Test Kits

There are several test kits (instruments) I find indispensable: pH, Nitrate, Alkalinity, and Calcium. Other major test devices are for temperature and specific gravity, but I only use those when making water changes (having a chalet makes temperature a "set-it-and-forget-it" thing.

The problem with many test kits is the interpretation of their results can be very subjective, dependent on the lighting conditions, and how many beers you had the night before. The worst of these are the Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate kits - they all suck - every manufacturer I've tried. I generally test only for Nitrate, unless I've been monkeying with the filters, the ammonia and nitrite levels on my tanks remain close to or at zero since it was established. Nitrate though is the indicator I use to determine when a water change is needed. Because of the size and number of fish, my Nitrates levels remain between 15 and 60 PPM, when they rise to 50 or more, a 20% water change is performed. I actually use two Nitrate kits, one from SeaChem and the other from Aquarium Systems (FasTest) - both suck - much is left to interpretation ("yeah, that orange color is about a deep and this magenta color on the scale").

pH is something that changes throughout the day and night. The results will depend on the time you made the test - daily tests at a different time per day will show an inconsistent result. A digital monitor allows you to monitor the pH range throughout the day. I've seen daily ranges of 0.2 (8.1 to 8.3). Pinpoint makes a cheap (<$90) pH monitor, well worth the investment.

My calcium test kit is from SeaChem - expensive but has been very consistent. The alkalinity test kit I use is from Lamotte. It's also a bit pricey, but very easy to interpret and very consistent. A problem with many kits is the units they read natively in may not be the unit you really want - the Lamotte kit is this way. The results are in ppm (parts per million), which for pools and spa's is great, but aquarium applications you really want to know meq/L (milliequivalents per liter) or dk (German degrees). To convert the Lamotte PPM to meg/L, use the following equivalents: 1.0meq/L = 50ppm = 2.8 German = 3.5 English = 5.0 French = 2.92 Grains/Gallon.

Equipment for the Cheap

The problems I have with the thermometers the float or stick to the inside of the tank is they are often very inaccurate, algae grows on them which has to be cleaned off, and thermometer itself gets in the way of cleaning the tank. Run to Radio Shack and pickup a digital indoor/outdoor thermometer for $16 (part number 63-1028). Stick the 'outdoor' sensor in your sump or just below the waterline of the tank. Now the 'outside' temperature is the tank temperature. Further, the gadget has high and low alerts that can be set, so if the temperature of the tank goes out of a hi/low range the thing starts beeping.

Sump return lines need to be pretty big in diameter, leak proof, and cleaned regularly. After using tubing and fixed PVC, I now use standard kitchen sink 1 1/2" drain lines. Elbows, extensions, and flex extensions are available at the local builder supply. The stuff assembles and disassembles easily, and are leak proof.

Making Equipment From Scratch

Where possible, I build it. As seen in the construction section, the filter, tank lip, overflow boxes are all constructed using acrylic (Plexiglas). If you've got some handyman skills - learn to work with acrylic plastics. See "How to work with acrylic plastics"

Water Changes

The night before or several hours before a water change, I pull out a 20 gallon tank which sets on the floor next to the tanks. Fill it, prepare the water, and add salt (Steal a 1/2 cup measuring cup from the kitchen, one scoop salt per gallon yields specific gravity pretty close to 1.200). I then throw a powerhead in the new water mix tank and let it run to keep the water moving, mixing, and dissolving the salt mix (usually I start cleaning the tanks at this time). After I've drained off old water, I connect a hose to the powerhead in the new water mix with the other end of the hose going to my sump, and let the powerhead pump the new water into the tanks. No trying to lift buckets.