# What test kits do you use?



## bmedeiros678 (Mar 26, 2007)

I am used to the liquid kits but I now see a lot of strips for the hobby. 

Are the test strips any good? 

How often do you test the water? 

What do you test for? PH, GH, KH etc.


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## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

This would make a good poll question. I don't test for anything, but if I did I'd probably go with whatever is cheapest.


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## Alex123 (Jul 3, 2008)

I have PH and ammonia test kits but I hardly ever use it. They are liquid test kit which I heard is more accurate. The local pet store can test your water and tell you all that you are asking for free. The PH tells me my water is pretty alkaline but there's not much I can do as it is pretty hard water. Instead of adapting the water to the PH I adapt the plants/fishes(selective) to the water. So I don't use PH anymore. The ammonia have always been zero in my planted tank so it's pretty useless(only use when problem with fishes). So unless you notice something wrong with the fishes, don't bother with test kits and if something is wrong, take water to local pet store and have them check it out.


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## bmedeiros678 (Mar 26, 2007)

mudboots said:


> This would make a good poll question.


I was surprised that there was not a poll on here already.


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## El Exorcisto (Aug 10, 2006)

I use my plants as my test kits. If they aren't spewing oxygen bubbles, the CO2 needs to get cranked. If they are stunting I need to add a little K. If my rotala macrandra is washing out I need to drop in a 1/2 tsp of KPhos. It's way easier chasing my plants than chasing numbers that don't mean anything.


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

Ditto: If the plants and fish are thriving I do not bother testing. 

If I want to move fish around, and when I buy new fish I will test to be sure they are going to be OK in the new water. Once in a while I will test all the tanks and record it. Mostly to be sure things are still on track. 

I have the liquid tests by Aquarium Pharmaceutical. Most are pretty easy to read, and the timing is easy: read the label, set the timer, read the test. The results do not vary over several seconds, so the result is accurate, even if your timing is off a bit. NH3/NH4+, NO2, NO3, GH, KH, pH, high range pH, salinity (part of their pond test kit, very low salt range), Chlorine. 
I have the Red Sea Iron test. I have gotten some really weird colors out of that one. I have no idea what the iron level in the tanks are. The test tube of water turns green, and the test result card shows blues and greys, mostly. Or pink. Not green. 
I also have a phosphate test. My goal is to mix dry ferts according to that test and the NO3 test and dose accordingly. I have not gotten that far, yet. Some tanks have 5 ppm phosphate, others seem to have little or no phosphate. 

I also have the 6-way strips from Jungle. (NO2, NO3, KH, GH, pH, Cl) The timing has to be perfect to accurately read these. Especially the NO3. Even a second or to off and the result is off. And separate strips for ammonia. 

The few times I have done both tests (Liquid and dip sticks) on the same tank I have seen some odd results from the GH and KH. These seem not to be accurate, but which is right? 

I have one meter, for TDS. 

Overall I do not test very often, and would not be surprised if the test kits have expired. 

I think part of the way to analyze the results is to compare the results with prior tests. If the tank is stable the results will vary over a small range, and in some sort of cycle that stays within the safe range for fish and plants. Often the tests will show no change at all. 

Another good use for the tests is to check that your tap (or other source) of water is consistent, so you know how to alter it if needed for water changes.


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## ObiQuiet (Oct 9, 2009)

It seems to me that there are at least 2, maybe 3, separate questions:
1. If you're a beginner (like me) or your tank is not yet stable (like mine) what tests should you keep an eye on? Beginner = don't yet know how to read the plants.

2. If you're trying to get a feel for the interplay between plants and water chemistry, what are the most important water parameters?

3. Once you're experienced, which tests are still useful as leading indicators of problems (The tests for your tap water would fall into this category).

-ObiQuiet


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

I use a combination of observation and testing. I can see what's going on, but I like to verify it. I like titration tests over strips; you can calibrate them more easily and double water quantities in some cases for better test resolution.

1) NH4, NO2, NO3, pH, KH, GH, PO4 tend to give you a feel for a lot of what's going on when you get started. Other test kits can be useful, but they tend to be far less accurate unless you're willing to pay for it. I recommend the nitrogen related tests so that you get to know whether your plants are uptaking N enough to prevent a cycle from being necessary, and to keep an eye on your NO3 so you can figure out if you're needlessly dumping in way more fertilizer than you need to. The pH/KH/GH thing all work together to give you a good look at hardness vs. pH, especially in CO2 systems where 10KH but 7 pH is possible. Good tools for learning or testing what people are telling you. pH meters are a nice bonus.

2) It depends what kind of tank you're running. Might be CO2 (use a drop checker, not a test kit) in a high light compressed CO2 tank, where as on the other hand in an NPT you'll want to be keeping an eye on nitrogen since its in an organic form, and more prone to hitting toxicity than a tank getting water changes regularly with NO3 from an inorganic source.

3) A KH test for aquasoil or RO, a drop checker for getting a new tank broken in, and a pH meter. I use NO3 tests now and then to compare fertilization to feeding and light when I'm curious about bioloads. In reality, none of those are necessary but they can all be helpful. It really depends on how much you want to know, and what your goals are.


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## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

ObiQuiet said:


> It seems to me that there are at least 2, maybe 3, separate questions:
> 1. If you're a beginner (like me) or your tank is not yet stable (like mine) what tests should you keep an eye on? Beginner = don't yet know how to read the plants.
> 
> 2. If you're trying to get a feel for the interplay between plants and water chemistry, what are the most important water parameters?
> ...


Excellent response Obi-Q. For starters, tests for pH and hardness will help you decide what you can start with (fish and plants) using your source water (chloramine et cetera can be knocked out with water conditioners). Once you critter-ize the home, tests for ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, et cetera help you keep track of how the system is working to keep the water safe for your critters. Then comes keeping track of nutrients et cetera, which will turn into experience in using your plants as your test kits, as well as your PAR meters and so forth...

This is certainly not a complete answer to any question...just a starting point.

Awe! Dan beat me to the answer, which is a good one by the way...


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

Yes, groups of tests as listed by Philosophos is a good run down of tests for the different stages of fish keeping and aquascaping. 

1) Get to know your starting point. Tap water, and how the substrate reacts in your set up. pH, GH, KH are good for this, and a report from your water company. 
Monitor the nitrogens (NH3/NH4, NO2, NO3) to be sure your livestock is safe as the tank cycles and the other things that go on with a new tank are not heading into toxic ranges. 

2) Might really be monitoring the plants, then testing not with a test kit, but by dosing what you think is needed. Ask questions here and research plant deficiency signs. If the plants respond favorably, then your research was correct. Still, all the test kits that you want to use can be helpful, just do not go only by the test, but by the plants' responses, too. 

3) NO3 is about the only ongoing test that I use for plants and tank chemistry. If the fish food provides enough protein then I do not need to dose NO3. I simply assume other things still need dosing based on deficiencies seen over the years.


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## Franzi (Dec 7, 2009)

I use the Red Sea kit which tests chlorine, ph, kh, gh, iron, ammonia, nitrite. I also keep track of the readings in a little notebook. I've noticed the results are nearly identical week after week as long as I maintain the usual water change regimen, so I don't test as much anymore. 

Only crappy thing about these tests is that it's kinda hard to match the color of the liquid to the color on the piece of paper, so my measurements are usually within a range (ie pH is 6.2 - 6.4).


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