Test Kits

[Nichole]

I've been told by many fish enthusiasts to get a good quality test kit...Well being the beginner that I am, I don't really know how to determine a quality test kit. Just wondering what brand(s) of test kits you use, and where or what type of store did you find it at.

 

[iankent]

I use the API Master Test Kit - got it from LFS for about £20. Easy enough to use, results are mostly clear enough to read (as long as your in bright enough light ) - and i'm a beginner too

a lot of people have said the TetraTest kits are good too, but havent used them myself! Apparently the nitrate readings are more accurate with tetratest, although I think its slightly more expensive!

edit - forgot to say -

 

[Nichole]

I'm currently using TetraTest.

Oh and thanks for the welcome.

 

[iankent]

I'm currently using TetraTest.

Oh and thanks for the welcome.

just read your profile - you say about "cheap and hearty for starters", do you mean for the first fish? i dont know how much you've read up on fishkeeping (plenty of useful info on here!), but this is a good place to start: Fishless Cycling - i'd recommend going the fishless cycling so your fish stay healthy, and you dont feel guilty if they die after a few weeks!!

 

[Nichole]

I'm currently using TetraTest.

Oh and thanks for the welcome.

just read your profile - you say about "cheap and hearty for starters", do you mean for the first fish? i dont know how much you've read up on fishkeeping (plenty of useful info on here!), but this is a good place to start: Fishless Cycling - i'd recommend going the fishless cycling so your fish stay healthy, and you dont feel guilty if they die after a few weeks!!

We did about a 3 1/2 week fishless cycle and then ran a few final tests and everything turned out fine so we went ahead and got a few fish. Nothing major just yet, we will probably have these by themselves for a few weeks yet before adding new fish.

 

[JenCliBee]

same here i use the API test kit, works great althought yes nitrates arnt the most accurate


and welcome

 

[iankent]

We did about a 3 1/2 week fishless cycle and then ran a few final tests and everything turned out fine so we went ahead and got a few fish. Nothing major just yet, we will probably have these by themselves for a few weeks yet before adding new fish.

glad the cycle went well nice choice of fish too (from your other post), not sure what happened to your neons, but if your Molly is big enough to eat them, it probably will sooner or later

 

[Nichole]

same here i use the API test kit, works great althought yes nitrates arnt the most accurate


and welcome

 

[ALW]

Interpet, Test Master Liquid

 

[lfckopite]

API freshwater Master Test Kit is the best and easy to use

 

[waterdrop]

Hi and Welcome!

I agree with the consensus. I have and use the API Freshwater Master Test Kit because of recommendations here on TFF. I use it every day. I use a TetraTest KH kit and that has worked well also. I agree that the TetraTest (I think that's the one) Nitrate test has been said to maybe be better than the API Nitrate test.

I think the Marine Lab Fresh Lab Deluxe kit doesn't have Nitrate but has some other extra tests. The Red Sea Fresh Lab only has pH, Nitrite and Ammonia tests and there have been a few more questios re Red Sea accuracy than some of the others, at least on various online sources fwiw. I believe there is a Hagen mini-master that doesn't include Nitrate.

I believe many consider the Salifert range of tests to be more accurate by a bit, more expensive and to have more steps and time involved. I believe some of the pros use these when they really want to check something closely but that the consensus is that this is more trouble than needed in most cases.

The real power of test kits comes in your experience as a fishkeeper when interpreting the trends your tests show you over various time periods. Thus, for beginners, interacting here on the forum and learning those skills and then keeping good logs of exactly what you do is an important way to get better use of test kits!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Dave Spencer]

I haven`t used a test kit in over a year.

Basically, if my fish and plants are happy, then the water is fine. No test kit I know of in the hobby is more accurate at telling whether water parameters are OK, better than livestock.

Dave.

 

[iankent]

Basically, if my fish and plants are happy, then the water is fine. No test kit I know of in the hobby is more accurate at telling whether water parameters are OK, better than livestock.

Dave.

excellent advice, but as a beginner I wont be doing it that way for a while yet lol

 

[three-fingers]

I use the API master test kit like everyone else, but I'm looking elsewhere now - nitrate test is useless, and it doesn't test for KH or GH, which would be useful for me.

 

[waterdrop]

I use the API master test kit like everyone else, but I'm looking elsewhere now - nitrate test is useless, and it doesn't test for KH or GH, which would be useful for me.

API makes a KH/GH test kit. I'm using a TetraTest KH kit which is working fine. My API Nitrate test has always worked fine -starts out showing 0 clearly on my tap water and it builds through the colors as a tank gets more and more nitrates - I've seen pretty much all of the color variations match the chart. It is the most irritating amongst the set in the API Master kit, as it requires the 30sec shake of bottle two prior to drops and then the 1min shake of the tube prior to the 5min timing IIR. Perhaps the Salifert Nitrate is the best? Seems like Andy and some of the guys with lots of big tanks said they use these at times.