Tester Kits

[emmag21]

My aquarium will soon be arriving and i need to get a tester kit-which would you recommend?

Emma
xox

 

[ollyhtafc]

A liquid one rather than test strips- i bought strips 'cos they were cheaper...and they're poor.

 

[onlinebug]

Yeah I was wondering about this aswell, also my LFS dosen't stock test kits as they don't sell apparantly ?? Live in a small town go figure.

I saw these on a website my friend recommended anyone care to elaberate?

http/www.rocketaquatics.co.uk/interpet-m...9e1f546ff629e01
http/www.rocketaquatics.co.uk/aqua-vital...9e1f546ff629e01

Lew.

 

[purplekaz]

I use the API Master Test Kit.
Tests for ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, pH etc.
Each test takes about 5mins and it's easy enough to do, just drop the correct number of drops of the relevant test into a vial of tank water, as per instructions.

But I've only ever used this kit, nothing to compare it to

As a guide, I paid about £17 for the kit (Pets at Home) and the box says it does upto 800 tests.

 

[rabbut]

I use tetratest, if that helps, but I have recently been hearing more and more bad things about the API range. It was first brough to my attention by andywg, and since then I have noticed many others complaining about inaccuracy. Mebe a bad batch out? I to have only use tetratest, but I'm shure there are many out there that give accurate results and that are easy to use.

HTH
Rabbut

 

[pelcofresh]

Personaly I use the drops as well

The API Master test kit Ammonia Nitrite Nitrate ph mid level ph high level
very acurate and easy to use. Just fill tubes with water add drops and wait. Only problem I had is you really need to press the caps down, if you do not, they leak the test soulution when you shake it. No fun they run about 25 dollars Canadian. better than buying all 5 one by one at 10 dollars each!

 

[fry_lover]

Right Emma, i test all the time, although i never (hardly ever) get ammonia or nitrite readings, do lots of water changes and have good filters, but still like to test, its another part of the hobby i find interesting and makes me feel like a scientist and i think it impresses my son lol

Here's my take on test kits, just my experience only, but i have used quite a few in my time

AMMONIA
I like the Nutrafin NH3/NH4 kit, it comes with an Orange label on the pack, not the Yellow label that Nutrafin also do. The only draw back to this kit, it you have to wait 20 minutes for the results. But from all the ammonia kits i have used i find this gives the most detailed readings, i.e. you can really tell if one tank or your tapwater even has a slight presence of ammonia, whereas other kits will all read the same level. I have not found the API one very helpful (coluor chart wise)

My personal tip for testing for ammonia and actually this applies to Nitrite and Nitrate as well. If you have more than one tank, always test tanks at the same time and get some extra test tubes, then by standing the results next to each other you can get a clearer indication of the colours, and match them against each tank, to see what tank (if any) is performing the worst in terms of ammonia/nitrite or nitrate. If you only have the one tank, test your tap water at the same time, just so you get a contrast in from the tester colour kit chart.


NITRITE
Much of a muchness really in my experience. I like the Nutrafin one best as if you have undetectable nitrite in your tank the test tube solution will stay "clear" i.e. the colour of normal water, then any nitrite readings will gradually make the solution turn more "pink", i find this more useful, as its easier to tell the difference between "clear and pink" than various different shades of yellow or red which some nitrite kits use on their colour charts. There is a company called JBL that do an excellent Nitrite test kit as well. I have aslo used the API one before with no problems or difficulties (althogh this is reading nitrite levels in different shades of blue, but easy enough)


NITRATE
Always a bit and miss. Testing for nitrAte is always a bit less reliable. I think others also experience this. In contrast to their Ammonia and NitrIte testing kits, i find Nutrafin's NitrAte kit complete pants, utterly useless. The more and more i think about it, the more useful i have found the API nitrate kit, it has always given me results that make sense (i.e. tanks where i would expect higher levels have higher levels on the test results). It's crucial you follow the exact instructions for test kits, but especially for Nitrate. If it says shake vigourously for 30 seconds or whatever, that what must be done!!! the API has run into some bad press on the this forum recently, couple of cases, but its been fine for me.

Oh and i found the Tetra NitrAte kit good, but expensive, and it uses powder as well, which can be tricky. Not sure if this means a more accurate result though?


PH
Any kit really, i dont have a favourite


HARDNESS
I dont have much experience with this, just done it every now and then. Cant even remember with what kit.


EDIT: oh, and liquid kits all the way for me