Likely known by all

[Oldspartan]

Had a slap my head moment when testing water. Dip the tube, drizzle some, rinse repeat till I get that 5ml line just so.

I have syringe barrels in 5 through 20 ml sizes. Use the for various animal meds.

Grabbed a 5 and easy peasy.

They should be available at your local drug store. Mine does not even charge me.

 

[Slaphppy7]

I use them for filling vials like you did, but rarely test my water any more

My main use for them now is dosing water conditioner...much more precise than the "capfuls", which is often recommended

 

[Essjay]

I always use a pipette to fill the test tube on the rare occasion that I test. There's no way I would risk even the tiniest residue left in the tube contaminating the tank.

 

[Oldspartan]

I always use a pipette to fill the test tube on the rare occasion that I test. There's no way I would risk even the tiniest residue left in the tube contaminating the tank.

The barrels are medical practice steril, sealed in steril plastic. The water is drawn in, a negative pressure similar to a clean room situation. These are the same syringes, less the needle used at labs, Dr offices, and hospitals. I am not concerned with contamination anymore than I am when one goes in my arm.

 

[GaryE]

I don't test water anymore, but I have a bag of them I got from a friend in the pharmaceutical industry, and use them for a lot of things.

Put a couple of inches of airline on one, pull up Hydrogen peroxide and you can shoot hydra before it gets established.

 

[Essjay]

I mean the test tubes that have had test reagent chemicals in them should not be dipped into a tank. There is always a slight risk, depending on how thoroughly the test tubes are cleaned after use, that they could have test reagent in them, then dipping the test tube in the tank could in theory contaminate the tank water with the test reagents. So using a pipette or syringe or even a fish-only turkey baster to remove the water from the tank means there's no chance of contamination by test reagents.

There have been posts about tubes being stained by the reagents, especially from the nitrite test, if the test tubes are not washed as soon as the results are read. A blue stained test tube is not something I would like to put into a tank of fish.

 

[Oldspartan]

I don't test water anymore, but I have a bag of them I got from a friend in the pharmaceutical industry, and use them for a lot of things.

Put a couple of inches of airline on one, pull up Hydrogen peroxide and you can shoot hydra before it gets established.

I look forward to that time when I am confident enough with my shepherding that I can minimize tests. For now testing is my security blanket. The barrels will alleviate some fussing.

 

[Oldspartan]

I mean the test tubes that have had test reagent chemicals in them should not be dipped into a tank. There is always a slight risk, depending on how thoroughly the test tubes are cleaned after use, that they could have test reagent in them, then dipping the test tube in the tank could in theory contaminate the tank water with the test reagents. So using a pipette or syringe or even a fish-only turkey baster to remove the water from the tank means there's no chance of contamination by test reagents.

There have been posts about tubes being stained by the reagents, especially from the nitrite test, if the test tubes are not washed as soon as the results are read. A blue stained test tube is not something I would like to put into a tank of fish.

That makes sense. Never gave that a thought to that beyond a thorough rinse. Wish I had thought sooner of the barrels.

 

[GaryE]

I like the idea in the first post. You can put the water in a container, but still draw an exact amount with the syringe.

I know my tap, and if it varies slightly, there's nothing to be done about it. As far as ammonia testing goes, all my tanks get scheduled water changes. I have a small whiteboard chart to make sure I don't underestimate the passage of time. Killies are at 10-12 days, all other fish 7. I stock lightly, so the cycle is not a concern. Plus with soft water, I would be dealing with ammonium in every tank but one.

A lot of people are trapped into water testing before water changes because their tapwater is polluted. That seems common in parts of England and the US Midwest, from what I've read on forums. Some wells are a problem too, in agricultural areas. I get clean filtered blackwater, from protected forest(ish) reservoir lakes. It's the best water I've ever had, in any place I've kept fish. So I waste the time I would have used testing on other things.

 

[Oldspartan]

Hydra. Geez Gary I did not need something else to worry about.

I like the idea in the first post. You can put the water in a container, but still draw an exact amount with the syringe.

I know my tap, and if it varies slightly, there's nothing to be done about it. As far as ammonia testing goes, all my tanks get scheduled water changes. I have a small whiteboard chart to make sure I don't underestimate the passage of time. Killies are at 10-12 days, all other fish 7. I stock lightly, so the cycle is not a concern. Plus with soft water, I would be dealing with ammonium in every tank but one.

A lot of people are trapped into water testing before water changes because their tapwater is polluted. That seems common in parts of England and the US Midwest, from what I've read on forums. Some wells are a problem too, in agricultural areas. I get clean filtered blackwater, from protected forest(ish) reservoir lakes. It's the best water I've ever had, in any place I've kept fish. So I waste the time I would have used testing on other things.

I am fortunate with my well water. We sit on top of a an aquifer that gives us an artesian supply. It is pure, but being anal I also filter it and it passes through UV.

 

[MaloK]

I wonder why the APi master test kit does not come with pipettes, like every other master kit out there...

 

[TwoTankAmin]

When I test I fill the vial from well below the surface. They can be thinks floating there. I fill the tube and pour it out (not into the tank) though the inverted lid so that gets rinsed. Then I fill it again from mid level in the tank. I opour out a bit into the lid and then into the tank to get it even with the line. I usually overshoot and then use what I saved in he lid to add a tiny bit and hit the line. After the test I rinse the tube and lid in tap. I have well water so no chlorine/chloramine. These do evaporate.

I also have a big box each of 1 and 3 ml disposable plastic pipettes. When my fish club has the Christmas dinner meeting I bag up 3 of each and asmall imdividually wrapped candy cane and tie of the bag with a ribbon tied into a bow. I bring enough and extras for anybody attending. I use them for dosing ammonium chloride for cycling purposes and Tropica liquid fertilizers.