# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Source of test kits?



## elcaddis (Apr 16, 2006)

I am looking to buy a test kit, includes nitrite, nitrate, KH and GH, amonia, and pH. What brand is accurate? Where should I get it? LFS, online stores?


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## imported_russell (Sep 14, 2004)

i ordered the uncommon ones from www.bigalsonline.com such as no3 po4, ca. i got the hagen kits because people say they are realy accurate. the rest of the gh, kh and ph are probably mostly all the same.


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## imported_Creature (Feb 6, 2003)

I got two new La Motte test kits on Tuesday and really like how easy they are to use and easy to read. you compare against liquid samples instead of paper. It is such a big improvement over the Seachem tests, that I will be ordering the PO4 and NO3 tests, I'm so tired of guessing. While not cheap, they are accurate and easy to compare and get a result. Why did I wait so long!

I ordered them from Aquatic Eco-Systems in Florida. Very easy and they shipped FedEx instead the the USPS which I don't care for.

http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/listings.categories/ssid/13


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## alexperez (Oct 8, 2004)

I'm with Creature. La Motte while more expensive they are worth it in the long run.
Over the last 2 years I spent more on cheap test kits (AP, Seachem, Redsea) than the cost of the La Motte kits. 
I would get bad kits and then have to buy another one. Add that to the plants I had to throw away that got covered in Algae cause I dosed to much or to little according to the cheap test kits. 
Also with La Motte once you have the kit, you order the replacment Reagents only not the whole kit.


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## TortoiseBoy (Dec 30, 2004)

Creature,
Was that the low range NO3 Lamotte kit that you bought? Does it matter that it peaks out at 10ppm? Can you tell how much over 10ppm you are or is that the absolute limit? Since I am usually shooting for 10ppm in my tank, I was curious as to how well this kit would work for me.

Oh, and just my $0.02-worth, I have been very happy with my Hagen Phosphate test. I find it pretty easy to read (it is shades of blue), as opposed to the nitrate test kits I have had (Tetra and AP). These read in reds and yellows that my red-green color-blind eyes have trouble seeing









Anybody had good luck with the Hagen NO3 test?

Thanks,

TB


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## Bigstick (Feb 15, 2005)

i just bought the Hagen and I really dont like it. The third reagent is in a glass bottle and you have to hold it upside down until a drop comes up. Sometimes I end up getting 2 drops in there and you only need 1. So I really don't like it


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## imported_BSS (Apr 14, 2004)

> Originally posted by TortoiseBoy:
> Was that the low range NO3 Lamotte kit that you bought? Does it matter that it peaks out at 10ppm?...


I'm guessing Creature got the LaMotte 3110 kit, which is the one I bought about 6 months ago. It actually gives you the ppm of N, not of NO3. To get the NO3 equivalent, you multiple the ppm value by 4.4. So, the kit actually peaks out at 44 ppm of NO3. I now trust the NO3 values I come up with. I must admit, that I have some challenges distinguishing between some of the value (e.g. 2 and 4) and I have to try a few light sources to decide which it is. But, once I make up my mind which value is closer, I feel good that it represents what is in my tank.


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## elcaddis (Apr 16, 2006)

Just bought test kit(Hagen), ran the test and came up w/ the following results:

pH 6.8
Ammonia 0
Nitrate >110 ppm
Nitrite 0.8 ppm
Phosphate 5 ppm
KH 40 ppm
GH 120 ppm
Calcium 0 ppm
Fe (both unchelate and chelated) 0 ppm
CO2 level calculated 12ppm

I have a few questions. 

1. The nitrate is really high, at least the instruction book says that's too high. How do I lower it? and to what range is acceptable? Is this why I have brown algea growing everywhere?

2. Is the nitrite level ok for the fish?

3. Is the KH and GH acceptable? I have a discus in there and it's doing ok. 

4. How about the phosphate level?

5. What to add to increase calcium and iron? I can tell the deficiency already before the tests, cuz my swords and anubias have cupped leaves.

6. Since I am planning to get more plants, is it better to add plants first then trying to adjust the nutrient level? Or the reverse is better?

Thanks in advance for reply.

Plants: 
Amazon swords 
anubia barteri 
java fern 
C. wendtii

Fish:
discus
neon tetra
cardinal tetra
SAE
Oto


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## Roger Miller (Jun 19, 2004)

> 1. The nitrate is really high, at least the instruction book says that's too high. How do I lower it? and to what range is acceptable? Is this why I have brown algea growing everywhere?


Lower it with water changes. With it that high you need to do *big* water changes to get it down. For starters you probably need to get it down under 40 ppm. 5-10 ppm is a common range for planted tanks, but that may be difficult to maintain in a low-light tank.



> 2. Is the nitrite level ok for the fish?


Probably not, but that will come down when you do the big water changes to lower the nitrate levels. Test again after you get the nitrate levels down to see how much nitrite you have left.



> 3. Is the KH and GH acceptable? I have a discus in there and it's doing ok.


They're acceptable, but it is unusual that your GH is that high with no calcium. Are you adding magnesium to the water?



> 4. How about the phosphate level?


High. That is an effect from fish feeding, low light, slow plant growth and no calcium. Again, it will drop with water changes.



> 5. What to add to increase calcium and iron? I can tell the deficiency already before the tests, cuz my swords and anubias have cupped leaves.


