Best test kits?

[vicious]

What are the best test kit's for a planted tank? Which tests are considered a minimum? Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, KH, GH? How about Iron or any others I'm missing?

Also.. I'm thinking of writing everything I've learned as a newbie setting up a new tank, and posting it on here after my tank is finally up and running.


Thanks

-Mike

 

[happychem]

perhaps phosphate

 

[beviking]

p something...oh yeah! pH!!! Just don't get the Tetra ph kit (wide range). Not very useful since it only has .5 intervals.

 

[vicious]

I can't believe I forgot PH... DOH! Beviking also brought up a good point, what's the best brand of test kits? I've always used Red Sea or Aquarium Pharmaceuticals. How about Tetra, other than ph? Teatra has a pretty bad rep with Saltwater, just curious what the opinon is in the Freshwater community?

 

[Tempest]

I've never used the Tetra brand so I'm not much help there. The AP master kit is a pretty good bargain for all but the nitrate and phosphate. I use Seachem for those.

 

[Tempest]

Iron

Iron doesn't stick around for too long in your tank so it's a hard one to test for. I have a Seachem test for it but to be honest I haven't used it in a very long time and it's probably expired by now.

 

[happychem]

I'm using Hagen/Nutrafin kit. I've found it pretty reliable and I can reproduce the water comission's results for tapwater withing kit precision, so I'd call that accurate.