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Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)

Hi,

John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.

I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.

With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.

I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.

If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.

I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.

I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.

Thank you
Darragh Sherwin

test kits, which ones and why

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30 Dec 2013 14:35 #1 by Esoxluciouss (denis goulding)
Hi. I am just getting back into the swing. Set up the Nano tank last weekend.
My test kit I just noticed is out of date. Pity. Now I am looking for a newckit. Any recommendations and if so why?.
I appreciate your help...

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31 Dec 2013 10:23 #2 by Esoxluciouss (denis goulding)
You must all have them, 17 views 0 replies. ?

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31 Dec 2013 10:58 #3 by Jasonb (Jason Browne)
I'm new to all this, but from what I've heard, stay away from the Test Strips, and the API Master Test kit seems to be recommended (it's the one I use... ).

J.

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31 Dec 2013 11:08 #4 by Esoxluciouss (denis goulding)
No matter that you are new. I just wanted to see what people use. Thank you for taking the time to reply. Happy New year to you ..

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31 Dec 2013 11:35 #5 by CrustyCrab (Peter Biddulph)
I use the API test Kits. Happy enought with them, and have just got in the habit of buying them. have used the interpet tests in the past, but personaly I prefer the API.

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31 Dec 2013 13:09 #6 by igmillichip (ian millichip)
Most of the commonly available test kits are basically the same in how they work or what they measure.
Few offer any real revolutionary breakthroughs !!

Different kits do, however, offer better or worse means of measuring the volume of water, or volume of added test solution, or means of reading the results.....and that could be the crunch.

None of the off-the-shelf kits are super accurate......but you don't need the accuracy of a forensic lab for fish keeping.

What is more important than accuracy is precision
That precision can be used to gauge how any one tank is progressing.....it is then up to the keeper to make sure that each test is done the same as the previous test such that results can be compared.

There is really no such thing as the "best and most recommendable" test kit as the "best" may be very expensive and needs constant calibration eg some lab equipment and, therefore, not really recommendable.

Often a sub-standard test kit may be one of the best in use on the basis that many people use it and, therefore, there is lots of help and comparable data available. [that's a bit like buying a car]

Ian

Irish Tropical Fish Society (ITFS) Member.

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31 Dec 2013 15:42 #7 by Miamiheat (Stephane Lemaire)
newbie here but jesus I have tested my water a lot in the last few weeks :)
I have used JBL and use JBL for nitrite, nitrate (i don't like that one so much), PH (3-10) again i am not very fond but i have no means of comparison (I am waiting on a brand new API kit). I also use JBL for KH (super simple).
I have used API for ammonia since day one and it is good in my opinion. I am now using API for nitrite as well and I find it very hard to chose the right colour on the scales. But its good to use as a yes/no type of test (blue = no nitrites, any other colour start to worry. Deep purple = deep shit LOL ). I read a very interesting article about API test kit and it is that the vials provided with a marked line at 5ML are very often wrong (the line is printed wrong): i guess that can mess up your tests. Suggestion which I have been applying from day one is i bought 10ml syringes from my pharmacy (one per tank for water testing + extras for different chemicals if needed), They are properly graduated so you can verify your glass vials by taking an exact 5ml with the syringe and see if your volume of water matches the marked line.

FYI the tests that "i don't like" are because i have a hard time selecting the right shade of colour when you are in a range of similar colours (perhaps i need an optician).
good luck!

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31 Dec 2013 17:06 #8 by Esoxluciouss (denis goulding)
Thank u all for your input. I always used api and I will get another tomorrow.
I was looking at a jbl master kit. There are more tests in it than Api. But as I have seen most go Api. Chip I understand it's a bit of a puzzle and they all are similar. Thank u crusty and heat for your experiences. I will be using this set regularly as after this tank is sorted I have a few more to get going. Thanks again.

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01 Jan 2014 18:49 #9 by Q_Comets (Declan Chambers)
Hi I have used the API and more recently got a sera kit which has better test vials (IMO) and loads of different tests for the money €45

Worth a look

And welcome

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