Aquarium Test Kits

[jay.r70]

Hi everyone,
Getting back into keeping fish after about 15yrs away, just started up a little 50 lrt tank. Been running since fri, took some water to my lfs to get tested and the filter start had done nothing, so they advised me to up the dose 5 fold and gave me a little bag with some black liquid in it to add to the tank. My question is are there any reliable test kits out there that doesn't require a diploma in marine biology to read, are accurate and won't make me paranoid about the water?
Many thanks.

 

[Wend]

Hi there, Im also a newbie just re starting after years of no tank.

I was advised to buy the API water testing kit. Its fairly cheap, less than £15, dead easy to use - Im off and running with it now (day 6), it took me 5 mins to read the instructions. You get them on e-bay, amongst other places, mine came from Ebay it was about £11, free postage and arrived the next day.

They test your PH, Ammonia level, Nitrite and Nitrate levels.

If you want to test for cholrine, water hardness etc you need other things but the API kit is fine for basic cycling. And dont buy the wee test strips that you just dip in, I made that mistake, they are useless.

W

 

[chrisodapz]

Hi everyone,
Getting back into keeping fish after about 15yrs away, just started up a little 50 lrt tank. Been running since fri, took some water to my lfs to get tested and the filter start had done nothing, so they advised me to up the dose 5 fold and gave me a little bag with some black liquid in it to add to the tank. My question is are there any reliable test kits out there that doesn't require a diploma in marine biology to read, are accurate and won't make me paranoid about the water?
Many thanks.

hi,

API master test kit is what i use and used by most on this forum and i find it good to use. You can get it online from £18. I got mine from ebay.

 

[KittyKat]

Getting back into keeping fish after about 15yrs away, just started up a little 50 lrt tank. Been running since fri, took some water to my lfs to get tested and the filter start had done nothing, so they advised me to up the dose 5 fold and gave me a little bag with some black liquid in it to add to the tank. My question is are there any reliable test kits out there that doesn't require a diploma in marine biology to read, are accurate and won't make me paranoid about the water?

Cycle aids don't do very much, you're better of going to a fish-less cycle with ammonia and a good test kit.

Do you know what that black liquid was?

 

[jay.r70]

Getting back into keeping fish after about 15yrs away, just started up a little 50 lrt tank. Been running since fri, took some water to my lfs to get tested and the filter start had done nothing, so they advised me to up the dose 5 fold and gave me a little bag with some black liquid in it to add to the tank. My question is are there any reliable test kits out there that doesn't require a diploma in marine biology to read, are accurate and won't make me paranoid about the water?

Cycle aids don't do very much, you're better of going to a fish-less cycle with ammonia and a good test kit.

Do you know what that black liquid was?

Think they called it black water?

 

[KittyKat]

Do you know what that black liquid was?

Think they called it black water?

I thought it might be, but there isn't any way it can help with a cycle.. in fact, it's more likely to stall a cycle than anything else because it may lower the pH.

It is normally made from peat for aquarium use, but can come from other sources too and should have a positive affect on South American blackwater fish (tetras, most dwarf cichlids, etc) and on killifish.

 

[waterdrop]

Agree with Wend and KK. A forum like this can save you a lot of meandering off on things that are not as effective and do not engage you in re-learning the basic skills to a better level (which is what is so great for us "re-beginners.") A good liquid kit like the API Freshwater Master Test Kit will give you good enough readings to get through the fishless cycle and take care of your tank beyond that. A logged process with simple household ammonia gives by far the best feedback so you can know what's going on and when your biofilter becomes the living, working filter that you need before fish.

Have you read our first homework assignments? The Nitrogen Cycle, The Fishless Cycle and several start up articles are contained within the Beginners Resource Center and if you read others threads there is still more information that is helpful and entertaining.

~~waterdrop~~