What do you test for?

[kkiel02]

Ok simple question- What do you SPS keepers test for and why?

Right now I am only testing cal, mag and alk with my red sea pro test kits but pretty soon this is going to be a nearly acro only tank. Is there any other tests I should pick up?

[LuckySingh]

Right now I am in the process of setting sps tank ...testing will not really be different from my old Lps setup.....
Once a week
Alk and mag
Once every other week
Cal and phosphate and nitrate...

My apex continuously monitors ph and salt....
If ur alk and mag is in shape more likely it cal will be gud aswell....

[Texreefer]

I check Mg maybe once every other month.. salinity when I do a water change... my corals happily tell me when anything else is not right

[CoryDude]

Amen Mike. I ditched most of my weekly testing last year. Between testing for alk, ph, calcium, nitrates, magnesium, potassium, iron, and iodide, it was just getting too expensive and was taking too much time to test all of the above.

I'd recommend stick with what you have till your tank gets locked in. I did this for about the first 8-9 months. Now, I just check the salinity every once in a while. Mike's right, just watch your corals for any potential problems. Last month, one of my purple acros started losing color at the base. Checked the alk, and it was low, so I started added baking soda to my make up water. A few weeks later, the base was back to it's normal color.

[electricrcplane]

I test for potassium, (I run bio pellets and found this is a must for green shades of coral), calcium, iodine, magnesium. I monitor PH/ORP/Temp and soon salinity daily with a Reefkeeper. I usually test for these elements about every two weeks just to make sure I'm in check. I'll also check if I see one of my pieces of SPS doing something out of the ordinary.