Test kits

[Miguel]

Hello,

I see there are all sorts of test kits available for checking ammonia,
nitrite, nitrate, etc levels in the tank. They are also quite pricey.
Does anyone know the actually chemicals required for the various tests - For
example to do a titration / calculation or simply a colour check as per the
kits?

Thanx
Miguel

[Mort]

"Miguel" > wrote in message
...
> Hello,
>
> I see there are all sorts of test kits available for checking ammonia,
> nitrite, nitrate, etc levels in the tank. They are also quite pricey.
> Does anyone know the actually chemicals required for the various tests -
For
> example to do a titration / calculation or simply a colour check as per
the
> kits?
>
> Thanx
> Miguel
>
>

Sounds like a good one for Boomer. =)

~Mort

[Matthew Comstock]

Miguel wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I see there are all sorts of test kits available for checking ammonia,
> nitrite, nitrate, etc levels in the tank. They are also quite pricey.
> Does anyone know the actually chemicals required for the various tests - For
> example to do a titration / calculation or simply a colour check as per the
> kits?
>
> Thanx
> Miguel
>
>

You can find standard titration procedures for all kind of things. (EPA
testing procedures, for instance, check you local university chemistry
library.) The biggest problem is that salt water is a very complicated
system. There are many species that can interfere with your measurements
if you are not careful. This is why the test kits are expensive. Lots of
work goes into the design, and some kits have a large combination of
chemicals designed to remove or alter important interferent species.
Basically it isn't worth the hassle. Talk to Habib on reefcentral if you
are serious about this. He will explain the problems. (He probably won't
tell you how to solve them though, as he makes his living selling test
kits.)

-mat

[Matthew Comstock]

Miguel wrote:
> Ah ok.
> Think I read someone it should be a shrimp fit for human consumption - Well,
> that's how I remember it worded. So basically get a small prawn from the
> supermarket and dump it in the tank? How long would it take to decompose?
>
> I think I need to add plenty more live rock, etc as well. Put about 10lbs
> live rock and 5.5lbs ceramic in just over a week ago. Fancy the tank could
> take another 40lbs of rock but due to cost will probably only add in stages
> along with a coral or two before a few clowns (Fancy the Occelaris) and then
> an anemone. I believe a Green Zoanthid or Kenya Tree are a reasonably start
> for a beginner and I see the LPS seems to list them and then a Condylactis
> for an anemone. Imagine this'll be over the next month or two.
>
> Sound fair?
>
It sounds like your tank hasn't fully cycled if you have only 10 lbs.
(I'm guessing its a 55 right?)

The shrimp (cocktail shrimp or prawn, once fit for human consumption,
could be rotting away in your freezer already...) should decompose in a
few weeks time. After your nitrates drop you should be able to stock
soft corals. I would wait quite a while for the anemone, I have no
experience with condy's, but BTA's are quite sensitive to nitrates and
salinity changes (typical in new tanks). Also, are you sure you have
enough light for an anemone? The clownfish could go in at the same time
as the soft corals, but I don't believe clowns host in condy anemones if
that is what you want. You might want to re-post this stocking question
in a new thread, to catch the livestock experts' attention.

-mat

[Miguel]

Haven't really researched the clown / condy combination. Had just heard
that the condy is a relatively easier anemone to keep.
I will re-post after first adding more live rock / ceramics and doing the
shrimp / prawn drop.

And you were correct on the guess... it's about a 55gal tank.

Miguel

Matthew Comstock > wrote in message
...
> Miguel wrote:
> > Ah ok.
> > Think I read someone it should be a shrimp fit for human consumption -
Well,
> > that's how I remember it worded. So basically get a small prawn from
the
> > supermarket and dump it in the tank? How long would it take to
decompose?
> >
> > I think I need to add plenty more live rock, etc as well. Put about
10lbs
> > live rock and 5.5lbs ceramic in just over a week ago. Fancy the tank
could
> > take another 40lbs of rock but due to cost will probably only add in
stages
> > along with a coral or two before a few clowns (Fancy the Occelaris) and
then
> > an anemone. I believe a Green Zoanthid or Kenya Tree are a reasonably
start
> > for a beginner and I see the LPS seems to list them and then a
Condylactis
> > for an anemone. Imagine this'll be over the next month or two.
> >
> > Sound fair?
> >
> It sounds like your tank hasn't fully cycled if you have only 10 lbs.
> (I'm guessing its a 55 right?)
>
> The shrimp (cocktail shrimp or prawn, once fit for human consumption,
> could be rotting away in your freezer already...) should decompose in a
> few weeks time. After your nitrates drop you should be able to stock
> soft corals. I would wait quite a while for the anemone, I have no
> experience with condy's, but BTA's are quite sensitive to nitrates and
> salinity changes (typical in new tanks). Also, are you sure you have
> enough light for an anemone? The clownfish could go in at the same time
> as the soft corals, but I don't believe clowns host in condy anemones if
> that is what you want. You might want to re-post this stocking question
> in a new thread, to catch the livestock experts' attention.
>
> -mat
>