Test Kits

[chrischeyne]

ok i try that thanx,
ps i added a new golden nuggart plac today his he going to be ok

 

[chrischeyne]

just done that and i come out at 7.8 so i guess this is a true reading now will my golden nuggart plac be ok

 

[fatheadminnow]

He should be just fine.

Usually fish show signs of pH shock when you acclimate them poorly to a new tank with a different pH, or the pH changes suddenly without warning.

So, if he is okay right now, then I would not worry about it.

-FHM

 

[chrischeyne]

cool thanx mate

 

[steelhealr]

Many people fret over exact numbers when it truly is unnecessary unless you are dealing with an organism that is dependent on a specific pH. Eg, if you keep freshwater lobsters (crayfish), consistently acidic pH's may affect their shells. In saltwater tanks, pH's below 8, over time, may effect the calcium carbonate shells of animals or skeletons of corals. If your breeders are not breeding or are specifically dependant on a PRECISE pH, then buying the best test kit or monitor you can find is worth the investment. Salifert test kits are typically more expensive and frequently are a pain to use.

Otherwise, the most important thing is consistency. If you use the same kit all the time and use the same techngique for testing, small variations in pH will most likely have a negligible effect on your animals as they are very adaptable. Don't kill yourself over this unless you really require accuracy.

SH

 

[chrischeyne]

that makes sense i dont need precise ph some were between 7 and 8 is fine i have a lot of livebearers they like it around 7.5 so the reading i am getting is fine cheers again

 

[andywg]

Many people fret over exact numbers when it truly is unnecessary unless you are dealing with an organism that is dependent on a specific pH. Eg, if you keep freshwater lobsters (crayfish), consistently acidic pH's may affect their shells. In saltwater tanks, pH's below 8, over time, may effect the calcium carbonate shells of animals or skeletons of corals. If your breeders are not breeding or are specifically dependant on a PRECISE pH, then buying the best test kit or monitor you can find is worth the investment. Salifert test kits are typically more expensive and frequently are a pain to use.

Otherwise, the most important thing is consistency. If you use the same kit all the time and use the same techngique for testing, small variations in pH will most likely have a negligible effect on your animals as they are very adaptable. Don't kill yourself over this unless you really require accuracy.

SH

Just to add to this very important point that too many people get hung up on numbers, many people proclaim test strips to be inaccurate, though I am yet to see a post linking to a test where different types of test are tested against known level samples. I wonder whether people prefer liquid tests as they feel more like a real chemist playing with all the test tubes and the bottles and powders. I have tested two samples collected from the same tanks at the same time (both collection and test) with a liquid test kit. One showed 0ppm nitrates, the other 160ppm. I would not say that this represents great accuracy.

Given that this is the scientific forum, I fear one will have to say that the claims regarding the relevant accuracy of test strips and liquid bottles are unverified until someone can provide a link to something like the above.

As an aside, when a similar test was conducted on refractometers and hydrometers it was found that, at the price point of most in the hobby, there was little to choose between the two types despite the claims one will often hear that refractometers are more accurate.

 

[steelhealr]

It would be interesting if one of our members did a test using standard reference pH liquids. However, that would entail a bit of cost. You could buy several reagents and test. Unfortuntately, one run would hardly a big study make. SH

 

[T1KARMANN]

people slag off the test stripes all the time

but to tell the truth they are just to give you a ruff estimate to your water parameters

the strips are not 100% spot on but they are only a little bit out

i have not done water tests for years if i think my fish don't look 100% happy i just use a strip as they will give you a fair indication of PH NO2 and NO3