Well done NT Labs: They seem to have taken the hint

[Lynnzer]

For those who have been watching some of my other posts, it might have come to your attention that I have had a fair bit of griping about NT Labs GH test bottle inequality.
For those who haven't picked up on the subject yet, basically to do a GH test you need to add 5ml of water into a tube, then 2 drops from bottle number 1. That turns the water blue. Then you add as many drops as needed to turn the blue into yellow to get the correct GH.
In my area the water is super hard and I was doing up to 22 drops to get the result. Of course that meant that bottle number 2 became empty really quickly while bottle number 1 was almost still full.
There aren't any means available to buy separate bottles. SCAM comes to mind, doesn't it?

Well I got a bit sick of it and emailed NT Labs last Thursday:
Sir,
I am extremely frustrated with the NT Labs Test kit I have been using for many years now.
I cannot complain as to the quality of the tests as I find them very reliable. However I have a BIG PROBLEM.
I am in a very hard water area in the UK and no matter what fish I keep, and I have 7 tanks, every time I do a partial water change I really have to use the GH and KH tests to ensure compatibility of the new water.

As you will be well aware, the GH in particular is a double bottle test. Following your test procedure I have to add 2 drops of GH-A into a 5ml tube of water. Then I have to add however many drops I need from the 2nd bottle to change the colour of the water being tested.
No problem. The result is excellent EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT I HAVE TO USE AROUND 15 TO 22 DROPS OF THE 2ND BOTTLE TO ONLY 2 OF THE FIRST BOTTLE. This is ridiculous. I have 5 bottles of GH-A left from previous purchases with none of the 2nd bottle. The unequal number of drops from each bottle is a very expensive way of doing things.

PLEASE SELL ME SOME OF THE 2ND BOTTLES BY THEMSELVES. In all fairness this matter must be known to you already and I would expect a company with the sort of reputation you have, would have addressed it already and made the bottles individually available.
I am out of the 2nd bottle right now and am extremely reluctant to buy any more NT Labs GH tests.
If you wish to call me about this please do so.

My mobile number is xxxxxxxxx

And if you feel you could release some bottles as a gesture of goodwill, my address is -----

RESULT. I got this back today:
Dear Mr Robson,
Thank you for your email.
Firstly, I have to say that to best of our knowledge no one has raised this very valid point before. In the meantime we will post out some GH(b) reagent for you and will raise this at our next product development meeting.
Kind Regards,
Leah

Yippeeeeee. It does sometimes pay to vent your frustrations.

 

[Lemon]

Wooo good for you!

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Nicely done! Kudos to the company for being willing to openly admit the problem and send you some of the reagent you need. Definitely pays to lay out the problem clearly and politely. Won't always pay off, but you were concise, shared your frustrations yet gave credit where it was due (that you like the product's accuracy) but the obvious flaw. Hope they start to sell the second bottles separately as a result!

 

[AmyKieran]

For those who have been watching some of my other posts, it might have come to your attention that I have had a fair bit of griping about NT Labs GH test bottle inequality.
For those who haven't picked up on the subject yet, basically to do a GH test you need to add 5ml of water into a tube, then 2 drops from bottle number 1. That turns the water blue. Then you add as many drops as needed to turn the blue into yellow to get the correct GH.
In my area the water is super hard and I was doing up to 22 drops to get the result. Of course that meant that bottle number 2 became empty really quickly while bottle number 1 was almost still full.
There aren't any means available to buy separate bottles. SCAM comes to mind, doesn't it?

Well I got a bit sick of it and emailed NT Labs last Thursday:
Sir,
I am extremely frustrated with the NT Labs Test kit I have been using for many years now.
I cannot complain as to the quality of the tests as I find them very reliable. However I have a BIG PROBLEM.
I am in a very hard water area in the UK and no matter what fish I keep, and I have 7 tanks, every time I do a partial water change I really have to use the GH and KH tests to ensure compatibility of the new water.

As you will be well aware, the GH in particular is a double bottle test. Following your test procedure I have to add 2 drops of GH-A into a 5ml tube of water. Then I have to add however many drops I need from the 2nd bottle to change the colour of the water being tested.
No problem. The result is excellent EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT I HAVE TO USE AROUND 15 TO 22 DROPS OF THE 2ND BOTTLE TO ONLY 2 OF THE FIRST BOTTLE. This is ridiculous. I have 5 bottles of GH-A left from previous purchases with none of the 2nd bottle. The unequal number of drops from each bottle is a very expensive way of doing things.

PLEASE SELL ME SOME OF THE 2ND BOTTLES BY THEMSELVES. In all fairness this matter must be known to you already and I would expect a company with the sort of reputation you have, would have addressed it already and made the bottles individually available.
I am out of the 2nd bottle right now and am extremely reluctant to buy any more NT Labs GH tests.
If you wish to call me about this please do so.

My mobile number is xxxxxxxxx

And if you feel you could release some bottles as a gesture of goodwill, my address is -----

RESULT. I got this back today:
Dear Mr Robson,
Thank you for your email.
Firstly, I have to say that to best of our knowledge no one has raised this very valid point before. In the meantime we will post out some GH(b) reagent for you and will raise this at our next product development meeting.
Kind Regards,
Leah

Yippeeeeee. It does sometimes pay to vent your frustrations.

This is very valid as I also use the nt labs testing kit aswell as others

I live in a soft water area but I buffer my water for my cichlids, hence use about 15 drops of the second bottle. I’ve almost ran out of the second bottle but the first is still full lol

I see the frustration

I luckily have lots of gh left through my api and jpg testing kits.

The api bottle is huge and the jpl gives you 2 bottles.

 

[Slaphppy7]

The squeaky wheel gets the grease....

 

[Lynnzer]

Well done Labs. You have certainly helped me this time. I received 5 bottles or re-agent today.
I wonder how many other people will have the same problem, how many will be notified or what their Product Development Meeting will do to give a long term answer.
I think every retailer of the kits should be brought in to discuss things, especially how they should give an honest sale to people buying the kits on the assumption that 2 bottles for testing one water parameter will be used in equal capacity.
I was almost at the point of dropping their full boxed testing kit and going API instead, even though I am otherwise completely satisfied with the other tests.
Anyway; Thanks once more NT Labs