Test Kits

[Floyds mum]

Ive found this test kit http/www.expressaquatics.co.uk/interpet-...-kit-3890-p.asp
What do people rate interpet test kits? Its the cheapest ive found so far (£19.48 incl p&p) but i just want to know if it would be worth buying it, i know idealy the api master kit would be best but i cant afford it atm and im cycling a tank so i want to know when i can add fish and i cant be bothered to take a sample of wanter into lfs lol

 

[Curiosity101]

Ebay has an API Freshwater kit for £18.59 inc p+p

The cheapest one on buy it now is £18.25 inc p+p

 

[bushbrother]

I bought the API master kit for £18 on ebay a few weeks ago ... seems to be cheaper than the interpet one ... not sure if I am allowed to link to it but if not mods please remove ...

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/API-Freshwater-Maste...id=p3286.c0.m14

 

[Floyds mum]

Ebay has an API Freshwater kit for £18.59 inc p+p

The cheapest one on buy it now is £18.25 inc p+p

Thanx am looking into it
but is interpet an ok make or is it quite naf? lol

 

[Curiosity101]

Well I've never used interpet so can't comment...

All I can say is that I love my API kit. Only problem is those stupid test tubes are too easy to break. Only cost like 70p to replace though, so no big problem. I've had my current one 6months and have 3 of the 4 original test tubes.

 

[Harlequins]

I've used interpet,its ok but i couldn't get a good ph range on the kit,plus the nitrate kit has 4 bottles too use when testing,quite time consuming,so i invested in an API second time around Certainly not has money saving has API,I think the interpet does roughly 40 tests per test,where has API does upto 160 tests.

 

[waterdrop]

I don't think its fair to pass judgment on a test kit without some attempt at a practical scientific comparison, which we don't have, so I don't want my comments to be taken out of context or in the wrong light but... My "impression" from hundreds of threads in the last couple calendar years is that several members have complained in various ways about their interpet results and its been pointed out, like above, that you don't get as many tests out of them as some other kits. This puts them, in my mind, not as high as the API, Nutrafin or certainly the Saliferts or other high-end kits.

I haven't gone off to dredge up the threads but there are premium quality kits like Saiferts and several others (the others are the names I can't recall) that frequently get mentioned as top-notch. I can't judge the cost comparison or the ease-of-use comparison (although some have mentioned that the Saliferts are not supposed to be harder to use (more bottles/steps etc. is what I'm talking about here))... so these might be well worth considering if the price isn't too much for you.

The API and Nutrafin kits are by far the most frequently mentioned and used here on TFF and seem solidly in the mid-range sort of rough judgement scale about accuracy. I use and prefer the API Freshwater Master Test Kit because it was recommended to me by others here on TFF before me and its always worked out well for me. Many feel the Nutrafin Mini-Master Test Kit is every bit as good, although I've heard a few complain that the way that API switches result colors at "zero ppm" is at least more "satisfying" if not more helpful, as some feel it is. So anyway I usually end up being one of those that recommend the API kit to beginners because so many have used it successfully, but that's not to say a Salifert wouldn't be a better choice.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Truck]

avoid API at all costs (just my opinion and a few facts to outline a few things)

i am currently doing a fish in cycle...and collected a 1 litre sample of water, i tested it with a salifert test kit and i also did a separate test with the API...i then had a sample sent to a lab for analysis.

the API was out by 0.5 on all tests bare nitrite which it was out by 0.25 if i recall correctly.

the saliferts were all correct to the nearest decimal place...

 

[waterdrop]

(o darn, I knew he'd get here )

Truck is on a mission! Well, maybe he'll even get me ordering some Saliferts next time my API bottles get low!

Who knows? Maybe some of the frustrations some of our beginners have during cycling are indeed due to kit inaccuraces!

Certainly you're being able to get some lab tests like that is better than any of the rest of us has done as far as I know!

WD

 

[Floyds mum]

Thanx for everyones opinions its helped alot

 

[arobinson1984]

I'm beginning to think that truck works for saliferts

Andy

 

[waterdrop]

I'm beginning to think that truck works for saliferts

Andy

No, he thinks I work for API