Quote:
Originally Posted by The Bunk
If all you were checking was PH, that was your problem. That actually matters least of the harmful stuff that can be in a saltwater tank. Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite, and Phosphate are all much more critcal. Keep those in check and your problems will be minimal.
Also, if you have a good clean up crew of snails and the right bottom feeders, cleaning is a minimal task also. I rarely touch the inside glass of mine, unless it's to remove a smudge or something. The snails keep it looking almost completely clean.
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Very good points... especially about the parameters!
Ammonia and Nitrites should read at 0ppm and Nitrates should be >40ppm. As far as your pH, as long as it stays constant, there's no need to try to adjust it. A lot of people purchase the crap that increases or decreases pH only to find their stock dead shortly after dosing the tank.
Also, API makes a great liquid kit to test your parameters. When we were cycling our tank, we screwed up and bought the strips that you dip in the tank. Never trust those damn things! The parameters were reading wrong and we thought our tank was cycled. Then, when we added our first batch of fish, they were getting Ammonia burns and many of them jumped out of the tank.