Is Adding More Fish Ok Yet?

[Harlequins]

Aww poor mollie,its didnt sound too good to start with...

Whats your nitrite test results?

 

[merlecollins]

Is that NO2 or NO3??

I will learn, please bare with me

 

[Truck]

NO2 for nitrite, NO3 for nitrate, NH3+ for ammonia.

 

[merlecollins]

NO2 for nitrite, NO3 for nitrate, NH3+ for ammonia.

Cheers for that Truck

OK, done another strip test - results in ascending order are:

Cl2 - 0
pH - 6.8
KH - 0
GH - 8
NO2 - 0
NO3 - Between 25 & 50

And liquid ammonia test this afternoon was 0

Do I still need to do daily 50% changes?

 

[kaivalagi]

NO2 for nitrite, NO3 for nitrate, NH3+ for ammonia.

Cheers for that Truck

OK, done another strip test - results in ascending order are:

Cl2 - 0
pH - 6.8
KH - 0
GH - 8
NO2 - 0
NO3 - Between 25 & 50

And liquid ammonia test this afternoon was 0

Do I still need to do daily 50% changes?

As these are strip tests and can't be relied on, the preference would be for you to get a liquid test kit that can do NO2, NO3, pH, GH and KH ASAP so we really know where things are...

If the liquid test kit isn't obtainable for a while, I would, in your shoes, continue with daily water changes for a few more days yet to be safe and then drop to every other day a few times, then finally drop to once a week. That would me my take on it anyway, but I'm a newbie myself really. Test strips are just bad

 

[Truck]

As these are strip tests and can't be relied on, Test strips are just bad

Back it up.

 

[merlecollins]

the preference would be for you to get a liquid test kit that can do NO2, NO3, pH, GH and KH

Can I get ONE liquid test kit that will do all of these?

Is this one OK?
http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/NUTRAFIN-HAGEN-ESSENTIAL-MINI-MASTER-FISH-TEST-KIT_W0QQitemZ200385004869QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Pet_Supplies_Fish?hash=item2ea7e08545#ht_500wt_1182

 

[Harlequins]

That one you have shown is only a mini and has around only 4 tests each.

This one is better value for money and lasts alot longer than 4 tests,think off hand its has over 700 tests in all,lasts a long time

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/API-Freshwater-Liquid-Master-Test-Kit_W0QQitemZ300384283314QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Pet_Supplies_Fish?hash=item45f04c6ab2

 

[flix_cw]

I can vouch for that - just bought the API Master Test Kit last week and it's great.

 

[Truck]

If you're in the UK don't waste your money on API kits, the saliferts are much more accurate.

 

[kaivalagi]

As these are strip tests and can't be relied on, Test strips are just bad

Back it up.

Fair point Bad in comparison, I feel it can't be relied upon for accuracy like a liquid test.

I used them before liquid tests when I first started with my tank, and went through a fish-in cycle using the strips. I got an ammonia kit as merlecollins did as it was needed, the strip I used didn't provide for that result.

I found the results a bit vague, matching the colours when they are so close together didn't fill me with the same confidence as I get with my liquid tests. I felt the outcome could have been one of a couple of values for some of the test results a lot of times. The first time I started using liquid tests I felt more confident in what I was seeing.

The strip may well be telling us all we need to know for a safe tank but I would just feel more confident if a couple of liquid tests were done. If sticking with the strips I would keep doing daily water changes for a few more days before taking the results as gospel.

It's a confidence thing for me I guess

 

[Truck]

Thats the thing though, I think the thing with liquid test kits is that, because you're playing with test tubes, you feel like a scientist, which will give you more confidence, but then again there is nothing scientific to say that they're more accurate.

 

[kaivalagi]

If you're in the UK don't waste your money on API kits, the saliferts are much more accurate.

I will be making the switch over to saliferts test kits as I run out. I have a mini master test kit at the mo

 

[kaivalagi]

Thats the thing though, I think the thing with liquid test kits is that, because you're playing with test tubes, you feel like a scientist, which will give you more confidence, but then again there is nothing scientific to say that they're more accurate.

True, I am a geek so the scientist thing appeals

From my biased geeky opinion, I could argue that because the liquid test kits require the using of a known amount of water and test chemical, you have a more controlled experiment providing potentially more accurate results than just dipping a test strip into the water a few times and giving it a shake...but that is just me and it is not proven.

I wonder whether scientists use test strips over liquid tests or vice-versa for routine tests...

 

[OldMan47]

Real measurements are made with tests that we cannot afford as hobbyists. The pH is not measured with a color test but with a calibrated pH meter that would set you back several hundred GB pounds or dollars. That pH meter is calibrated using prepared standards at least once a week, to give decent accuracy. I can get enough accuracy for my fish using the color charts and a liquid test. I can get a value that I can no way trust using a paper test strip. After you get several thousand dollars or pounds of test equipment, you could run a highly accurate version of our simple tests, but the liquid test kits are accurate enough to guide our actions, so we use them. Don't worry over much if your test is not as accurate as the next guy down the street. As long as you stay away from strips, the results will be accurate enough for our purposes.