Tumbleweed

I have a question about salt water test kits. What do they test for in saltwater? I know that the fresh water and salt water kits are different but do they test for the same chemicals or different ones? Also I currently only have a 6 gal salt water tank is a test kit something I need or not really needed for that size tank?

Mike

There is all sorts of test kits - ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, copper, magnesium, pH, carbonate hardness, alkalinity, calcium etc. It really depends on the what you have in the tank. If you just have a fish only tank you may be able to get by with just the basic tests - ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH and a hydrometer. The other kits would be needed for if you're keeping corals or more delicate inverts or clams.

I think for smaller tanks these test kits are even more important since the parameters can fluctuate more rapidly in a smaller volume of water. What do you have in your 6 gallon?

Tumbleweed

I have 2 clown fish a blue tang and about .75 lbs. of live rock. This is my starter tank to get into saltwater, and it was for my daughter, as you maybe can see be the fish choice. I plan on getting a 125-150 gal. tank in the near future and it will be a coral and fish tank.

Mike

Yeah, the sooner you get that bigger tank the better.