Do You Have To Test A Sample As Soon As It's Taken?

[Miles_hot]

We are hoping to be able to go to 12 hourly testing soon however this will present some challenges for my wife in terms of testing and getting the children off to school

Can we take a sample out of the tank at the correct time and then leave it for a few hours to test when the school run is over or even leave it till lunchtime for the days she reads with the children at school?

If so do we need to chill it / cover it / keep it in an airtight box etc?

Thanks

Miles

 

[StandbySetting]

Keep the sample in a cool dark place in an air tight container, that way it will be fine for a few hours.

 

[Rynofasho]

I'd just try to get up a 5 or 10 minutes earlier. I'm no chemist or anything, but it seems to me that the parameters of the water would have the ability to change once theyre out of the tank for an extended period of time. The only test that takes longer than a few minutes is testing for nitrates because you have to shake and shake and shake, but for ammonia and nitrites (assuming you are fishless cycling), you should be able to just grab two 5ml sample tubes, drop your drops in, give it a good shake, tend to the rugrats, and come check it 5 minutes later

 

[Miles_hot]

Well that's a click fit tupperware type thing which is going to be living in the fridge from now on with "FISH TANK" written on the side

I'd just try to get up a 5 or 10 minutes earlier. I'm no chemist or anything, but it seems to me that the parameters of the water would have the ability to change once theyre out of the tank for an extended period of time. The only test that takes longer than a few minutes is testing for nitrates because you have to shake and shake and shake, but for ammonia and nitrites (assuming you are fishless cycling), you should be able to just grab two 5ml sample tubes, drop your drops in, give it a good shake, tend to the rugrats, and come check it 5 minutes later

I'll let you break the news to my wife on that one then

Any one else with a view on this as we have a tie at the moment?

 

[Miles_hot]

We did an experiment - took a single sample of water, split it int two and did one set of results and compared it with results taken 1.5 hours later (storage in slick container in the fridge). No difference suggests that we can safely take a sample at the correct time (08:00) and then test it when the school run is over.

Hope this helps someone else as it's going to be one heck of a help to my wife!

Regards

Miles

 

[Tizer]

Man up dude! ;D

 

[Miles_hot]

It's precisely because I like being a man and enjoying certain aspects of that status that I exercise due care and constraint

 

[Tizer]

Yer fair point, keeping things in tact is probably wise ;/

 

[KittyKat]

It's precisely because I like being a man and enjoying certain aspects of that status that I exercise due care and constraint

heh.. hehehehehe.. you are wise