Pods and Testing equipment!

[Joshua]

I know I need to test for Calcium, Magnesium, Alk, ph, Nitrate, Phosphates. Should I just forget all about those and just invest in Calcium alk and magnesium kits? I mean I'll make sure my waters fine first with a panel test at my LFS, but at the most I'm there 2c a month.

The only things that I have ever tested for more than once (ie, I bought the kits, used them once and never touched them again) are Calcium and Alk, both Salifert and those are the only kits I'll probably ever buy unless I'm having some sort of strange problem that I can't figure out. Oh, I did have a pH meter I used to test the calcium reactor effluent to dial it in but I quit bothering to use that on the tank water because it always showed low pH and all my critters were happy so I left it alone.

EDIT: As for the refractometer, you can find them much cheaper on eBay. My neighbor got a nice one with a built-in light for like $25.

EDIT2: Also since you're buying so much it might be useful to check this out for Ca/Alk/and maybe Mag if you get a test kit and feel the need to dose it (I've never bothered): http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...l2004/chem.htm