Water Testing Kits

[GriffinC18]

Hey, so i am going to get a kit to test my nitrate, ammonia, nitrite and PH.....
 
should i get one with the drops of liquid or the other kind?
 
 
Whats the benefits of the certain ones and which ones the best in your opinion?

 

[Ninjouzata]

Get the liquid ones as they are more accurate. The strips are junk.

 

[Ch4rlie]

API Master FW Test Kit is generally regarded as good value for money and perfect for newbies.
 
There are other brands out there but for the money, this is the one imho to start out with.
 
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Usually buying these online tend to be cheaper than buying them from LFS, shop around

 

[GriffinC18]

Now can you use that same test kit for multiple tanks? or is it one test kit per tank?

 

[Ch4rlie]

Yes, you can use the kit for multiple tanks, just a case of ensuring test vial is clean between tests.
 
Simply rinse vial and cap well in tap water, no soaps or detergents etc

 

[BenVernon]

Tetra 6 in 1 is good for beginners. 

 

[Ch4rlie]

Tetra 6 in 1 is good for beginners. 

 
This is a Strip Dip Test Kit, hmm, would actually advise against this one, strip kits tend to be very unreliable and inaccurate.
 
Hach makes decent dip strip kits but much more expensive for each test.
 
So value for money is not there in either kit above, one is decent but costly, the other is unreliable and may cause issues and confusion with tank water parameters.

 

[catfish4ever]

Can you reuse test kits

 

[Ch4rlie]

Can you reuse test kits

 
Not sure what you mean?
 
Liquid test kit can be used for multiple number of tanks provided the test tube / vial is clean before testing and you have enough test liquid, but you cannot use the same water in test tube / vial for another test.
 
Dip strip kits cannot be re-used once you've dipped the strip in water, however getting another strip of test can be used.

 

[AshleyNZ]

I would recommend the API Freshwater Master Test Kit aswell, it is good value for money and you can use it again and again, after cleaning the test tubes

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Basically test kits use some form of reagent(s). The strips have the reagent on them and can only be used one time. Most other kits use liquid, powder or even tablet reagents which one adds to a specific amount of tank water. These kits all come with a small vial with a line on it to measure the water in and then into which one adds the reagent(s). You can buy more reagent(s) when you run out.
 
The kits come with the vial, the reagent(s), instructions and, for many tests, a color card against which you compare the color of your test result in order to determine what level whatever one is measuring might be. Test strips are read in a similar fashion- parts of them change color. When strips run out you buy more strips.

 

[GriffinC18]

So how many tanks (or how many times) can you use the API Master FW Test Kit?
 
I looked up prices and found they were a little above my price range that i was willing to spend....seeing that my fish have lived for this long.
 
Is their any other cheaper product that you would recommend?

 

[Ch4rlie]

Not really any cheaper value for money kits than Api which give decent tests (apart from Nitrate) as far as I know.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Have heard that most API FW master kits are around the $29 US price range, that is actually cheaper than what I pay for here in UK, usually about £25 or $42 US.
 
Have to say thats a pretty good price for a test kit that consists of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH tests, with test tubes / vials and easy to follow instructions. Will last a long time.

 

[RyanTheFishGuy64]

Tetra 6 in 1 is good for beginners. 

I use this and they arent dead yet