How Much Did You Pay For Your Test Kit?

[hughessomefish]

i got mine for thirty american money,but the stupid beakers shatered all of them

 

[erk628]

My first was an API master which was £15 and it was crap, then I bought some saliferts which I still have, I haven't used them for a good few months, because hobby test kits are rubbish, they're not a very accurate indicator of water quality.

I'm not anal about checking my water quality, all I'm bothered about is if my fish, shrimp and plants are doing well, if they're doing well then my water is fine.

And remember, in the UK saliferts are more or less the same price as API but the saliferts are a lot more accurate so buy them when you can.

Not true just because your fish (seem) to be ok doesn't mean your water is.

 

[Truck]

My first was an API master which was £15 and it was crap, then I bought some saliferts which I still have, I haven't used them for a good few months, because hobby test kits are rubbish, they're not a very accurate indicator of water quality.

I'm not anal about checking my water quality, all I'm bothered about is if my fish, shrimp and plants are doing well, if they're doing well then my water is fine.

And remember, in the UK saliferts are more or less the same price as API but the saliferts are a lot more accurate so buy them when you can.

Not true just because your fish (seem) to be ok doesn't mean your water is.

Got anything to back that up with?

I've never had to treat my fish for any kind of disease.

And how can you be sure your test kit is telling the truth, I had 3 different batches of APIs tested against electronic equipment and there was a tolerance of 1ppm either side, thats a lot in terms of ammonia and nitrite, the nitrate one had a tolerance of 40ppm either side.

 

[erk628]

My first was an API master which was £15 and it was crap, then I bought some saliferts which I still have, I haven't used them for a good few months, because hobby test kits are rubbish, they're not a very accurate indicator of water quality.

I'm not anal about checking my water quality, all I'm bothered about is if my fish, shrimp and plants are doing well, if they're doing well then my water is fine.

And remember, in the UK saliferts are more or less the same price as API but the saliferts are a lot more accurate so buy them when you can.

Not true just because your fish (seem) to be ok doesn't mean your water is.

As a matter of fact yes I do and I'm going through it right now. I didn't want to say anything because its really a stupid mistake on my part but since I opened my mouth I guess I got to. I've got a 55 gallon brackish tank with two columbian sharks in it. Well my filters propeller broke so I had to go up and buy a new filter. Now instead of taking the filter media out of the old one I just put the new filter on and started her up. And you guessed it brand new cycle. About a week later my oscar in my 75 got HITH so I checked my water stats and it had high nitrates. So I check my other three tanks when I checked my 55 that's when it hit me what I did my ammonia was at 8ppm but my fish were acting completly normal my other tanks were reading 0 started doing big water changes everday. Now I don't have amonnia but high nitrites still doing big water changes everyday. The whole time my fish have acted complety normal and look fine but my water sure wasn't and still isn't. So the moral of the story is just because you fish act and look fine doesn't mean they are or your water is. You can't see the damage that may be happening on the inside

 

[Knox213]

Ok Guys Chill.

If Truck does'nt want to use a water test kit for god knows how long thats OK Because its he's opionion if you want to use a test kit all the time then sure its ok.

Im just saying me personally i dont think i've ever had a test kit.

 

[erk628]

What do you mean chill there's nothing going on. He asked if I had something to back up my statement so I told him my experience

 

[Truck]

how can you be sure your test kits were giving accurate readings?

 

[Knox213]

That is kind of true... Still
Lets not go off topic.

 

[indigoj]

Hope you are going to get a test kit BEFORE you start your new tank, especially if you are going fish in

 

[Knox213]

Dad said we'll do a fishless cycle.

And If i have money tomorrow i'll try buy one

(im Extremely Skint atm )

 

[erk628]

how can you be sure your test kits were giving accurate readings?

Well you know if you put a brand new filter on like I did that it will cycle again. Now I have four tanks and they all read different besides things that were 0. Now even if the readings weren't accurate you still think they would be constant. But like I said they were all reading differently and the reading responded with water changes and time. Now in my case with the cycle you know the amonnia would spike high and followed by the nitrites as the test kit has shown. And like I said they acted and looked complety normal even though they were in a tank that was experiencing a cycle. Now to get back on the subject I paid 30 US dollars for my API kit at a petstore.

 

[indigoj]

You'll definitely need one for fishless too.

It really is a must. I don't use mine a lot but knowing I have it and can test my water means I can be certain there are no problems.

 

[Knox213]

i can take water samples down to my LFS and they can test the water for me.

Then i know if its safe or not

What do you think?

 

[aly_starh]

i can take water samples down to my LFS and they can test the water for me.

Then i know if its safe or not

What do you think?

No, apparently all the ammonia comes out of water in a short while. Why not just buy a kit like others have advised?

 

[Knox213]

No i ment take a water sample to my LFS and ask them to test it for me ( they test water for free )