Test Kits

[SarahBravo]

I normally use a Tetra 5 in 1 test kit, which gives me readings as follows:

ph 7.4 KH 3 Gh >16 NO2 0 NO3 10

I ran out and got a different brand and this gives completely different readings - urghhhh !! (Bearing in mind the tank has given just about the same readings since it was set up)

PH 6 KH 10 GH 10 NO2 10 NO3 20

Is it normal for different brands to be more or less accurate? Can anyone recommend one they know is good? Or is it better to buy separate test kits for each parameter?

Most of my fishies are pretty adaptable, but I just got a pair of dwarf cichlids which I absolutely love, and I want to make sure everything is as near to their requirements as possible, hence I need accurate readings.

Would appreciate any advice.

Sarah

 

[CFC]

Home test kits can be vastly different in their accuracy and many only have a very short shelf life.
The best test kits are the liquid ones where a certain ammount of drops of liquid are placed into a measured ammount of tank water. The test strips are almost useless and often give wildly inaccurate results, if your test results never vary then ditch the test kit.

As a general rule the cheaper the kit the less likely it is to give a true result, personally after much testing i only use the liquid tests from Aquarium pharmacueticals as i found these to be the most reliable, one other brand who i shall not name for libel reasons gave me a nitrate test reading of 0 when the true reading was 50. (no tank unless it is VERY heavily planted should ever have a 0 nitrate reading)
Remember that once opened most test kits only have a shelf life of around 3 months and should be replaced after this to continue to get true readings.

 

[Ed4567]

I agree titration type tests are probably the most accurate, and test kits are very variable. However I am concerned by the NO2 (nitrite) reading- 10 is very high and certainly a risk to livestock, because your tank sounds healthy you may well have a defective test kit (this can easily be checked by testing distilled water). I wouldn't have thought that the quantative accuracy of nitrite/ ammonia kits was overly important (except possibly during cycling)- any amount of these chemicals is unacceptable.

 

[parker313]

Home test kits can be vastly different in their accuracy and many only have a very short shelf life.
The best test kits are the liquid ones where a certain ammount of drops of liquid are placed into a measured ammount of tank water. The test strips are almost useless and often give wildly inaccurate results, if your test results never vary then ditch the test kit.

I just learned this the hard way myself. My lfs told me that they're pretty accurate for the first few tests, but then as moisture gets in (even with the dessicant in the bottle) they lose their accuracy.

My nitrates were showing as under 20, but on the tests at the lfs, they were nearly 60. That little mistake cost me 6 angelfish, 4 neons and 3 cories

 

[Teelie]

My water always reads high nitrates though I'm questioning the accuracy of the kits, they read properly in R/O water and filtered tap water so I suspect it's taking the existing nitrates and magnifying the numbers higher than they are.

I'm not the most prodigious water changer but I have low maintenence, low waste fish so there shouldn't be a problem with it. I'm going to take some samples in to my LFS (they use liquid tests whereas mine are dry strips) and see what they get. That's the best advice offered yet in this thread.

 

[LadyMinion]

Has anyone tried the dissolvable tablet tests? I currently have a liquid kit and it's about 4 months old now so considering a new one.

Do the tablets last longer, ie are they in seperate sachets? And are they as accurate?

 

[Teelie]

My LFS swore by the solid ones Aquarium Pharmaceuticals sold but they were discontinued so they go with the liquid kits. The way I've heard it is the dissolving tablets are top followed by the liquid kits then the dry tab kits followed by whatever else there is.

 

[enchanted]

I personally have the Aquarium Pharm Master kit and am overall happy with it. Although those stupid child caps are annoying.

 

[lizard]

Remember that once opened most test kits only have a shelf life of around 3 months and should be replaced after this to continue to get true readings.

Does this apply to the liquid test kits as well, like the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals one, CFC?

Thanks for the good information

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[CFC]

Yes this applies to the liquid tests too, once the seals have been broken the test should be used or discarded after 3 months.

The dry tab tests were discontinued due to them being made illegal in the US and some European countries due to links to cancer.

 

[LadyMinion]

The dry tab tests were discontinued due to them being made illegal in the US and some European countries due to links to cancer.

I take it you mean in humans? Were people eating them or something?

 

[pnyklr3]

Mleafix and Pimafix both say that they contain a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. Does that mean my State of Illinois doesn't know about this!?!

 

[Teelie]

Went by the LFS and had the nitrates and pH tested and my nitrates were the lowest possible on the scale and pH was 7.6ish which is what I was aiming for. Never trust the test strips.

 

[Def]

Mleafix and Pimafix both say that they contain a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer

Hagen master test kit says the same thing. The test kits have some pretty nasty stuff in them, I'm suprised they haven't been restricted/banned by governments already (eg, the Nitrite test in the Hagen kit contains something like 45% Hydrochloric acid). Arnie says "Do not do that".