Test Kits!

Which are important tests to run as new tank set-up? Any brands better than others? Also still have about 150+ lbs of rock... will let it go pretty cheap or trade for stuff I might need!

Calcium, alk, nitrates. Ammonia during cycling. I have salifert and another kind, maybe red sea? I'm lazy and hardly ever test although I did last night!

I have Salifert for my Alk ,Ca and mag. but use api for all the others.

I might be intrested in a few pounds of rock.

I use Salifert and Elos myself.

Don't forget PH.

I use my RK2 for that .....lol

Yeah, cause every newbie has one of those.

LOL Ya I kow just giving a little crap.. I use api before Ihad the controllor.

for starting out just get the API. Sould be like 40 bucks for all the test you need to start with. I like the Salifert my self but thay will run you $30 a test kit.

So talk about cycling. It is my understanding that cycling is something that occurs until you get things set up and running correctly, and the bacteria are growing well to handle the "bio-load" aka your critters and stuff. Once your ammonia is down and your bacteria are handling your bio-load, you have a skimmer running etc that means your tank is now stable and you can add more critters little by little, testing your ammonia to make sure it is not building for some reason, (dead sea slug or some such cause) But cycling should not continue to occur or that means something is out of whack. Correct?