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10-19-2001, 02:16 PM
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#1
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Plankton
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Virginia
Posts: 20
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Test Kits?
Thanks for all your help on the lighting.. I found the plastic clips, now looking for metallic quilted thing???? to hold wires?
Trying to find a basic all around test kit. Calcium, amonia etc.. Anyone know of a decent not to expensive kit?
Also, when do people start dosing with calcium and what do you use? Kalkwasser? is that right?
Thanks
Steve
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10-19-2001, 04:00 PM
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#2
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The Border Collie Mod
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: right now? in my chair
Posts: 13,218
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Steve,
I like Salifert for everything.
Dosing Kalkwasser will depend on your demand and evaporation. If your demand is too high, and your evaporation is too low, you might not be able to keep up. It also depends on your attention span. Kalkwasser is something you might have to dose everyday, but you have to replace evaporated water everyday anyway.
You can also dose Calcium Chloride. It a little trickier, but will raise Ca levels pretty fast. Without water changes, it can throw off your salts over time. But it takes a long time.
Some people have to use both.
Either way will work. Kalkwasser has the added benefit of adding buffers. Using Ca Chloride alone adds no buffers for alk.
You are thinking about alk too, right?
Don't forget your Ca levels are dependent on your alk levels and visa versa.
HTH
Jerel
PS someone else jump in here 
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Clifford TRT's Mascot --> 
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10-19-2001, 04:38 PM
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#3
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Super Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: TN, USA
Posts: 8,830
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Steve,
As for the test kits, I would buy separately: Salifert for Ca and Alk; FasTest for Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite; pH. Phosphate if you begin to have algae or water problems.
Those are the ones I use.
I drip Kalkwasser (Actually Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime) with my top-off water daily.
Dick 
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Every day is a good day!!
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10-19-2001, 06:00 PM
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#4
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Shark
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
Posts: 1,588
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Well, I'm spoiled: we use resonance spectrophotometers and digital titrators for most ions, but for the regular hobby-available test kits, I haven't found anything that can top the Salifert kits. Very easy, and accurate when done carefully (as when results are compared to spectrophotometer). Also very precise with multiple tests.
Chris
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"The cultured might call him heathenish, This man of few words, because his one care is not to interfere but to let nature renew The sense of direction men undo." Lao Tzu
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10-19-2001, 06:22 PM
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#5
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The Border Collie Mod
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: right now? in my chair
Posts: 13,218
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Quote:
Originally posted by galleon
Well, I'm spoiled: we use resonance spectrophotometers and digital titrators
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And they are a pain to calibrate and clean. LOL
Seriously, I started using Salifert at home (cause it's easier) and guess what? They are so close it doesn't matter.
Start packing them in your pocket for work, saves you tons of time 
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Clifford TRT's Mascot -->
Last edited by Spanky; 10-19-2001 at 06:33 PM.
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10-19-2001, 07:11 PM
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#6
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Shark
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
Posts: 1,588
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Quote:
originally posted by landescaper:
And they are a pain to calibrate and clean. LOL
Seriously, I started using Salifert at home (cause it's easier) and guess what? They are so close it doesn't matter.
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(fingers in ears) "la la la...I can't hear you ...la la la"
ROTFL.
Chris
__________________
"The cultured might call him heathenish, This man of few words, because his one care is not to interfere but to let nature renew The sense of direction men undo." Lao Tzu
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10-19-2001, 09:44 PM
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#7
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Super Moderator
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: Southern Oregon, Way West of Dimples ;)
Posts: 22,031
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Now Now, you boys fight nice
__________________
When considering courage in battle, one should remember that there are 2 sides to every conflict.
The heroism of the losing side rarely gets remembered
but we were all husbands and fathers, sons and bros
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10-20-2001, 08:28 AM
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#8
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The Border Collie Mod
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: right now? in my chair
Posts: 13,218
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Chris is in De Nile.
ROTFL
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Clifford TRT's Mascot -->
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10-20-2001, 09:08 AM
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#9
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Shark
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
Posts: 1,588
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LOL. Could be there a while, too; my reed boat's pretty sturdy.
__________________
"The cultured might call him heathenish, This man of few words, because his one care is not to interfere but to let nature renew The sense of direction men undo." Lao Tzu
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