Which water analysis kit?

[daisycat]

We have a water analysis kit from LFS that we bought in desperate times (we realised ammonia might be a problem and we grabbed the only kit they sold) but I am not sure it is very accurate really. It seems to only be able to register 0 or off the scale (of course it could simply be that our water is either 0 or off the scale but I am finding that increasingly difficult to believe!).

We're about to start cycling our new 400L tank (if the substrate ever arrives) and I would like something a bit more accurate but not sure what kit to get (happy to buy off internet from a UK supplier) so any recommendations would be very welcome.

 

[Fordaz]

I use Nutrafin Kits. Ammonia, PH, Nitrite, Nitrate and water hardness vary in price between £5 and £8 per kit, and last for about 70-80 tests. I think there's a few more too.

If you look around, there should be a "starter kit" by the same people, in it you get all the testing kits you need to cycle your tank for the first time.

Two of my LFS's use these kits when testing water for their customers (the other one has an electric gizmo), so I'd say they're pretty accurate.

 

[atkinspa]

I have used both Tetra and Nutrafin. both seem to work well.
The only thing I found being a newbie is that although the Nutrafin are supposed be be more sensitive they remain clear if no chemical present (ammonina, Nitrite). This I found a little confusing when trying to learn the chemical cycle (not being sure if i had done the test correctly or if it was working at all). Also being new to this I found the Nurafin tests a little hard to determin which shade of purple or not the test was showing.

The Tetra tests do change colour if even if no chemical is present meaning at least you can see something happening. The Nirtite test stays yellow if all clear or turns orange or red if Nitrite present, make it easy to see any problems.

This helped for me trying to understand the testing procedures and results.

 

[pandapops001]

Hello again Daisycat,

HagenTestKits

Dont know if this helps, but i have just ordered 3 test kits from here, apparentely you have to get the yellow boxed ammonia test kit as the orange takes ages, I havent tried them yet as i'm awaiting delivery on Wednesday, and i'm not sure if the fish flakes i originally added are enough to even test on.

But i was recommended to try these by many people on here when i first started my tank, plus they are pretty quick at dispatching your order. (And deliver in the UK)

Really hope this helps,

Regards
Miranda

 

[leanne]

I found that TetraTest gave false high readings (compared to 3 LFS) so I bought API kits (cheap but work quite well). If you are after something very reliable JBL ones are good but are a bit more expensive. I would stay away from TetraTest and Doc Wellgood (or something like that - might be wellfish...)

 

[gixer]

i personally find the tetra tests to be a waste of space. hagen or api i tend to use.

 

[crookedfish]

I have just bought the Nutrafin master test kit. I can't coment on how good they are are (haven't got a tank yet!), but it is a Hagen test kit which are made for nutrafin.

Si

 

[Sky042]

I believe API is available to you in the UK

I'd suggest 2 kits to purchase.
The freshwater master test kit(which contains PH, Ammonia, Nitrite, GH, KH)

and the nitrate test kit

They're both liquid kits and you'll get about 130 tests from them which is MUCH more economical than either the dry tab or the quick dip strips. They're also rather accurate.
here in the states the master kit is $20 and the nitrate is about $8 and it's well worth it.

 

[Teelie]

I use Aquarium Pharmacuticals myself. I've found them reliable. I use Jungle too and they're usually reliable although sometimes I find their kits suspect on nitrates.

 

[gixer]

i noticed today that the new api master kit has a nitrate test in (about time too) but i think they left out the kh test grrrrrr i use this more than anything else...

i could be wrong. hopefully it was gh they took out..if so thats what i will get from now on..

 

[luxum]

I like the drytab tests, i hate counting drops with liquid tests.

 

[Sky042]

i noticed today that the new api master kit has a nitrate test in (about time too) but i think they left out the kh test grrrrrr i use this more than anything else...

i could be wrong. hopefully it was gh they took out..if so thats what i will get from now on..

I just bought the new Master kit it doesn't have a nitrate test kit. but since it now has the 2 bottle ammonia test they did have to kick a test out.

a separate KH test kit is cheap to add to it.

 

[gixer]

i noticed today that the new api master kit has a nitrate test in (about time too) but i think they left out the kh test grrrrrr i use this more than anything else...

i could be wrong. hopefully it was gh they took out..if so thats what i will get from now on..

I just bought the new Master kit it doesn't have a nitrate test kit. but since it now has the 2 bottle ammonia test they did have to kick a test out.

a separate KH test kit is cheap to add to it.

yeah i have the one with the 2 bottle ammonia and the earilier on with kh but i did see one today that had nitrate included... must be yet another new one...


stupid it didnt have a nitrate test in the first place

 

[daisycat]

Thanks all,

We actually have the API tests already (thanks for the pics Sky042!!!)

Ammonia has finally come down a little yesterday so I am doubting the test less now. It was just bugging me so much that the damn thing was always 0 or off scale.

We were in LFS yesterday and noticed the new version with nitrates included and got a bit confused...glad to hear this is a revision after a long standing problem - thought we had gone a bit mad! I think it is the GH test that is excluded because I stood for a long time looking at the box and puzzling over it.

We'll stick with these tests for now then and hope we never have such a bad situation again.

 

[Sky042]

Thanks all,

We actually have the API tests already (thanks for the pics Sky042!!!)

Ammonia has finally come down a little yesterday so I am doubting the test less now. It was just bugging me so much that the damn thing was always 0 or off scale.

We were in LFS yesterday and noticed the new version with nitrates included and got a bit confused...glad to hear this is a revision after a long standing problem - thought we had gone a bit mad! I think it is the GH test that is excluded because I stood for a long time looking at the box and puzzling over it.

We'll stick with these tests for now then and hope we never have such a bad situation again.

You think its troubling trying to figure out the ammonia levels. My nitrites have been so high that the reactant would go from ultra purple to CLEAR or like a cloudy clear it seemed as if it was going beyond a visible light spectrum....then for a week it turned neon blue(which also isn't on the scale) then neon green. Just in the past 2 days has it finally gone to a color thats actually within the range of the test set. So just think more than 2 weeks of testing nitrite and getting colors that you couldn't see or didn't even come close to the card.