Recommend Me Test Kit

[Skunkfu]

Guys, i am getting realy confused what test kit to get... done a search on these forums but cant find list of good test kits. I am getting 180 liter tank tomorrow and will be doing fish in cycle. Could someone recomend complete test kit from seapets website please?
Thank you.

 

[ZoddyZod]

If you want an easy life I would strongly recommend against a fish-in cycle. I'm in the tenth week of mine and I'm changing at least 25% of water every day.

API test kit is generally seen as good......but make sure to check results under the same lighting conditions each time.

 

[Truck]

saliferts everytime, im not recommending API, theyre one of the most in accurate IMO

 

[AdAndrews]

saliferts everytime, im not recommending API, theyre one of the most in accurate IMO

I have API Master freshwater test kit, becuase i generally thought it was accurate from what people said about 5 months back, but of corse i have little to test it against, bar one tetratest nitrite kit which gives the exact same reading as API

Adam

 

[Marve99]

API on the majority of threads on this issue is recommended, although some people find the results difficult to read, I have no problem.

 

[Truck]

i had my water tested at a lab and out of the two the saliferts were really on top...where as the API ammonia and nitrate were way out

 

[AdAndrews]

i had my water tested at a lab and out of the two the saliferts were really on top...where as the API ammonia and nitrate were way out

okies, but doesnt aquarium test kits deliberately not show up background ammonia, seen as fish are subjected to it all the time, but on the test kit showing 0 on a 100% mature aquarium, not sure if you will understand what i mean, but heyho

 

[waterdrop]

i had my water tested at a lab and out of the two the saliferts were really on top...where as the API ammonia and nitrate were way out

okies, but doesnt aquarium test kits deliberately not show up background ammonia, seen as fish are subjected to it all the time, but on the test kit showing 0 on a 100% mature aquarium, not sure if you will understand what i mean, but heyho

Yes, I understand what you're trying to say and its correct. In a fully cycled tank with a full fish load there will be a significant transfer of ammonia from the fish to the bacteria in the filter and yet any good liquid ammonia test kit will show zero ppm ammonia. Just goes to show that a quarter of a part per million, where a "trace" begins to seem significant in many ammonia tests, is a good deal of ammonia.

Speaking from my own experience, I found the API Freshwater Master Test Kit to be easy to understand and it allowed me to fishless cycle and make sense of what was going on. In dozens of cases withing the last couple years that I've watched here in the beginner's section the feedback about the API kits has seemed to be similar to my experience, not to mention any number of ones on here more experience than me mentioning that its worked fine for them too.

From wide reading here and on other forums and sites too I know that Salifert is even more respected for accuracy and quality and I respect those opinions too. I respect your opinion too truck! You've made lots and lots of good observations that I've seen. So I don't know, I guess I hate to see beginners get bogged down in confusion right as they are trying to form a simple picture and direction to proceed in. I'm sure it would be fine for them to pick up a Salifert master kit, but I just feel its exaggerating the case to move to the point of calling the API master kit an inaccurate tool when so many of us feel that's not been the case for us.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Truck]

i had my water tested at a lab and out of the two the saliferts were really on top...where as the API ammonia and nitrate were way out

okies, but doesnt aquarium test kits deliberately not show up background ammonia, seen as fish are subjected to it all the time, but on the test kit showing 0 on a 100% mature aquarium, not sure if you will understand what i mean, but heyho

no not that adam...im fish in cycling and i took a water sample...half went to the lab, and half was tested with the API

lab- NH3/4+ 0.27 NO2 0.73 NO3 0
API NH3/4+ 1 NO2 5 (pretty good) NO3 10ppm
saliferts NH3/4+ 0.2 nitrite 0.5 nitrate 0
the ammonia was way out.

 

[PDB-89]

i use the APi test kit and have no problem with it

 

[Forestpisces]

Have to say i've always used API and have never ad a problem.

 

[Skunkfu]

Ok guys, i went for API one, it looks like alot of people use it, so if get confused on something i can get help here.
Its a quite big selection of kits out there, realy makes it hard to choose for begginer who doesnt know much.
Thanks for your help guys!