Most tap water provides enough calcium. What are the hardness and calcium levells in your tap water? You probably don't need to worry about your iron levels in a low light tank. Your plants will grow better with regular additions of a chelated iron product.



> 6. Since I am planning to get more plants, is it better to add plants first then trying to adjust the nutrient level? Or the reverse is better?


From the plants' point of view it probably doesn't make much difference. From most other angles you probably need to do the water change soon, so don't wait to add more plants.

Roger Miller


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## Margolis (Sep 22, 2004)

> Originally posted by elcaddis:
> Just bought test kit(Hagen), ran the test and came up w/ the following results:
> 
> 7Nitrite 0.8 ppm
> ...


absolutely not. Nitrite is one of the most poisonous substances you have in your tank for fish. Even that small amount can be toxic for your fish. Something is definately wrong, it should always be ZERO in a cycled tank, if it is anything else you have a problem with filtration.



> Nitrate >110 ppm


What is your maintanence schedule? Nitrates shouldn't ever get that high even in an unplanted tank with regular water changes. Have you tested your tap water for nitrates?



> 3. Is the KH and GH acceptable? I have a discus in there and it's doing ok.


your kh is just a little too low in my opinion. The lower it is, the more you risk ph swings and crashes. Not that yours is so low that it is guaranteed to happen, it just increases the risks slightly.


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## Margolis (Sep 22, 2004)

> Originally posted by Bigstick:
> i just bought the Hagen and I really dont like it. The third reagent is in a glass bottle and you have to hold it upside down until a drop comes up. Sometimes I end up getting 2 drops in there and you only need 1. So I really don't like it


It just takes a little practice. When I first got it I was the same way. But after using it a couple of times I have found that it is actually much better than being in a dropper that can clog easily.


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## elcaddis (Apr 16, 2006)

Thank you all for the advice. I think first thing of order is testing my tap water. I know its pH is high from previous pH test kit, now I need to find out what else is wrong with the tap water. Possibly getting a RO unit. Secondly, I need to do big water change.
I am not sure why nitrite is high, the tank is over 2 months old, added fish only 2 weeks ago. Filter is Fluval 204, should I put AC back into it?
I had diy co2 before, but took it out already. I am not adding ferts, except jobes spike for swords. The only other thing I added was Seachem discus buffer, cuz the tap water has high pH.


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## Roger Miller (Jun 19, 2004)

Seachem's Discus Buffer is a phosphate buffer. That's where your high phosphate test came from. I'm surprised it isn't higher. The Discus Buffer also might have something to do with your unmeasurable calcium. Phosphate and calcium combine to produce a number of strong complexes and insoluble minerals.

It's unlikely that you need to use RO water.


Roger Miller


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## elcaddis (Apr 16, 2006)

ah, I see. So, I should stop using seachem's discus buffer since it makes calcium unavailable to plants. Is there other way to lower pH?


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## Roger Miller (Jun 19, 2004)

I doubt that lowering pH should be your main conern at the moment. You need to get the water cleaned up.

If your tank has only had fish in it for two weeks then most of that nitrate probably comes from the Jobes spikes. The Jobes spikes will continue to act as a nitrate source until they are depleted. 

The nitrite in your water is probably there because the nitrogen cycle is not complete yet.


Roger Miller


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## elcaddis (Apr 16, 2006)

Absolutely, first order of business is changing water.


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## elcaddis (Apr 16, 2006)

After 3 days of changing water, 15% each day, the water parameters are as follow:

pH 6.8
Ammonia 0.0 ppm
Nitrate 5 ppm
Nitrite <0.1 ppm
Phosphate 5 ppm
KH 50 ppm
GH 100 ppm
Calcium 0 ppm
Chelated Iron 0 ppm
CO2 13.3 ppm

I was puzzled by the level of phosphate, so I tested my tap water and it has high phosphate as what's in the tank. Is it possible that the test kit isn't accurate? If not, what can I do to reduce phosphate level in the water?


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## Roger Miller (Jun 19, 2004)

Several of your results are a little odd. First, if your nitrate started at >110 ppm and you changed 15% three times then it should still be about 70 ppm. It's good to see the ammonia and nitrite low.

Second, it would be extremely unusual water if it had 100 ppm GH and no calcium. GH is made up of calcium and magnesium and calcium is usually more abundant than magnesium. Water with 100 ppm GH and no calcium would have to be made artificially. You won't find it in nature.

Third, it is possible for phosphate tests to be wrong. The phosphate test is technically difficult and there are a number of possible problems. If it really is 5 ppm then you don't need to worry about reducing it. It's already so high that it isn't a factor. Actually I think if you were using Discus Buffer according to directions that the phosphate concentration should probably be higher than 5 ppm. Some water utilities treat water with polyphosphate and some of that would be readable as phosphate. I don't know if that is your case.

You won't have any chelated iron in the tank unless you are adding it.


Roger Miller


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## elcaddis (Apr 16, 2006)

I reviewed my calculation and found that I actually did more than 15% water change. Error on my part for not subtracting the volume taken by substrate. And as for calcium, I figured that the test is not accurate or I did something wrong with it. I'll test it again tonight. I researched online and read my old chemistry textbook, there is noway that calcium in zero at GH 100ppm.
Actually I stopped using discus buffer and pH is stable at 6.8 So, I became suspecious about my old pH test kit. With the new kit, I tested the tap water and it's around 6.8! Man, I don't know what to trust anymore.


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