium cycle process. Normally this takes anywhere from 2-4 weeks, but my tank cycled in a 8 days, and my coworkers tank to 40 days. It varies GREATLY. If you refuse to test water, i wouldn't add anything till a month in. (also, if you cant test water, i really recommend a different hobby as without testing you will have a VERY difficult time knowing whats wrong in your tank)
I'm testing that water right now.
Test kit: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001EUE808/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Do you suggest a different one?
Yes I am using this test kit: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B001EUE808
Can you elaborate on biological media requirements? My filter has a bag of what it calls biological media (sort of porous looking rock pellets). I also have a couple of decent sized chunks of pukani rock.
It seems that your comment contains 1 or more links that are hard to tap for mobile users.
I will extend those so they're easier for our sausage fingers to click!
Here is link number 1 - Previous text "API"
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^Please ^PM ^/u/eganwall ^with ^issues ^or ^feedback! ^| ^Delete
Found this sexy looking little tank at my local Petsmart on clearance for $50. Needless to say I couldn't pass it up. I will use this thread to regularly update the progress as I build my tank.
Here's what I've ordered for the tank so far.
salinity refractometer
API Test Kit
Instant Ocean Sea Salt
10lbs dry base rock
mini jet 606 pump upgrade
EDIT - updated pics 4/1/14
I plan on purchasing live sand and a small piece of live rock to being cycling the aquarium.
It's going to be a slow and steady process as I plan to use a small piece of live rock to "seed" the dry base rock. Many more updates to come!
If you want to keep... fish, you should definitely get a pH tester thingy, an ammonia tester thingy, a nitrite tester thingy and a nitrate tester thingy ;-P
The master test kit gives you everything you need and you'll probably want to use the saltwater kit instead of fresh so you have the high-range pH test.
I'd go with pool filter sand. $10 for 50lb. Works great. Unless, like I said, you have trouble keeping you pH up.
If you are using the test strips they have you might not be as accurate as a test that uses mixing chemicals with the water by hand. I use the API saltwater test kit
and I use the API Reef Master Test Kit