-
Forum
-
Tropical Aquariums
-
Water and Health
-
Good test kits ?
×
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
Good test kits ?
Less
More
-
Posts: 2030
-
Thank you received: 102
-
-
10 Sep 2008 16:27 #1
by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Thought this might be a good topic to bring up.
What test kits are out there at present and what ones are good ?
I presently use API strips,Ive founds alright but I guess they dont give hugely accurate readings either. Anyone got some advise on it?
Gavin
Please Log in to join the conversation.
-
Valerie (Valerie)
-
-
Visitor
-
10 Sep 2008 16:33 #2
by Valerie (Valerie)
I have heard that strips are not very reliable but have no personal experience with them. I use an API test kit with reagents. It seems good (at least it tells me what I want to see!

).
Valerie
Please Log in to join the conversation.
Less
More
-
Posts: 1420
-
Thank you received: 2
-
-
Less
More
-
Posts: 104
-
Thank you received: 0
-
-
10 Sep 2008 21:31 #4
by umm (karen baker)
havent used strips. bought an API master kit. IMO its really good.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
Less
More
-
Posts: 315
-
Thank you received: 0
-
-
06 Oct 2008 23:29 #5
by arabesque (Mick Veale)
those old tablet tests used to be great.. i find the API stuff a bit vague.
the pH and nitrates seem to work but ammonia is useless..
.. i did an experiment where i left a bit of food rotting for two days on the window sill
outdoors in 5ml of water... then tested for ammonia and got zero...
i think you could urinate in them and still never see a positive ammonia result.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
Less
More
-
Posts: 99
-
Thank you received: 0
-
-
11 Oct 2008 09:11 #6
by Puggy (Fergus Cooke)
I use the API master kit. Seems to be ok, though you must follow the instructions exactly. Some of the test reagents come out of solution, ie turn to solid particles in the packaging, so be sure to bang them against a table or kitchen counter and shake for 30 seconds before using. You also got to be scrupulous about cleaning the test tubes and being sure there is no contamination.
When I started using mine, to test water in two heavily planted tanks, my nitrate readings were always 5ppm. I had a suspicion I was doing something wrong and re-read the instruction and I was not shaking the tested solution for 60 seconds as instructed. Once I changed my test routine I started getting reading for nitrate of 40-60 ppm.
Before the API kit I used test strips. But again, what you use is not really the important thing, its how you test and interpret the results, you gotta be consistent.
By the way where did you get your ph pen mickeywallace?
Please Log in to join the conversation.
Less
More
-
Posts: 125
-
Thank you received: 0
-
-
24 Oct 2008 16:57 - 24 Oct 2008 17:01 #7
by tm2204 (Thomas Maguire)
I've used API liquid test kits for years & they are excellent.
Also, never had problems with the Ammonia test kit either. It normally reads 0ppm for me (as expected) but does pick up and register any spikes.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
-
Forum
-
Tropical Aquariums
-
Water and Health
-
Good test kits ?
Time to create page: 0.045 seconds