Test kits for a planted tank

[Delibird]

Hey hey, 

I want to start looking into what’s actually in my water and I was curious if there was a general consensus on what the best way to test is. I’m specifically wanting to see things like iron, calcium, phosphate, potassium, etc. 

Thank you 🙂 

 

[JoeQ]

A good first step (with out buying test kits) would be to find your local water report. Youll need a kit for potassium tho, i dont believe potassium is naturally occurring.

[MattyM]

For Potassium, this was the only kit I found: Salifert Freshwater Potassium Test Kit - you'll have to google it to find where to buy it as I cannot post the link b/c of forum guidelines. 

I have found phosphate, iron and calcium kits on Amazon. 

I don't use any of these kits very often, but it was good to know what I was working with and how much I might need to dose (if at all, like dosing Easy Iron is just a recipe for algae in my tanks). The city water report is a good start, but these values often change over time in your aquarium. 

[Delibird]

I have a wide variety of tanks and I have to make water for a few of them, I’m looking to test specific setups over time 🙂

[BuzzDaddy21]

Well, I just started getting some Hanna checkers and so far, they seem really accurate. (I only have the Nitrate and phosphate checker so far.)

Last reading on my 40B nitrates were 0.14ppm and on the 20T nitrates were 0.11ppm.

Last phosphates check on the 40B was 0.41ppm and the 20T was 0.11ppm.

Next Hanna checker will be a PH.

Also, not many plants in these tanks. 

Good luck.

[Phoenix1391]

I got the sera Aqua test box. A bit expensive but well worth it IMO.