What does your testing setup look like?

[TangoTang]

Simply out of curiosity, what does everybody’s testing setup look like?

Being that it’s something we do so frequently, I thought it’d be interesting to see how others do things and what solutions/workflows you’ve found to work best for you and your system.

Do you have a designated space you prefer to do your tests in? What have you found works best for you and why? Does your system test itself automatically? Do you stand in front of your tank and grab sample with a syringe or prefer to collect a sample in a cup? How do you deal with the waste from tests?

Feel free to share as all answers are welcomed!

 

[bakbay]

Alk, CA, Mg: Trident
N&P: Hanna (test when I’m bored)

The other boring stuff like temp & pH: Apex

 

[smoothie7]

I use Hanna on everything

 

[exnisstech]

NO3 PO4 and alk Hanna testers. Salifert for calcium. I have a wooden block with holes to hold 6 vials. I also have a smart stirrer. I just lay everything out on the kitchen table and put it back in the cabinet when I'm done.

 

[TangoTang]

NO3 PO4 and alk Hanna testers. Salifert for calcium. I have a wooden block with holes to hold 6 vials. I also have a smart stirrer. I just lay everything out on the kitchen table and put it back in the cabinet when I'm done.

Awesome, I too built something similar to hold my vials as well. I’ve been looking into some interesting 3D printed options as well

 

[phillyb614]

Hanna testers for phosphate, nitrate, alkalinity. and calcium. API test kit and strips for everything else. Will eventually be going to Hanna for everything.

 

[VintageReefer]

Hanna for everything

But just stepped my game up for Alk monitoring and auto dosing

Ignore orp - uncalibrated probe. Orp still new to me. I didn’t know I need calibration kit separately

Ignore ph, the system needs two ph probes, I only have one connected. This is ph inside the device. Not my water. If I switch the bnc connections and read the tank, it’s 7.8-7.9. My second ph probe arrives today

The last column is the kh the device read. The number before KH is the number of ml of bicarbonate solution it added after the test.

I was setup for 8.5 dkh, so on most of this it only dosed if it got a reading below 8.5. The next test above shows the new dkh 4 hours later

I’ve increased to 8.75 and will next be going to 9dkh as my target

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

Right now Trident and I do NO3 Nd PO4 weekly. Will be setting up an Alkatronoic and a Mastertronic in the next 30 days. Kim consolidating 2 tanks into one larger system. The system will have a CARX. So, I will likely stop testing CA and MG daily shortly after the system is up and running.

 

[KStatefan]

Test weekly take 1liter sample from tank start with salinity so the temp can stabilize work bench in the basement much cooler than tank Then test nitrate, phosphate, alk and calcium

 

[TangoTang]

Hanna for everything

But just stepped my game up for Alk monitoring and auto dosing

Ignore orp - uncalibrated probe. Orp still new to me. I didn’t know I need calibration kit separately

Ignore ph, the system needs two ph probes, I only have one connected. This is ph inside the device. Not my water. If I switch the bnc connections and read the tank, it’s 7.8-7.9. My second ph probe arrives today

The last column is the kh the device read. The number before KH is the number of ml of bicarbonate solution it added after the test.

I was setup for 8.5 dkh, so on most of this it only dosed if it got a reading below 8.5. The next test above shows the new dkh 4 hours later

I’ve increased to 8.75 and will next be going to 9dkh as my target

Nice data views, I don’t think I’ve ever seen that system before, would you mind sharing what is it?

Also congrats on automating such a vital part of this hobby, best of luck to you!

 

[TangoTang]

Right now Trident and I do NO3 Nd PO4 weekly. Will be setting up an Alkatronoic and a Mastertronic in the next 30 days. Kim consolidating 2 tanks into one larger system. The system will have a CARX. So, I will likely stop testing CA and MG daily shortly after the system is up and running.

That’s awesome, looks like things must be growing nicely to get a carx up and running!

 

[TangoTang]

Test weekly take 1liter sample from tank start with salinity so the temp can stabilize work bench in the basement much cooler than tank Then test nitrate, phosphate, alk and calcium

This looks so rad! What a setup! Looks like you’re using Hanna for Alk, NO3 and PO4? Red Sea for everything else?

 

[VintageReefer]

Nice data views, I don’t think I’ve ever seen that system before, would you mind sharing what is it?

Also congrats on automating such a vital part of this hobby, best of luck to you!

I’m dialed in with this guy. It’s rock solid. Still need to calibrate the orp probe. Did get a second ph probe and calibration fluids. Probably going to be a weekend task. In the meantime I disabled the expansion module so I get accurate ph.

I’ve increased alk to a setpoint of 9.25 dkh on 9/15

I’m using the newest version of the original alkalinity monitoring system

Kh Guardian URL:

KHG

cl.khguardian.com

 

[KStatefan]

Red Sea for everything else?

Just calcium

 

[Paul B]

I looked around for my testing station, then realized that I don't really test anything so I couldn't find it.

 

[enebrac]

I'm lazy so I use spintouch FF. Tests all my parameters in 3 minutes

 

[Brian W]

I got tired of keeping it on my desk and constantly having to move this or that out of the way, so I just made a drawer for it in my desk. Now I just take one test out at a time to test each parameter. Sorry not white glove clean, pristine or super organized lol.

 

[StewL6]

Hana for everything and Monthly to six week ATI ICP . Hana High Range Nitrate was a game changer for me . Hana and ICP have been close for last two years plus. I can’t remember a surprise ICP test reading for Hana elements including Magnesium and Calcium. I test twice a week Monday and Thursday. After 15 years manually testing I am ready to automate looking into an Hydros Maven maybe first of year

 

[TangoTang]

Ignore this post. This was meant to be a reply to someone.

 

[TangoTang]

Hana for everything and Monthly to six week ATI ICP . Hana High Range Nitrate was a game changer for me . Hana and ICP have been close for last two years plus. I can’t remember a surprise ICP test reading for Hana elements including Magnesium and Calcium. I test twice a week Monday and Thursday. After 15 years manually testing I am ready to automate looking into an Hydros Maven maybe first of year

That’s awesome, IPC tests are great and it’s nice to hear that you haven’t seen much inconsistency between them and Hanna testers. I personally use Hanna for NO3 High Range, which I agree are fantastic, but what really changed the game for me was their Low Range PO4 testers. I had always struggled with high phosphates and that really helped me dial them in.