gdcox76

What test kits should I be worried about using with a planted tank outside the basic ph,ammonia, nitrite to monitor the water conditions for the planted tank.

Andy Ritter

I'm definitely no expert, but I test for nitrate, iron, phosphate, GH, and KH.

Andy

Philosophos

None of them are necessary, but many can be useful. I like to have GH, KH, pH, NO3, NO2 and NH4 around. These tests are all available at affordable prices, and tend to serve well enough to aid in diagnosing a number of major problems, or performing some general tests. Calibrating them helps.

I find most other tests to have ambiguous accuracy; there are Fe tests that didn't show iron when I tried to calibrate them, despite the massive presence of iron. I personally haven't found PO4 tests to hold enough accuracy for my purposes, or are distinguishable enough to tell the difference given the parameters that my dosing keeps the column within. K+ tests are a good joke. Cl+ tests shouldn't be necessary most of the time, and I have no experience with them.

Of course all of this changes when you shell out for a very high end titration test kit that'll cost you $300+ for the master kit.

-Philosophos

armedbiggiet

None of the are needed even just PH testing would tell you alot. PH can kinda tell your ammonia in the tank or you can even guess CO2.