What each test is for
| Parameter | Decision it informs | Current manual example | Practical note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alkalinity / KH | Whether carbonate demand and dosing are moving the system’s buffering reserve | Salifert KH around £8.29 | Often the most useful frequent trend in a dosing reef |
| Calcium | Whether calcium consumption or salt changes match the system plan | Salifert calcium around £12.49 | Check before changing calcium dosing; record the unit and resolution |
| Magnesium | Whether a lower-frequency foundation measurement is drifting | Salifert magnesium around £11.60 | Usually a slower-moving check unless a known imbalance exists |
| Digital route | Repeatability and easier reading rather than a different chemistry goal | Hanna HI-REEFKIT £504.48 inc VAT | Premium cost; reagents remain a recurring expense |
Titration versus digital
Manual titration is inexpensive and gives you a visible endpoint; digital checkers reduce colour-matching judgement and can make repeated readings easier. Neither method is immune to sampling, cleaning, timing or reagent errors. Choose the workflow you will repeat, not the method with the most impressive display.
Test before you dose
When starting or changing a two-part, balling or reactor system, test first, make one measured adjustment, then test again after the interval recommended by the additive maker. Changing calcium, alkalinity and magnesium together from one surprising result makes the cause of the next reading hard to identify.
Build a sensible kit
- Low demand or fish-first system: alkalinity and calcium can be enough to start, with magnesium as an occasional check.
- Mixed reef with visible consumption: keep all three, but test alkalinity more often than magnesium.
- Premium digital route: budget replacement reagents and a backup manual method for a sanity check.
Sources and limitations
Red Sea lists Foundation Pro as a Ca/KH/Mg product family at its Reef Care range. Current UK examples include Salifert listings, Red Sea Foundation Pro and Hanna HI-REEFKIT. We have not independently tested kit agreement or endpoint visibility.