Electronic Water Parameter Measuring Devices

[pancakelovers]

Hello everyone,

We are new to your forum and decided to introduce ourselves along with a question.

We have been up and running with our tank since March 2009.

Currently we have the following (will post photos when I get home from work):
- Tank, Ferplast, 230 liter
- Filter, External, Eheim Pro3e, 2078
- Discus 4 (2@ 135mm, 2@ 85mm mouth to tail end)
- Cardinal tetras 21 (down from 24, snack casualties)
- Adolfi Cory 6
- Fan shrimp 1
- Bristlenose plecs 2

Our question is if anyone can recommend good quality electronic water parameter measuring devices.

Currently, it takes too much of our time to measure every parameter seperately when we have an issue.

I appreciate your help.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

You can get them. The only ones I know about though cost around £400-500 (+£30 odd for each regent that you need to test each parameter). The still take as much time as test kits (probably more) so although they are more accurate they are just as much hassle.

What where you looking to test for? just ammonia, nitrite and nitrate or water hardness and PH as well?

I wouldnt recommend them as they are not very accurate but you can get test strips which test a number of things just by dipping them in the water. They are widely regarded as being very inaccurate though (but I have used them in the past for quick weekly checks while doing more detail checks with a better test kit once a month).

 

[pancakelovers]

Thanks Barney,

The reason this all started was because our fish seem really skittish lately. It came to a boil the other day when it was really hard to hand feed the discus without them flying away at least three times per feeding (Each time their recovery seemed impossible).

The cardinal tetras lose all the red on their bellies when we do a water change (3x per week) and hide breathing hard and having spastic fits (BEFORE THE NEW WATER GOES IN), and the Adolfis never let us look at them anymore before scurrying at light speed to the other side of the tank.

We've been up and running for months now and this new development had us worried. My panic set in and so I wanted to check which parameter was out quickly (kinda dismayed that you mention it's the same "time hog hassle").

What we're looking for is an all-in-one, but based on the costs you mention, I might be putting that off a good long while.

Thanks again Barney