Best products for testing water quality...?
- Thread starter RDTigger
- Start date
I've used both but prefer tubes. I've done the test first with strips then with liquid test kits. Too random, the test strips are for my liking.
Liquid tests all the way. From what I've read here, strips are, or can be, inconsistent/inaccurate.
Most people here recommend API's liquid test kit (comes with pH, high range pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate tests). This is what I use.
Next time I buy a liquid test, I think I'll try out one of Seachem's line (either ammonia or nitrate), just to see if its any easier to tell what level the water is testing at (sometimes it can be hard to tell exactly which reading you are getting).
Most people here recommend API's liquid test kit (comes with pH, high range pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate tests). This is what I use.
Next time I buy a liquid test, I think I'll try out one of Seachem's line (either ammonia or nitrate), just to see if its any easier to tell what level the water is testing at (sometimes it can be hard to tell exactly which reading you are getting).
I use the API test kit (test tubes) and works fine for me. It is hard to tell levels though if you dont do it during daylight hours, lights at night makes it harder to tell the levels
Agreed about being tough to read. Thats why I got the seachem ammonia and nitrite nitrate its really easy to read and you can run a few tests at once and it tells you exactly how much free ammonia there is. Worth the extra dollar or two over API kits. easier to clean up too.BPags52;3168152; said:
API liquid test kit. I've been interested in trying other liquid kits and after seeing some of the other comments I think I'll go ahead and do that. I NEVER trust the paper strips.
The tubes/drops are quite accurate and consistent… but time consuming and expensive (especially when dealing with multiple tanks)…
I have found the strips (which I use often) to be quite consistent, but not always accurate… To accommodate for this, I use strips to verify day to day or week to week consistency… and if a problem arises I use the tubes/drops to verify specifics.
In my experience, provided the strips are kept dry, they do offer consistent results day to day / week to week. It is only when they are allowed to soak up humidity or otherwise get damp that they offer inconsistent results, because there is a inconsistent amount of humidity/water already on the strip when it is put into use.
It is my opinion that strips have gotten a bad reputation based far more on misuse, misunderstanding and heresy than on actual experienced user experience…
I have found the strips (which I use often) to be quite consistent, but not always accurate… To accommodate for this, I use strips to verify day to day or week to week consistency… and if a problem arises I use the tubes/drops to verify specifics.
In my experience, provided the strips are kept dry, they do offer consistent results day to day / week to week. It is only when they are allowed to soak up humidity or otherwise get damp that they offer inconsistent results, because there is a inconsistent amount of humidity/water already on the strip when it is put into use.
It is my opinion that strips have gotten a bad reputation based far more on misuse, misunderstanding and heresy than on actual experienced user experience…
really i think all the liquid tests are the same. as for the strip tests, as much as i like the convenience, they cannot be trusted for accuracy.