Test Kits

[Ch4rlie]

Salifert…I can’t recall exact been a while but that might be more saltwater option than for fresh or fresh limited.

"Salifert Profi Test Kits for reef, marine and advanced freshwater aquarists are some of the most precise and accurate test kits on the market. Kits are available for all aspects of the aquarium's chemistry, covering organic and inorganic pollutants as well as valuable marine trace elements to allow for accurate dosing when additives are required. The kits feature bold colour changes and good colour comparison charts so that you can be sure of the water's chemistry."

Quoted from - https://www.swelluk.com/salifert/test-kits

Salifert brand, their testing products do cover both saltwater and freshwater.

Yes, except does not have a beginner aware of gh and kh ..so ppl start off blind

I think I can work out what you mean, in a sense new beginners to the hobby do start off 'blind' as to what gH & kH is and fail to test this as lots of testing kits do not contain these types of water hardness test kit.

However, nearly all tests kits do contain a test for pH, this can be used as a very basic guide as to water hardness and is useful, then when newbies ask what is water hardness, we then can guide them what it is and how to to test for water hardness, or even asking them to go onto their water supplier website and find out what their local water supply does, or taking a sample of tank water to their LFS and asking them what the gH is (some LFS do this service usually for a small fee) so there is more than one way of finding out about gH and kH.

By that same token of your statement, most newbies are completely unawares of even the cycling process, never mind knowing they need a test kit for water parameters.

This is exactly what this forum is for, to help educate everyone, new and experienced keepers about this complex hobby and most of us are more than happy to pass on our knowledge and experience to help those out who need guidance
https://www.bing.com/search?q=can+s...NNTH1&refig=a0250813c9574b429d9574f79dd0656b#

 

[JazzyV]

Yes, thanks for clearing that up on salifert..it’s been a while for me since I study them.
Yes I understand what you mean. But I doubt they even understand ph to add the 2 together like you and I. We are more referring to experience here while a new to the hobby has not grown to that point just yet. Maybe some but not all can compute that... It speaks clear when they can’t apply it accordingly to feedings or when to fasting or water changes when due. Then I don’t want to spend an evening chilling with aquarists that are just picking the day they want to water change or feed stating they have the power of api Kit behind them while experience aquarists are slamming them. And water changes thats once a week or once a month without the gh kh or ph to support it says a lot about a new person to the hobby that hasn’t been given here by someone to go test your kh bc you won’t understand ph until a while later…Ignoring that so many new to the hobby can not yet add those up and what they really mean. Then when they have problems they are then met by ppl slamming them for tank size and water quality while no compassion for their sick baby or dying is address. While no one reached out to tell them your water will only last you 3 days until you are due for a water change in plain English. The kit says, “Master” for a good reason.
I listen to what new ppl are saying and I have been there not long ago myself.

There’s a lack of synergy that is offered by the masters api that maps a lacking road to success…only that clearly reflects on everyday new hobbyists getting recommended api masters.
If I was to start a family or loved one of keeping fish. I would not start them with api. I will add that later for them to advance. Not starting off right can mean misery and quiting the hobby before they even started. A fish community, I would like to think we can make more awareness and changes by helping others start with a good synergy for success and not go numb to only serve the well experience and missing out on what it’s like to be new and know nothing.

just speaking my view and opinion from my experienceI hope others don’t find this offensive but look to see how difficult it is for a new person and be understanding of the lack of experience and help others enjoy this hobby as you do with abundance of knowledge..starting with baby steps

 

[alistairw]

I was just wondering if the various test kits used the same chemicals (if that is the correct word) in the them to turn the colour to X in order that we can compare against the colour chart ?

Thoughts ?

Mmmmm. Not sure on that. The NT has 3bottles to do the ammonia test, which results in yellow if no ammonia. Api has 2 if I remember correctly.
The nitrate/nitrite are clear of non is detected where as AP I are grades of green or blue I think.
So maybe! I'm not much of a chemist to know what is used it the tests.

 

[Myraan]

JBL also has three for ammonia, while salifert just has a large bottle of (I believe) sodium hydroxide. JBL has two for nitrite rather than one, and that also will be yellow with a negative reading (well they say <0.01).

All nitrate tests seem to use powder, the API storing the powder in a liquid, but salifert turns pink while API and JBL are both yellow/orange

I reckon in most cases the differences are about adding an extra dye to aid in reading or maybe the shelf life is better and the two liquids of one test react to form the the one liquid of a different test.

 

[Avel1896]

JBL has the more accurate drop tests.

 

[Ch4rlie]

JBL has the more accurate drop tests.

I don’t know which brand is the most accurate tests.

Think some brands may have more accurate tests than others for certain water parameters, for example API may be more accurate for ammonia tests and jbl more accurate for nitrite and possibly NTLabs best for nitrate or suchlike, those are just examples off the top of my head and please don’t take that as true as just giving the idea that it would be good to know exactly.

Do you have a link to a website or science paper proving JBL has the most accurate drop test on the market. I don’t mean the marketing guff gimmick that most manufacturers come up with to sell their products, I mean a independent science based tests or from a known reliable source ?

Would be an interesting read if there is such information available.

 

[Myraan]

JBL has the more accurate drop tests.

I agree but I have to admit that is based on a feeling after having used several. It seems easier to read than API for instance, and appears to be more sensitive at lower ppm, probably only because the colour charts are based on looking down through the deeper part of the test tube, and the control thingy they have to account for any discoloration of the water.

As to actual accuracy, I couldn't say, as I don't have reference solutions to calibrate them with.

 

[JazzyV]

I think they have an app to match the color too..but I may recall incorrect..but if I can recall it’s an app that lets you compare the color…that didn’t really help me either

 

[JazzyV]

I would have to take it outside to sunlight to be sure color

 

[Ch4rlie]

I would have to take it outside to sunlight to be sure color

Thats fine if the sunlight is the same every time you test the water and you can easily tell the difference in colour of the test tube results then fine.

What if you test the results in the morning one week and then the following week you tested the results late afternoon, the daylight will be different at those times so the resulting colours will appear different just because it’s a different time of day and differing daylight tone.

But if it’s cloudy one day, will you still be able to tell exactly if it’s darker or not due to the cloudy daylight rather than sunlight day?

In the UK at least, the sunlight is not guaranteed as the weather can be unpredictable at times so it’s not reliable to use sunlight every time for see test tube colour results. I tend to use the kitchen light in same spot every time I want to see the test colour results.

That way it’s exactly the same light conditions every time I check results so I’ll know better and be more confident about the colour of the test results.

 

[JazzyV]

I save about 2,3, or even 4 previous test and compare. It seems to stay the same and stable so it seems a accurate way to rely on checking color for me to see if there’s a difference. This is api btw

 

[JazzyV]

But against a few different testing options/brand I would compare ..I’d catch inconsistency…I think tetra test strip might have been one for ammonia. So those test strip did not pick up ammonia genre like api masters. So it alarm me to dig deeper for that genre. If that makes sense.

 

[Avel1896]

As to actual accuracy, I couldn't say, as I don't have reference solutions to calibrate them with.

I could using my Hanna pH-EC-TDS-Temp tester. In fact, I already did for pH with a margin of error of 2 tenth (0.2).

 

[JazzyV]

They get very tricky to calibrate..maybe just my luck the the more expensive ones are temperment..it doesn’t like me

 

[Avel1896]

They get very tricky to calibrate..maybe just my luck the the more expensive ones are temperment..it doesn’t like me

Tricky ? Not at all. Mine is factory calibrated.