StevenF said:
Ok, bear with me a minute...
So once the PH stabilizes (does that mean neutral water of 7ph or 7 and higher)? And you said the shell will only have effect if the PH is above 7...? That confuses me, does that mean it will not affect my super acidic water of 6.4? Or it will just stop adding hardness after it reaches 7?
I'm sorry for so many questions. I'm just trying to understand the best I can.
Sorry I made a typo. Based on my understanding the shell will dissolve (slowly in acidic water and not in basic water. Meaning the shell will only dissolve if the ph is
Below 7 It will stop dissolving at about a pH of 7. So it only has an effect if the ph is below 7.
One thing to keep in mind we don't yet know what is in your water. It is possible that there is something in there that will prevent the PH from reaching 7. Hopefully continued use of RO water will eventually get you to a PH of 7.
I was just researching test strips since I'm doing so many testings lately and will continue since my water has been such a mess. It would be much easier to use strips instead of the API freshwater kit that I currently use. Plus I'm down to three test tubes and it's a real pain.
Anyway I remembered you saying the tetra 6 in 1 were good and accurate. I noticed they do not have ammonia on the strip. Is it hard to find a strip that has the others plus ammonia...or are they not accurate?
Or should I just stick with the API and get myself some more test tubes (which it seems you can only buy in a pack of 24?!?).
When I had to buy a replacement tube I purchased these
https/www.amazon.com/LaMotte-0898-Glass-Test-Capacity/dp/B00EA904Y4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472785640&sr=8-1&keywords=glass+test+tube+5ml+graduation
You will probably not find a strip with ammonia and other test. The Tetra Ammonia test strip needs to be exposed to water for about 10 seconds. The tetra 6 in 1 strips in comparison are only exposed to tank water for 1/2 to 1 second. I have never used any other brand than tetra so there might be strips out there that work differently and might include other tests with ammonia. However that said I found the Tetra ammonia strips hard to use. The green shading is difficult to match to the chart and if you don't read them right away you might get a false positive. I would keep your current test kit it. It is still good and it can be used to verify the strip results. If after time they continue to work well for your you can put the API kit on the shelf and just use the strips.
The biggest factors affecting accuracy is:
1) following the instructions correctly. For the strips you put them in the water vertically and then pull them vertically. The strips should be exposed to water for less than one second. In fact I have found a 0.5 second exposure to water works well. So basically you stab the water and yank the strip out of the tank fast.
2) the ability of the person to match the color with the reference chart. If you are color blind conventional color tests will not work.
3) the spectrum of the light when the test is compared to the reference chart. Comparing the color with a chart will give you best results under indirect outdoor light. Some colors will not show up well under interior lights.
In reality standard aquarium test are really not very accurate. They are only accurate enough to do the job . If you want accuracy other methods are better and typically cost more. however beyond accuracy some people just prefer liquids over strips and some prefer electric meters despite the higher cost. Each type of test has its positives and negatives. Also there is noting wrong with having multiple different test on hand. In fact I think it is a good idea. If you get a reading that looks wrong you can always use a different test to verify the results.
There are a couple of other options to consider:
JBL now sells test strips that can be read by a cell phone app.
https/www.amazon.com/JBL-Smartphone-Evaluation-Freshwater-Aquarium/dp/B00R5S9EQ6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472792177&sr=8-1&keywords=Jbl+test+strips
I have not used them so I don't know how well they work.
I personally like these
http/hannainst.com/products/checker-colorimeters/hi700-ammonia-lr.html highly accurate, cost more and no color charts. I currently own 3. Each only tests one water parameter and there are about 20 different tests available
http/hannainst.com/products/checker-colorimeters.html
Electric PH meters
http/hannainst.com/categories/ph-checkers-for-education.html
I purchased one for $40. However you need to also buy calibration fluids, storage fluids, and cleaning fluids which probably cost me another $20.
Total Dissolved Solids meter
http/hannainst.com/products/testers/primo-tds-tester.html
This measures all solids in water while GH reads mainly calcium and magnesium. The two tests are not directly comparable but both are useful. Also needs calibration fluids but in general only need vibration 1 to 3 times a year.
Just an fyi if interested I was having a hard time finding the tetra 6 in 1 test strips in any of the shops around me and went to order on line.
I found the company Chewys, that I order my dog food from, has them and for the best price I've found.
https/www.chewy.com/tetra-easystrips-6-in-1-freshwater/dp/125669
Shipping is free over $49 and I always spend over on dog food, so it was a win for me. Oh and they deliver to your front door (even huge bags of dog food) in ONE DAY!
Great company!